Belize Official Title: Belize General Information

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Belize Official Title: Belize General Information Belize Official Title: Belize General Information: Capital Belmopan Population (million) 0.n3/9a6 Total Area 22,923 km² Currency 1 CAN$=1.5232 Belize $ (BZD) (2018 - Annual average) National Holiday September 21 Language(s) English, Spanish Political Information: Type of State Parliamentary Democracy Type of Government Representative democracy; formerly known as British Honduras; bicameral legislature with 8 members appointed to the Senate and 29 members elected to the House of Representatives for 5-year terms. Bilateral Product trade Canada - Belize 20 18 Balance 16 Head of State Head of Government 14 Can. Prime Minister 12 (Queen Elizabeth II) Gov. Gen. s Exports n 10 Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow o Colville Norbert Young i l Can. l i 8 Imports M 6 Total 4 Ministers: Deputy PM; Natural Resources & Env: Gaspar VEGA Trade Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs: Wilfred ELRINGTON 2 0 Minister of Trade & Investment: Erwin CONTRERAS 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Statistics Canada Main Political Parties UDP - United Democratic Party: 17 Canadian Imports PUP - People's United Party: 14 from: Belize Foo d Prod . V eg . Prod . Paper Prod . C hemical Pro d . A nimal & Pro d . M ach. M ech. Elec. Pro d . W ood Pro d . Plast ics, R ub b er Pro d . V ehicles and Eq uip . Elections: Nne/xat: 2020 B ase M et al Pro d . D ress A ccess. 2019 Fat s, Oils & W axes Pro d . Specializ ed Inst . Economic Information: (2018) IMF Statistics Canada Belize Canada GDP: (billion) $2n.5/a0 $2,222.58 Canadian Exports GDP per capita: $6,314n.3/a5 $60,078.85 to: Belize GDP Growth rate: (%) 3n.0/a4 1.83 M ach. M ech. Elec. Pro d . Inflation: (%) 0n.2/a9 2.24 C hemical Pro d . Unemployment: (%) 8n.7/a2 5.83 V eg. Pro d . Product Trade and Investment: (2019) Statistics Canada Plast ics, R ub b er Pro d . Canadian Exports: $9,907,4n9/a9 B ase M et al Pro d . Canadian Imports: $1,360,4n9/a4 A nimal & Pro d . Foreign Direct Investment in Canada (2018) n/a (million) 2019 Canadian Direct Investment in country (2018) $2n7/a2 (million) Fat s, Oils & W axes Statistics Canada Representation: Sources: Statistics/Industry Canada Foreign Representation in Canada http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home IMF http://www.imf.org/external/ns/cs.aspx?id=28 Canadian Representation Abroad High Commissioner Rita Rudaitis-Renaud February 2020 www.international.gc.ca HTML version: httpns/a://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/guatemala/bilateral_relations_bilaterales/fs-belize-fd.aspx?lan=eng&lang=eng.
Recommended publications
  • Cyb Template 2012
    Belize another hurricane, Hurricane Dean, hit Belize KEY FACTS affecting the livelihoods of up to 2,500 Joined Commonwealth: 1981 families in the northern parts of the country. Population: 332,000 (2013) Environment: The most significant GDP p.c. growth: 2.0% p.a. 1990–2013 environmental issues are deforestation; water UN HDI 2014: World ranking 84 pollution from sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural run-off; and solid waste Official language: English disposal. Time: GMT minus 6 hrs Vegetation: Forest covers 61 per cent of the Currency: Belizean dollar (Bz$) land area and includes rainforest with mahoganies, cayune palms, and many Geography orchids. Higher in the mountains, pine forest Area: 22,965 sq km and cedar predominate. Arable land comprises three per cent of the land area. Coastline: 386 km Wildlife: There is a strong emphasis on Capital: Belmopan conservation. By 1992, 18 national parks and Belize forms part of the Commonwealth reserves had been established, including the Belizeans descend from Mayans, Caribs, and Caribbean, and is located in Central America, world’s only jaguar reserve. Other native the many groups who came as loggers, bordering Mexico to the north and species include ocelots, pumas, baboons, settlers, refugees, slaves and imported labour: Guatemala to the west and south. Of 13 howler monkeys, toucans and many species English, Spanish, Africans and East Indians. Commonwealth member countries in the of parrot. Americas, only Belize, Canada and Guyana lie According to the 2000 census, the on the mainland, three of the most sparsely Main towns: Belmopan (capital, pop. population comprises 49 per cent Mestizos populated countries in the association; all the 18,326 in 2014), Belize City (former capital (Maya-Spanish), 25 per cent Creoles (Afro- others are islands or archipelagos.
