Location:
Belize lies on the eastern coastline of Central America, bordered on the north by Mexico, on the west and south by Guatemala, and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. It is separated by sea from its neighbor to the southwest, Honduras.
Approximately 8,866 square miles. Belize's mainland is approximately 180 miles long and up to 68 miles wide. Belize also consists of over 200 cayes (islands), ranging in size from a few hundred feet to 25 miles long and four miles wide; most of which are located inside the 200 mile Belize Reef.
Language:
English is the official language and is widely spoken. Spanish, Maya, Garifuna and Creole are also spoken.
Population:
The population of Belize is approximately 280,000. There is a great deal of ethnic diversity among Belizeans, who include Hispanic, Creoles (African-European), Mestizo (Spanish-Indian), Mennonite, Garifuna (African-Indian), Mayan, Anglo-European, Middle Eastern and Asian. The largest single group is Hispanic.
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Climate:
Belize weather is characterized by two seasons: a rainy and a dry season. Belize annual rainfall: most of the year's rainfall occurs during the period June to November, that is, the rainy season.
It is noted that the transition from dry to the rainy is very sharp. Belize annual rainfall ranges from 60 inches (1524mm) in the north to 160 inches (4064mm) in the south. Except for the southern regions, the rainfall is variable from year to year.
The onset of the rainy season begins in the early May in Toledo, (where the Belize annual rainfall is highest) progressing north to the Stann Creek, Belize, Cayo and Orange Walk District in late May, followed by Corozal District in early June. The mean temperature varies from 81°F/ 27°C along the coast to 69°F/21°C in the hills. The coldest month is January while the highest temperatures are experienced during the month of May.
Topography:
Belize is an area of only 8,867 square miles. The country is situated on the east coast of Central America on the Caribbean Sea. Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south. The second-largest barrier reef in the world (185 miles long) and three of the four coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere fall within Belize's territory.
Currency Exchange:
Local currency is the Belize Dollar or BZ$. One US dollar is equivalent to BZ$2. ATM machines are located countrywide, but few accept debit cards from US banks.
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Tipping/Gratuity:
Tipping is voluntary. Usually 10% is acceptable with 15% for exceptional service. In some cases a gratuity may be added to your check. This practice varies with each establishment. Be sure to ask before paying the bill.
Government:
Independent nation since 1981, member of British Commonwealth of Nations. Parliamentary democracy with two major political parties, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the People's United Party (PUP). The PUP currently holds power, led by Prime Minister Said Musa (took office March 5 2003). Belize has a Constitution, which includes a Bill of Rights.
Time Zone:
Central Standard Time. Belize does not observe daylight-saving time.
Taxes / Airport Departure Tax:
There is a 7% government/hotel tax. A sales tax of 9% has been implemented and is applicable to goods and services.
Total departure tax is $20 which is inclusive of $1.25 security tax and US$3.75 Protective Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) fee, used to promote, enhance and conserve Belize's protected areas.
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Visa’s & Documentation:
· U.S. Passport must be valid 3 months beyond intended stay
· Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
· Sufficient funds for duration of stay
· No visa required for stay up to 30 days - extension possible at Immigration
· Vaccinations - International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from infected area within 5 days
Health Considerations:
All travelers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure.
Malaria: Prophylaxis with chloroquine is recommended for travel to all areas except Belize City.
Hepatitis A Recommended for all travelers
Typhoid Recommended for all travelers
Yellow fever Required for travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas
Hepatitis B For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months
Rabies For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care
Routine immunizations All travelers should be up-to-date on tetanus-diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella immunizations
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Internet Connections:
You can connect to the Internet by using your modem and a regular telephone to dial up to your provider in North America. While it works perfectly, you will need to re-configure your dial up settings on your laptop to dial 00-1 before your access provider’s number.
The connection will be a little slower than normal since it’s a long-distance call. Worse, telephone rates in Belize are exorbitant especially at hotels so you should only stay online for a couple of minutes to pickup and send email, then disconnect.
If you intend to use your laptop to dial up your Internet Service Provider in the U.S. or elsewhere from a hotel, be careful in selecting your modem. Most laptops and notebooks bring built-in modems and they work fine with ordinary telephones, but not with PBX phones of the type found in hotels or big offices. The PBX telephone line voltage is slightly higher and could cook your modem. We recommend you invest in a modem such as the 3Com Megahertz 56K Global Modem PC Card. This modem card has a digital line guard to detect potentially damaging digital or PBX lines. The software allows your laptop or notebook to instantly set itself for worldwide use by simply selecting the flag or name or the country you are visiting.
Telephone:
To dial Belize from abroad, use the Belize country code (501) followed by the 7 digit telephone number. To dial a number outside Belize, dial 00 followed by the code of the country you are calling, along with the actual telephone number.
One of the best strategies to save money on calls is to buy pre-paid phone cards which are available at almost any supermarket, gas station or convenience store. You can use the phone cards at any public telephone, borrowed telephone or a rented cell phone. If you have GSM 1900 MHZ cellular phone, you can bring it to Belize and buy a SIM card for US$15.00 equipped with a pre-paid phone card - you can have your own phone in Belize.
There are currently two telephone companies in Belize, Belize Telecommunications Ltd. and Intelco. BTL is a large, well established company (the former monopoly) with nation-wide coverage. Their cellular service is called Digicell and you need to make sure that you buy Digicell pre-paid cards to work with their system. The Intelco company is new start up and its coverage at this time is mainly in Belize City. Its plan is called CellXpress and any Intelco pre-paid phone card (not as ubiquitous as the BTL cards) will work.
PrePaid cards allow you to make: Local, Long Distance, International, Paging and Cellular calls. This service is accessible from any Regular touchtone phone, Fixed and Mobile Cellular phones, and Payphones. These cards are found at BTL offices and distributors countrywide. They come in six denominations: $2, $5, $10, $20, $30, and $50.
There are 367 payphones located countrywide. These payphones are card only (do not accept coins); therefore a customer will need to always have a PrePaid card handy in order to make a call from a payphone. Customers will be able to dial the following numbers (free):
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90 - Emergency
911 - Police
113 - Directory Assistance
115 - Operator Assistance
0-800-CALL-BTL
119 - Fault Repair
0-800-PROTECT
Postal Rates
Postal Rates to the U.S. are BZ$.60 for letters, BZ$.30 for postcards. To Europe, BZ$.75 for letters, BZ$.40 for postcards.
Water
The drinking water in Belize is potable.
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