Political parties and leaders:

National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party
or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; People's National Party or PNP [Wil
MAHEIA]; People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic
Party or UDP [Dean BARROW]; Vision Inspired by the People or VIP
[Paul MORGAN]; We the People Reform Movement or WTP [Hipolito
BAUTISTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR
[Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David
VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene
GOMEZ]

International organization participation:

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC,
LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Nestor MENDEZ
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER
embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District
mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize
telephone: [501] 822-4011
FAX: [501] 822-4012

Flag description:

blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges;
centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of
arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany
tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the
Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Economy
Belize

Economy - overview:

In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy, tourism is
the number one foreign exchange earner followed by exports of marine
products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The
government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in
September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in
1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered the economic growth in
2006 and 2007. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade
deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. In February 2007, the
government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial
debt, which will reduce interest payments and