    [Show full text]
  • Unions Rally at Memorial Park GOB Tables New Proposals to Unions
    Tuesday, May 11, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3459 BELIZE CITY, TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 (16 PAGES) $1.00 Bondholders and GoB, no deal yet BELIZE CITY. Mon. May 10, 2021 Last week, a meeting scheduled between holders of Belize’s Super- GOB tables new bond and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Chris Coye, was proposals to unions canceled after the Creditor Committee’s representatives BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 10, 2021 indicated that the meeting would be A meeting between the Joint fruitless if Belize refuses to sign on Unions Negotiating Team and the to an IMF support plan. Government of Belize officials ended Please turn toPage 15 Please turn toPage 15 Abusive relationship ends in fatal arson by Dayne Guy St. Matthews Village, Cayo District, Mon, May 10, 2021 A mother and her 3-year-old son were reportedly burned to death in the village of St. Matthews when their home was set on fire. Her ex- common law husband is the prime suspect. According to police reports, this heinous act of arson-turned-murder occurred sometime before 11:00 o’clock on Friday night. The house of 36-year-old Kendra Middleton PM gets the jab was burnt to the ground, while she and her three-year-old child, Aiden Perez, were inside. They both perished. Unions rally at Memorial Park When firefighters arrived at the scene, the blaze had already Please turn toPage 14 Former George Street boss’s son murdered BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 10, 2021 organized resistance to salary cuts in by Dayne Guy On Friday, May 7, the members of the public sector.
    [Show full text]
  • Supreme Court Claim No. 376 of 2005
    IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE, A.D. 2005 CLAIM NO. 376 SAID MUSA Claimant BETWEEN AND ANN­MARIE WILLIAMS HARRY LAWRENCE REPORTER PRESS LIMITED Defendants __ BEFORE the Honourable Abdulai Conteh, Chief Justice. Mr. Kareem Musa for the claimant. Mr. Dean Barrow S.C. for the defendants. __ JUDGMENT Introduction Given the dramatis personae in this case which, by any account, contains an unusual cast, I had during the hearing constantly to remind myself that this was a trial of a claim in a court of law and not a political trial, whatever this may mean. On the one hand, is arrayed the Prime Minister and leader of one of the political parties (the PUP), who has his son as his attorney. Ranged on the other side is the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of the other main political party (the UDP) as the attorney for the defendants of whom the second defendant, Mr. H. 1 Lawrence admitted, albeit, under cross examination, that he was a founding member of the UDP. Mr. Lawrence who struck me as an honest witness now says his newspaper, The Reporter, supports no political party and has no partisan agenda. However, given the persons involved in this case, the political overtones of the case could not be missed. However, I need hardly say that this is a court of law and the issues joined between the parties are to be decided only in accordance with the law and evidence, and nothing more and nothing less. 2. Mr. Said Musa, the claimant in this case, is the Prime Minister of Belize, the Area Representative of the Fort George Division in the House of Representatives, leader of the People’s United Party (PUP), one of the two main political parties in the country, as well as a member of the bar with the rank of a Senior Counsel.
