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

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

BENIN

@Benin:Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:
total: 1,989 km
border countries : Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km,
Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Tanekas 641 m

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble,
timber

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland