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Belize: Belize Government
built 660 days ago
A parliamentary democracy, Belize is governed under the constitution of 1981. The monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by the governor general, is the head of state. The head of government is the prime minister. There is a bicameral National Assembly with a 12-seat appointed Senate and a 29-seat elected House of Representatives; all members serve five-year terms. The country is divided administratively into six districts.
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![[Country Map]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/b/e/l/belize/i/012.jpg)
Great Britain first sent an official representative to the area in the late 18th century, but Belize was not formally termed the "Colony of British Honduras" until 1840. It became a crown colony in 1862. Subsequently, several constitutional changes were enacted to expand representative government. Full internal self-government under a ministerial system was granted in January 1964. The official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973, and full independence was granted on September 21, 1981.
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Discriminatory employment practices in Belize have contributed to the growing correlation between gender and poverty. The Caribbean region has recorded the highest proportion of female-headed households in the world (34.6 percent) and Belize particularly has recorded a high incidence of poverty in such households. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that of those who were out of a job for more than twelve months, two-thirds were women.49 Women ... find it more difficult than men to obtain business and agricultural financing.50 Another important factor inhibiting women's opportunities to work is the scarcity of childcare services both in rural and urban areas. The government does not support or subsidize childcare.
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In terms of government and stability, Belize is unique in Central America. It is a true democracy which operates under the British parliamentary system. As a member of the British commonwealth, it has an excellent human rights record and freedom of the press is practiced without any censorship.
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Belize (formerly British Honduras) gained independence from Great Britain on 21 September 1981, but it has practiced self-government since 1964. Although the country retains its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and the Queen of England appoints the governor general, political allegiance to Great Britain is largely ceremonial.
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The battle of BelizeThe government of Belize hailed the 2004 sale of the national telephone company to a U.S.-Caribbean corporation as a moment of promise and partnership. And the principal in the nearly $90 million deal -- Palm Beach and St. Croix entrepreneur Jeffrey J. Prosser -- declared he was ''proud'' to be part of the small country's development goals.
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