    [Show full text]
  • Notice of Arbitration
    IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION UNDER THE ARBITRATION RULES OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW 1977 AND PURSUANT TO THE 1982 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE FOR THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS BETWEEN: BRITISH CARIBBEAN BANK LIMITED Claimant -v- THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE Respondent NOTICE OF ARBITRATION 4 May 2010 Allen & Overy LLP One Bishops Square London El 6AD United Kingdom Tel: +44(0)20 3088 0000 Fax: +44(0)2030880088 Ref: JAEG/MPG/ AAMW 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Notice of Arbitration (the Notice) is served by the Claimant, British Caribbean Bank Limited (BCB or the Claimant), on the Respondent, the Government of Belize (the Government or the Respondent), pursuant to: (a) Article 3 of the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law 1977 (the UNCITRAL Rules); and (b) Article 8 of the 1982 Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Belize for the Promotion and Protection of Investments (the Treaty!). 1.2 BCB demands that the dispute which is set out in this Notice be referred to arbitration in accordance with Article 3 of the UNCITRAL Rules and with Article 8 of the Treaty. 1.3 The dispute to which this Notice relates concerns the Government's disregard for the rights of BCB, a foreign investor entitled to protection under the Treaty. The dispute arises out of the Government's conduct in compulsorily acquiring
    [Show full text]
  • 26Th March 2015, in the National Assembly Chamber, !Belmopan, at 10:18 AM
    !1 BELIZE ! No. HR26/1/11 ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES! th Thursday, 26 ! March, 2015 10:18! A.M ------! Pursuant to the Direction of Mr. Speaker on the 15th March 2015, the House met on Thursday, 26th March 2015, in the National Assembly Chamber, !Belmopan, at 10:18 AM. ! ! Members Present: The Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker The Hon. Dean O. Barrow (Queen’s Square), Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development The Hon. Gaspar Vega (Orange Walk North), Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture The Hon. Erwin R. Contreras (Cayo West), Minister of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection The Hon. Patrick J. Faber (Collet), Minister of Education, Youth and Sports The Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. (Belize Rural South), Minister of Tourism and Culture The Hon. Anthony Martinez (Port Loyola), Minister of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation The Hon. John Saldivar (Belmopan), Minister of National Security The Hon. Wilfred P. Elrington (Pickstock), Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs The Hon. Rene Montero (Cayo Central), Minister of Works and Transport The Hon. Pablo S. Marin (Corozal Bay), Minister of Health The Hon. Santino Castillo (Caribbean Shores), Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development The Hon. Hugo Patt (Corozal North), Minister of State in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture The Hon. Herman Longsworth (Albert), Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports The Hon. Mark King (Lake Independence), Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation The Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Budget Debate
    BELIZE No. HR19/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES nd Thursday, 22 ​ March 2018 ​ 10:24 A.M. ---*--- Pursuant to the Order of the House on the 9th ​ March 2018, the House met on Thursday, 22nd March 2018, in the National Assembly ​ Chamber, Belmopan, at 10:24 A.M. Members Present: The Hon. Laura Tucker-Longsworth, Speaker The Rt. Hon. Dean O. Barrow (Queen’s Square) Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Natural Resources The Hon. Patrick J. Faber (Collet), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports The Hon. Erwin R. Contreras (Cayo West), Minister of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce The Hon. John Saldivar (Belmopan), Minister of National Security The Hon. Michael Finnegan (Mesopotamia), Minister of Housing and Urban Development The Hon. Anthony Martinez (Port Loyola), Minister of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation The Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. (Belize Rural South), Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation The Hon. Rene Montero (Cayo Central), Minister of Works The Hon. Wilfred P. Elrington (Pickstock), Minister of Foreign Affairs The Hon. Pablo S. Marin (Corozal Bay), Minister of Health The Hon. Hugo Patt (Corozal North), Minister of Local Government, Labour, Rural Development, Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities The Hon. Edmond G. Castro (Belize Rural North), Minister of Transport and NEMO The Hon. Dr. Omar Figueroa (Cayo North), Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development and Immigration and Deputy Speaker The Hon. Frank Mena (Dangriga), Minister of State in the Ministry of Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities The Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • BELIZE No. HR 26/1/11 HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES
