Constituencies of Belize
Encyclopedia
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Belize
's 6 districts are politically divided into 31 constituencies. Each constituency sends one representative to Belize's House of Representatives
for 5-year terms. This election is known as the General Election. Each person (who is eligible to vote) votes for the candidate they would want to represent their constituency in Central Government. Each political party nominates a candidate, or Standard Bearer, for each constituency. The winner becomes the Area Representative of the constituency, while the loser generally remains the Standard Bearer of that constituency for his/her political party.
to study the matter. Their Final Report was submitted in October 2004. It is noted that the Elections and Boundaries Department has the right to occasionally reassess constituencies, usually after the latest census or population estimate.
Among several things that their report suggested, the expansion of the Cayo District's number of constituencies to six (from four) had the most impact. Later the following year (2005) the law was passed to create two additional constituencies within the boundaries of Cayo. The newly created constituencies are Belmopan, containing the capital city of that name
, and Cayo North East, centered on Spanish Lookout
.
These new constituencies held their first-ever election during the General Election in 2008.
Note that these populations are for Belizean citizens who are eligible to vote and does not represent actual population. As of July 2007 the voting population of Belize is estimated at 148,026 while the total population is estimated at 301,300.
The Voter Age Population (VAP), i.e. all persons over the age of eighteen, is 161,677, or 53.66% of the total population. Of these, more than 91 percent are actually registered. Males slightly outnumber females in the population, though the gap is noticeable in the larger urban areas such as Belize City, home to 10 constituencies.
Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
's 6 districts are politically divided into 31 constituencies. Each constituency sends one representative to Belize's House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Belize
The House of Representatives of Belize is one of two chambers of the National Assembly, the other being the Senate. It was created under the 1981 constitution....
for 5-year terms. This election is known as the General Election. Each person (who is eligible to vote) votes for the candidate they would want to represent their constituency in Central Government. Each political party nominates a candidate, or Standard Bearer, for each constituency. The winner becomes the Area Representative of the constituency, while the loser generally remains the Standard Bearer of that constituency for his/her political party.
Division of constituencies
Belize's constituencies are divided in such a way that their voting population be as equal as possible to each other ensuring, theoretically, that resources are equally shared among the country's citizens, as required by the constitution. After the 2003 General Elections two additional constituencies were created from territory of existing constituencies in order to further ensure the equality of the voting populations among the constituencies. Coming out of January 2008(January 2008 Estimate), the most populous constituency (Stann Creek West) had a voting population of 7,085 while the least populous constituency (Fort George) had a voting population of 3,195.New constituencies
In Belize's 2003 General Elections, 29 constituencies voted in their Area Representatives for Belize's House of Representatives. Since then it was noted that the difference in voting populations between the most and least populous constituencies was rather large (Cayo South then had 8,000 voters compared to Pickstock's 1000+). In 2004 a Task Force was appointed by the Elections and Boundaries CommissionElections and Boundaries Commission
The Belize Elections and Boundaries Commissision is the primary electoral body in Belize. It supervises all local and national elections. The Commission also establishes the boundaries of Belize's electoral divisions.-Formation and duties:...
to study the matter. Their Final Report was submitted in October 2004. It is noted that the Elections and Boundaries Department has the right to occasionally reassess constituencies, usually after the latest census or population estimate.
Among several things that their report suggested, the expansion of the Cayo District's number of constituencies to six (from four) had the most impact. Later the following year (2005) the law was passed to create two additional constituencies within the boundaries of Cayo. The newly created constituencies are Belmopan, containing the capital city of that name
Belmopan
Belmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
, and Cayo North East, centered on Spanish Lookout
Spanish Lookout
Spanish Lookout is a town in the Cayo District of Belize, Central America. In 2000, Spanish Lookout had a population of 1,786 people. Spanish Lookout is a community of Mennonites in Belize....
.
These new constituencies held their first-ever election during the General Election in 2008.
List of Belize's constituencies by district
Below are the Districts and their respective constituencies:- Belize DistrictBelize DistrictThe Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize, with its district capital being the nation's largest city, Belize City.- Settlements :...
:- AlbertAlbert, BelizeAlbert is a constituency in the Belize District of the Central American nation of Belize.-History:Albert was one of the original 18 constituencies that were by the government of the then British Colony of British Honduras...
- Belize Rural Central
- Belize Rural North
- Belize Rural South
- Caribbean Shores
- Collet
- Fort George
- Freetown
- Lake Independence
- Mesopotamia
- Pickstock
- Port LoyolaPort LoyolaPort Loyola is a parliamentary constituency in Belize City, Belize. It is among the largest constituencies in the city, with over 5,000 voters. As of 2007 its representative to the House of Representatives is the United Democratic Party's Anthony Martinez....
