rus fruits,
clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Exports--partners: US 45%, UK 30%, Mexico 3%, Canada 3% (1997)

Imports: $149.7 million (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports--commodities: machinery and transportation equipment,
manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

Imports--partners: US 52%, Mexico 13%, UK 5% (1997)

Debt--external: $288 million (1996)

Economic aid--recipient: $23.4 million (1995)

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

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1--2.0000 (fixed
rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March

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 1 (Voice of America relay station),
FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)

Televisions: 27,048 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 2,248 km
paved: 427 km
unpaved: 1,821 km (1996 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: 403 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,740,325
GRT/2,511,709 DWT
ships by type: bulk 34, cargo 259, chemical tanker 5, container 9,
liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 58, passenger-cargo 2,
refrigerated cargo 21, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8, short-sea/passenger
3, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 1
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 7 countries:
Cuba 2, Cyprus 1, Greece 1, Singapore 2, UAE 12, UK 1, and US 1
(1998 est.)

Airports: 44 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 30 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Belize Defense Force (includes Ground Forces,
Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 58,201 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 34,531 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 2,6