    BELIZE No. HR 26/1/11 ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, 26th March 2015 ! 10:18 AM. ---*---! Pursuant to the Order of the House on the 13th March 2015, the House met on Thursday, 26th March 2015, in the National Assembly Chamber, Belmopan, at 10:18 AM. ------! ! Members Present: The Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker The Hon. Dean O. Barrow (Queen’s Square), Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development The Hon. Gaspar Vega (Orange Walk North), Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture The Hon. Erwin R. Contreras (Cayo West), Minister of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection The Hon. Patrick J. Faber (Collet), Minister of Education, Youth and Sports The Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. (Belize Rural South), Minister of Tourism and Culture The Hon. Anthony Martinez (Port Loyola), Minister of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation The Hon. John Saldivar (Belmopan), Minister of National Security The Hon. Wilfred P. Elrington (Pickstock), Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs The Hon. Pablo S. Marin (Corozal Bay), Minister of Health The Hon. Rene Montero (Cayo Central), Minister of Works and Transport The Hon. Edmond G. Castro (Belize Rural North), Minister of State in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Deputy Speaker The Hon. Santino Castillo (Caribbean Shores), Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development The Hon. Hugo Patt (Corozal North), Minister of State in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture The Hon. Herman Longsworth (Albert), Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports The Hon. Mark King (Lake Independence), Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation The Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Belize | Freedom House
    6/5/2020 Belize | Freedom House FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2020 Belize 86 FREE /100 Political Rights 35 /40 Civil Liberties 51 /60 LAST YEAR'S SCORE & STATUS 86 /100 Free Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology. https://freedomhouse.org/country/belize/freedom-world/2020 1/13 6/5/2020 Belize | Freedom House Overview Belize is a democracy that has experienced regular rotations of power through competitive elections. Civil liberties are mostly respected. Government corruption is a concern, as is the high rate of violent crime. Authorities have been slow to address persistent problems of police brutality and human trafficking within the country’s borders. Key Developments in 2019 In March, the opposition People’s United Party (PUP) filed a Supreme Court claim against Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dean Barrow and an aide, for allegedly spending $645 million from Petrocaribe without parliamentary authorization. The court heard the case in November, with a ruling due in January 2020. The US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report noted two new human trafficking prosecutions, the first in four years. A long-running border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved. In March, three Guatemalan gun boats blocked a Belize Coast Guard patrol from accessing the Sarstoon River, which is part of Belizean territory. Political Rights A. Electoral Process A1 0-4 pts Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4 The prime minister, usually the leader of the largest party in the parliament, is head of government.
    [Show full text]
  • Blue Economy Vs the Fishing Community
    Friday, June 25, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3470 BELIZE CITY, FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021 (40 PAGES) $1.50 UDP coup de théâtre: Shyne ousts Patrick BELIZE CITY. Thurs. June 24, 2021 Barrow will now assume that role in The United Democratic Party has the House of Representatives after been steeped in uncertainty as back- being officially sworn in by the room conversations take place, Governor General today. various UDP members join different In a letter dated June 20, the self- party factions, and internal party proclaimed UDP “Chief Whip”, Hon. processes are triggered — all in an Shyne Barrow sent a letter to H.E. effort to determine the leadership of Froyla Tzalam, in which he invoked the party. On Monday evening there section 47 (5) of the Belize was another unexpected twist in the Constitution, which provides for plot when Hon. Shyne Barrow, the members of the Opposition to oust recently elected area representative their leader if he or she no longer of the Mesopotamia division and son enjoys the support of the majority of of former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. the Opposition members. Dean Barrow, was declared the new Leader of the Opposition. Hon. Please turn toPage 38 Robbery turned murder Man drowns after in St. Margaret’s falling into well Blue Economy vs the Artie Hall is believed to have suffered fishing community a seizure before falling to his death CAYO DISTRICT, Thurs. June 23, 2021 SAN ANTONIO, Corozal District, Yesterday, a man was killed near the Bird Walk community Wed. June 23, 2021 during a robbery carried out by This morning, tragedy struck the by Dayne Guy 6 armed men.
