Part 96

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

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Belize:Communications

Telephones: 29,000 (1996 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 8, shortwave 1

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 2

Televisions: 27,048 (1993 est.)

@Belize:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,770 km paved: 521 km unpaved : 2,249 km (1995 est.)

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

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

Merchant marine: total: 166 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,592,846 GRT/1,087,555 DWT ships by type: bulk 17, cargo 117, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 13, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1996 est.)

Airports: 35 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total : 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 24 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 54,163 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males : 32,176 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 2,471 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8.1 million (FY95/96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: border with Guatemala in dispute; talks to resolve the dispute are ongoing