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Belize
- State & Government
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State
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Country name
short: Belize
Country name long: none
Local name short:
Local name long:
Former name: British Honduras
Dependency Status: independant
Dependant Areas:
Administrative Divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Independence: 21 September 1981 (from the UK)
National Holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Government Type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Constitution: 21 September 1981
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Capital: Belmopan
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Executive branch
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Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Election results:
World leaders
database link: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-b/belize.html
Government link: http://www.belize.gov.bz/
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Legislature |
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - number of seats will increase to 31 next election
Elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held in March 2008)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8
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Judiciary |
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Legal system: English law
Judical branch:
JudicialSupreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
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Politics
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Political
parties: National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; 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 [Hipolito BAUTISTA]
Political
pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front
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Diplomatic
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Diplomatic
representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
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 Russell F. FREEMAN
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City
mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO AA 34025
telephone: [501] (2) 77161
FAX: [501] (2) 30802
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International
organization partizipation
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ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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