    [Show full text]
  • Saldivar's Splendid Debate Performance
    Monday, March 5, 2012 Capital Weekly Page 1 CapitalCapital FromFromWeekly Weekly thethe HeartHeart ofof thethe NationNation toto thethe SoulSoul ofof thethe PeoplePeople No. 024 Monday, March 5, 2012 Price: $1.00 BIG John! Saldivar’s Splendid Debate Performance t was another good playing politics with the issue in night for Plus TV, an- what he described as a character- other great opportu- istically PUP fashion. He com- nity for the residence pared and equated it with one of of Belmopan,I and a big night for former PUP leader Said Musa’s UDP incumbent John Saldivar. disingenuous moments back in It was the debate among 1998 when he promised to abol- the three general election can- ish the Value Added Tax (VAT) didates vying for the position of if elected, but failing to indicate Belmopan Area Representative what he would put in its place. now vacant since the Prime Min- When Musa got elected, Saldivar ister advised the Governor Gen- recounted, all he did was to bring eral to dissolve the National As- back the same tax (VAT), only by sembly one month ago and set the a different name. In like manner, election date for March 7, 2012. Saldivar drew he parallel, Hegar Like the mayoral debate is now promising to disband held a couple weeks earlier, the RECONDEV, but neglecting to event was organized by Belmo- say what he would replace it with. pan-based national television Hegar’s response was ex- station Plus TV, broadcast live on ceedingly weak, in fact, hardly that station, and hosted by its pop- audible, let alone comprehen- ular morning show hosts Louis sible.
    [Show full text]
  • Sunday, November 15, 2020
    Vol. 23 No. 46 Sunday, November 15, 2020 Page 2 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, November 15, 2020 Potential vaccine against COVID-19 The World’s hope to eventually defeat COVID-19 was raised on Monday by the announcement of a potential breakthrough in a vaccine candidate. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine successfully prevented 90% of infections compared to a placebo, a more positive result than experts expected. The analysis is based on 94 cases of infection with SARS- CoV-2, the virus that causes Vaccine COVID-19, among both the represent results collected seven victory not only for public health vaccinated and placebo groups. days after the second of Pfizer’s but for science as well. The Experts had set a minimum two-shot regimen. companies’ vaccine is based threshold of 60% effectiveness Pfizer, which developed and on a new technology that relies for vaccines to be considered tested its vaccine with German on a genetic material known for emergency authorization or company BioNTech, said in as mRNA. No mRNA-based approval. The company’s trial a release that it will continue vaccines have received approval seven days after the second dose. included data from 38,955 of following people in the study from the FDA yet, although Pfizer believes it will be able to the total 43,538 volunteers who for a couple more weeks until several are being tested for supply 50 million doses by the enrolled. the middle of November when other diseases. The results are a end of this year, and around 1.3 Pfizer is the first company to everyone in the study will have testament to the benefits of the billion by the end of 2021.
    [Show full text]
  • Ccs Blz En.Pdf
    BCCS 2/18/09 10:31 AM Page 1 BCCS 2/18/09 10:31 AM Page 2 BCCS 2/18/09 10:31 AM Page 3 BCCS 2/18/09 10:31 AM Page 4 BELIZE COUNTRY COOPERATION STRATEGY 2008–2011 Photo courtesy Ministry of Health of Belize A Mennonite farmer receives rubella vaccine, 2004. BCCS 2/18/09 10:31 AM Page 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 11 FOREWORD 15 1. INTRODUCTION 16 2. COUNTRY HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES AND NATIONAL RESPONSE 18 2.1 General context 18 2.2 Health status of the population 19 2.3 Major health problems 20 2.4 Health determinants 26 2.5 Health sector policies and organization 31 2.6 The Millennium Development Goals 37 2.7 Key health priorities and challenges 37 2.8 Opportunities and strengths 38 3. DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIPS: TECHNICAL COOPERATION, AID EFFECTIVENESS, AND COORDINATION 39 3.1 Key international aid and partners in health 39 3.2 National ownership 42 3.3 Alignment and harmonization 42 3.4 Challenges 42 3.5 Opportunities 42 4. PAST AND CURRENT PAHO/WHO COOPERATION 43 4.1 Cooperation overview 43 4.2 Structure and ways of working 45 4.3 Resources 46 4.4 SWOT analysis of PAHO/WHO 48 5. STRATEGIC AGENDA FOR PAHO/WHO’S COOPERATION 49 5.1 Strategic priority 1: improving the health status of the population 50 5.2 Strategic priority 2: addressing key health determinants 54 5.3 Strategic priority 3: strengthening health sector policies and organization 56 5.4 Strategic priority 4: enhancing PAHO/WHO’s response 59 6.
    [Show full text]