Belize Central
Belize (08/04)
In order to strengthen its potential for economic and political development, Belize has sought to build closer ties with the Spanish-speaking countries of Central America to complement its historical ties to the English-speaking Caribbean states. For instance, Belize has joined the other Central American countries in signing the Conjunta Centroamerica-USA (CONCAUSA) agreement on regional sustainable development, and on July 1, 2003 assumed the presidency of SICA (Central American Integration System) for a 6-month period. Belize is a member of CARICOM, which was founded in 1973. It became a member of the OAS in 1990. ... [Read More]
Visiting Belize
VISITING BELIZE Belize, previously known as British Honduras, lies on the East coast of Central America in the heart of the Caribbean Basin, bordering on Mexico to the North, Guatemala to the West and South, and flanked by the Caribbean Sea to the East. Thousands of Americans visit Belize every year, drawn by the clear blue ocean, world-class diving, Mayan ruins, and lush jungles. Still others come to explore the possibility of doing business in the country. T ... [Read More]
Background Notes
Belize's principal external concern has been the dispute involving the Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory. This dispute originated in imperial Spain's claim to all "New World" territories west of the line established in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. Nineteenth century efforts to resolve the problems led to later differences over interpretation and implementation of an 1859 treaty intended to establish the boundaries between Guatemala and Belize, then named British Honduras. Guatemala contends that the 1859 treaty is void because the British failed to comply with all its economic assistance clauses. Neither Spain nor Guatemala ever exercised effective sovereignty over the area. Negotiations proceeded for many years, including one period in ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]
International Adoption Belize
7 ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN Belize: Prospective adoptive parents interested in general information on adopting from Belize may also contact the Belize Human Services Department at: [Read More]
F) Canada, Mexico, and Central America
In April, the 2001 Annual IDEC conference elected PNP Director General Carlos Bares as the Regional IDEC President for Mexico and Central America. In 2001, the Central American countries jointly participated in simultaneous counternarcotics operations under the IDEC umbrella. Operations in 2001 consisted of commercial international airport interdiction, Pan-American Highway interdiction, maritime operations on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and a targeted approach to heroin trafficking. ... [Read More]
Visitor Information
Time observed year round is GMT-6, which is the same as United States Central Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time is not observed in Belize. ... The central part of Belize consists of sandy soil that supports large savannas. Approximately thirty miles southwest of Belize City, the land begins to rise dramatically to between 1,500 and 3,680 feet above sea level in the enchanting Mountain Pine Ridge District and the Maya Mountains. Abundant rainfall runs off to the northwest from the highlands in a number of streams which flow into the Macal River. Ultimately, the Macal River and the Mopan River converge to provide the headwaters of the Belize River ... [Read More]
Project Financing
Foreign investors are required to register any investments made in Belize with the Central Bank in order to facilitate the repatriation of profits, dividends, etc. Officially, no person, other than authorized dealers and authorized depositories, may retain any foreign currency in their possession without the consent of the Central Bank of Belize. In practice, however, many local businesses accept payment in U.S. currency. ... - exporters are required to register their exports with the central bank, guaranteeing delivery of their foreign exchange earnings; ... [Read More]
Belize
In 2001 the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) and UNICEF commissioned a study of sex trafficking, which concluded that many minors were involved in the sex industry and that some women and children were trafficked to Belize from other Central American countries. NCFC's report found that approximately 35 percent of those working in the sex industry were under age 18 (the Corozal region ranked the highest, with 45 percent of sex workers reportedly being minors), with the youngest girls being only 13 years old. The majority of women working in brothels were from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala; many had worked in the sex industry in their home countries, but came to earn more money as a prostitute in Belize. According to this report, very few claimed to have been coerced or tricked into coming to the country. In February International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI), an NGO, investigated sex trafficking in Belize and found re ... [Read More]
Tips for Travelers to Central & South America
Revised October 1996 The information in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. When this material is reproduced, the Department of State would appreciate receiving a copy at: CA/P/PA, Room 6831, Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520. CURRENT TRAVEL INFORMATIONThe Department of State's Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world. They describe topics such as unusual ... [Read More]
|