Belize

IN THE LATE 18th century, Great Britain and Spain fought over possession of the Central American area now known as Belize. The British won, and colonization proceeded in what became known as British Honduras. A subsequent move toward independence was stymied by disagreements between the United Kingdom and Guatemala. Although self-government was established in 1964, independence was not accomplished until 1981, nine years after the country had changed its name to Belize. It was not until 1991 that Guatemala recognized Belizean independence. Territorial disputes continue, however, and Guatemala claims more than half of the area known as Belize.

Belize is an upper-middle-income nation with a per-capita income of $6,500. The economy is diversified, with 55 percent of the labor force employed in services, and tourism is the largest revenue producer. High unemployment, increasing urban crime, and involvement in the South American drug trade have hampered economic growth. Some 18 percent of the labor force are engaged in industry, mostly in the production of garments and marine products. Approximately 27 percent of the workforce are employed in agriculture, producing mainly citrus fruits, cane sugar, and bananas. Reforms instituted in 1998 have signaled a period of growth, but officials are still coping with a considerable trade deficit and a huge foreign debt.

One-third of Belizeans live in poverty, and 12.9 percent of the workforce are unemployed. The international community is heavily involved in antipoverty measures in Belize, and a social net has been constructed to aid the poorest individuals and families. Because women are more likely than men to be poor in Belize, the government has attempted to alleviate the situation by recognizing the importance of childcare and domestic work when determining economic assets and obligations at the time of legal separations and divorces. Social security for elderly women is allotted on a co-contributory basis to prevent these women from sliding into poverty.

[Page 75]Life expectancy in Belize is 67.49 years. With a projected life span of 70.08 years, females outlive males (65.02 years) by some five years. Among the population of 279,457, the median age is 19.35 years. Just over 40 percent of the population are under the age of 14, and over 14 percent have lived to the age of 65. While 92 percent of Belizeans have access to safe drinking water, only half of the population has access to improved sanitation. There are 102 physicians for every 100,000 residents in Belize. From six to 20 percent of the people are unable to afford essential drugs. With a prevalence rate of 2.4 percent, HIV/AIDS presents a growing threat in Belize. Some 3,600 Belizeans are living with this disease, which has killed around 200 people.

Infant mortality is high in Belize, with 25.69 deaths occurring out of every 1,000 live births. This figure has been slashed from 56 deaths per 1,000 live births in the 1970s. Female infants (22.25 per 1,000 live births) are hardier than male infants (28.97). The mortality rate of children under the age of 5 has declined significantly from 77 deaths per 1,000 in 1970 to 39 deaths per 1,000 in 2003. Six percent of all children under the age of 5 are malnourished, and six percent of infants are underweight at birth. Childhood immunization rates for children vary from 89 to 97 percent.

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