Belize Government

What is the capital of Belize?

Country Name	Belize
Full Country Name	None
Former Name	British Honduras
Etymology- history of name	It may be named for the Belize River, whose name possibly derives from the Maya word "belix," meaning "muddy-watered"
Government Type	Parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital Name	Belmopan
Capital - geographic coordinate	17 15 N, 88 46 W
Capital Time Difference	UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence	21 September 1981 (from the UK)
National Holiday	Battle of St. George's Caye Day (National Day), 10 September (1798); Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Constitution	Previous 1954, 1963 (pre-independence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981; amended several times, last in 2012

Belize Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Belize Government and Politics

Who is the president of Belize?

Executive Branch:	Chief of State: King CHARLES Philip Arthur George III (Since 8 September 2022), previous Queen ELIZABETH II (6 February 1952 - 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Sir Colville Norbert YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993) Head of Government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Patrick FABER (since 7 June 2016) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Assembly Elections/Appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; the governor-general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor-general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Citizenship Criteria:	Citizenship by Birth: yes Citizenship by Descent: yes Dual Citizenship Recognized: yes Residency Requirement for Naturalization: 5 years
Legal System:	English common law
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch:	Description: bicameral National Assembly consists of: Senate (14 seats, including the president); 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, non-governmental organizations in good standing, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; Senate president elected from among the Senate members or from outside the Senate; term of appointment NA House of Representatives (31 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by a simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) Elections: Senate - last appointed 13 November 2015 (next appointments NA) House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020) Election Results: Senate - composition as of December 2019 - men 11, women 3, percent of women 21.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - UDP 50%, PUP 47.3%, other 2.7%; seats by party - UDP 19, PUP 12; composition - men 29, women 2; percent of women 6.5%; note - total National Assembly percent of women as of June 2019 - 11.1%
Judicial Branch:	Highest Court(s): Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 2 judges); note - in 2010, Belize ceased final appeals in civil and criminal cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) and acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice Judge Selection and Term of Office: Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75; in 2013, the Supreme Court chief justice overturned a constitutional amendment that had restricted Court of Appeal judge appointments to as short as 1 year Subordinate Courts: Magistrate Courts; Family Court
Regions or States:	6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Political Parties and Leaders:	Belize Progressive Party or BPP [Patrick ROGERS] (formed in 2015 from a merger of the People's National Party, elements of the Vision Inspired by the People, and other smaller political groups) People's United Party or PUP [Johnny BRICENO] United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean Oliver BARROW]
International Law Organization Participation:	Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International Organization Participation:	ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic Representation in the US:	Chief of Mission: Ambassador Francisco Daniel GUTIERREZ (since 21 July 2017) 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 US:	Chief of Mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Adrienne GALANEK (since 20 January 2017) Embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District Mailing Address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize Telephone: [011] (501) 822-4011 FAX: [011] (501) 822-4012

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