Key Facts

GDP (ppp) per CAPITA

$8,400 (2008 est.)

Inflation Rate

6.4% (2008 est.)

Population

307,899 (July 2009 est.)

Country Risk Ratings

-

Ease of Doing Business

78/181

Global Competitiveness

-/134

Country Map

View Larger Map

Belize : Introduction

Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Guatemala and Belize are gearing up for a simultaneous referendum to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.

Belize: The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Auto-defined as a non-profit, non-political membership organization, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry promotes the trade and business interests of its members and the economic, commercial, and financial growth and social well being of the nation. The site contains links to trade opportunities, business directory, library and country links.

Sources:
CIA World Factbook (September 2009)
U.S. Dept. of State Country Background Notes (September 2009)