earnings,
while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for almost 40% of hard currency
earnings. The US, Belize's main trading partner, is assisting in
efforts to reduce dependency on sugar with an agricultural
diversification program.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $575 million (1994
est.)

National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $2,750 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1991)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1993 est.)

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

Exports: $115 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: sugar, citrus fruits, bananas, clothing, fish products,
molasses, wood
partners: US 51%, UK, other EC (1992)

Imports: $281 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, food,
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
partners: US 57%, UK 8%, other EC 7%, Mexico (1992)

External debt: $158 million (1992)

Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1990); accounts for 12% of
GDP

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

Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction

Agriculture: commercial crops: bananas, coca, citrus fruits, fish,
cultured shrimp, lumber

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

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $215 million

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

@Belize:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 2,710 km
paved: 500 km
unpaved: gravel 1,600 km; improved earth 300 km; unimproved earth 310
km

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

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

Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 170,002 GRT/270,893 DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 25, container 4, oil tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 1

Airports:
total: 46
with paved