Part 75

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 51,500 by occupation: agriculture 30%, services 16%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%, manufacturing 10.3% note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1993 est.)

Budget: revenues: $126.8 million expenditures: $123.1 million, including capital expenditures of $44.8 million (FY90/91 est.)

Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 3.7% (1990)

Electricity: capacity: 34,532 kW production: 110 million kWh consumption per capita: 490 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center

Exports: $115 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: sugar, citrus fruits, bananas, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood partners: US 38%, UK, other EC (1994)

Imports: $281 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals partners: US 53%, UK, other EC, Mexico (1994)

External debt: $167.5 million (1992)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1 - 2.00 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation --------------

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,560 km paved: 336 km unpaved: 2,224 km (1987 est.)

Waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable

Ports: Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda

Merchant marine: total: 89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 311,731 GRT/470,272 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 60, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1995 est.)

Airports: total: 35 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 25 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 8 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 15,917 (1990 est.)

Telephone system: above-average system domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1

Radios: NA