Belize

72.5% —or about 1,653,000 hectares—of Belize is forested. Of this, 37.0% —or roughly 612,000 hectares—is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Belize had no significant change or no reported in forest cover.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Belize has some 877 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.7% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.1% are threatened. Belize is home to at least 2894 species of vascular plants, of which 5.2% are endemic. 28.6% of Belize is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

Belize Environmental profile | Belize pictures

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

Belize: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 2,280,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 1,653,000 Percent Forest Cover 72.50% Primary Forest Cover (ha) 612,000 Primary Forest, % total forest 37.02% Primary Forest, % total land 26.84% Other wooded land (ha) 115,000 Belize : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 100% Subtropical (% forest area) 0% Temperate (% forest area) 0% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Belize: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) 612,000 37.0% Modified natural (ha | %) 1,041,000 63.0% Semi-natural (ha | %) - - Production plantation (ha | %) - - Production plantation (ha | %) - - Belize: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 1,653,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 1,653,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 1,653,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - 0.00% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Change in rate (%) #DIV/0! PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) 612,000 Primary 2000 (ha) 612,000 Primary 2005 (ha) 612,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - 0.00% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Change in rate (%) #DIV/0! OTHER WOODED LAND Other 1990 (ha) 115,000 Other 2000 (ha) 115,000 Other 2005 (ha) 115,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - 0.00% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Change in rate (%) #DIV/0! PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) - Other 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - - Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 1,768,000 Other 2000 (ha) 1,768,000 Other 2005 (ha) 1,768,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - 0.00% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Change in rate (%) #DIV/0! Belize: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) 612,000 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 0 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 612,000 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 26.84% Belize: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) - Protection (%) - Conservation (%) 37.0% Social Services (%) - Multiple Services (%) - None of Unknown (%) 63.0% Belize: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) - Insects (ha) - Diseases (ha) - Other (ha) - Belize: Protected areas Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 1 World Heritage sites, 2004 1 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 28.6% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 15.63% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 11.93% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 18.40% Belize: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 46 endemic species 2 threatened species 6 Birds total species 544 endemic species 12 threatened species 3 Mammals total species 147 endemic species 0 threatened species 5 Reptiles total species 140 endemic species 1 threatened species 4 Wildlife diversity total species 877 endemic species 15 threatened species 18 Belize: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Number of Native tree species Native tree species 4,000 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 0 Endangered 11 Vulnerable 18 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 2894 Number endemic 150 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 30 Belize: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) 94 Below-ground biomass (M t) 24 Dead wood (M t) 18 Total (M t) 137 Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) 47 Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) 12 Carbon in dead wood (M t) 9 Carbon in litter (M t) - Soil carbon (M t) - Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 0 2000-2005 0 Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 0 2000-2005 0 Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 71 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 145 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 216 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) n.s. Plant products 2005 Food (t) - Fodder (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) - Ornamental plants (t) - Exudates (t) - Other plant products (t) - Animal products 2005 Living animals (units) - Hides, skins and trophies (units) - Wild honey and bee-wax (t) - Bush meat (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Other edible animal products (t) - Other non-edible animal products (t) - Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (US$) - Wood fuel (US$) - Non-wood forest products (US$) - Total value (US$) - Total value ($USD/ha) $- Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed n.s. Belize : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 126 Imports - Exports 0 Consumption 126 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 62 Imports 1 Exports 0 Consumption 63 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 35 Imports 3 Exports 3 Consumption 35 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production - Imports 3 Exports 1 Consumption 2 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production - Imports 2 Exports 1 Consumption 1 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production - Imports 1 Exports 0 Consumption 1 Belize: Environment Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) Belize: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001) Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower Belize: Economy Economy - overview: In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 5% in 1999-2005. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. GDP - per capita $6,800 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 3.8% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 22.5%, industry: 23%, services: 54.5% (2004 est.) Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction Economic aid - recipient NA Debt - external $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) Population below poverty line (%) 33% (1999 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) Belize: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 279,457 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 2.33% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 12.3 Percent rural (2003) 51.7% Median age (years) total: 19.35 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 3.68 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% [an error occurred while processing this directive] Belize: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 33,300 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular 60,400 (2003) Roadways (km) total: 2,872 km paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999) Belize: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 68.44 years male: 66.54 years female: 70.44 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 2.4% (2003 est.) Belize : References & Data Sources  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com