- Queen's Square
- Albert
- Cayo DistrictCayo DistrictCayo District is a district in the west of the nation of Belize. The District capital is the town of San Ignacio.- Geography :The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize. It is located on the western side of the country which borders Guatemala. The nation's capital, Belmopan, is...
- BelmopanBelmopanBelmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
- Cayo Central
- Cayo North
- Cayo North East
- Cayo South
- Cayo West
- Belmopan
- Corozal DistrictCorozal DistrictCorozal District is the northernmost district of the nation of Belize. The population was 33,335 as of 2000. The district capital is Corozal Town.-The Villages of Corozal District:...
- Corozal Bay
- Corozal North
- Corozal South East
- Corozal South West
- Orange Walk DistrictOrange Walk DistrictOrange Walk District is a district in the northwest of the nation of Belize, with its district capital in Orange Walk Town.- Main settlements :...
- Orange Walk Central
- Orange Walk East
- Orange Walk North
- Orange Walk South
- Stann Creek DistrictStann Creek DistrictStann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2010 census, the district had a population of 32,166 people...
- DangrigaDangrigaDangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of Stann Creek. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District and also the largest town in southern Belize...
- Stann Creek West
- Dangriga
- Toledo DistrictToledo DistrictToledo District is the southernmost district in Belize, and Punta Gorda the District capital. Although the least developed region in the country, it features some of the most pristine rainforests, extensive cave networks, coastal lowland plains, and offshore cays...
- Toledo East
- Toledo West
Voting population by constituency
Below is a list of the voting population by constituency as of October 2007, sorted out by districts for ease of reference.Note that these populations are for Belizean citizens who are eligible to vote and does not represent actual population. As of July 2007 the voting population of Belize is estimated at 148,026 while the total population is estimated at 301,300.
The Voter Age Population (VAP), i.e. all persons over the age of eighteen, is 161,677, or 53.66% of the total population. Of these, more than 91 percent are actually registered. Males slightly outnumber females in the population, though the gap is noticeable in the larger urban areas such as Belize City, home to 10 constituencies.
| District | Constituency | Total | Nationwide Rank | District Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belize Belize District The Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize, with its district capital being the nation's largest city, Belize City.- Settlements :... |
Albert | 3072 | 30th | 12th |
| Belize Rural Central | 4511 | 21st | 4th | |
| Belize Rural North | 4578 | 20th | 3rd | |
| Belize Rural South | 5159 | 13th | 1st | |
| Caribbean Shores | 4291 | 23rd | 5th | |
| Collet | 3637 | 26th | 8th | |
| Fort George | 3047 | 31st | 13th | |
| Freetown | 3452 | 27th | 9th | |
| Lake Independence | 4925 | 18th | 2nd | |
| Mesopotamia | 3170 | 28th | 10th | |
| Pickstock | 3166 | 29th | 11th | |
| Port Loyola | 3890 | 24th | 6th | |
| Queen's Square | 3862 | 25th | 7th | |
| Cayo Cayo District Cayo District is a district in the west of the nation of Belize. The District capital is the town of San Ignacio.- Geography :The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize. It is located on the western side of the country which borders Guatemala. The nation's capital, Belmopan, is... |
Belmopan | 5667 | 5th | 2nd |
| Cayo Central | 5923 | 3rd | 1st | |
| Cayo North | 5015 | 17th | 5th | |
| Cayo North East | 4413 | 22nd | 6th | |
| Cayo South | 5468 | 8th | 4th | |
| Cayo West | 5378 | 10th | 3rd | |
| Corozal Corozal District Corozal District is the northernmost district of the nation of Belize. The population was 33,335 as of 2000. The district capital is Corozal Town.-The Villages of Corozal District:... |
Corozal Bay | 5100 | 16th | 3rd |
| Corozal North | 5108 | 15th | 2nd | |
| Corozal South East | 5190 | 12th | 1st | |
| Corozal South West | 4869 | 19th | 4th | |
| Orange Walk Orange Walk District Orange Walk District is a district in the northwest of the nation of Belize, with its district capital in Orange Walk Town.- Main settlements :... |
Orange Walk Central | 5727 | 4th | 2nd |
| Orange Walk East | 5443 | 9th | 4th | |
| Orange Walk North | 6011 | 2nd | 1st | |
| Orange Walk South | 5575 | 6th | 3rd | |
| Stann Creek Stann Creek District Stann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2010 census, the district had a population of 32,166 people... |
Dangriga | 5114 | 14th | 2nd |
| Stann Creek West | 6470 | 1st | 1st | |
| Toledo Toledo District Toledo District is the southernmost district in Belize, and Punta Gorda the District capital. Although the least developed region in the country, it features some of the most pristine rainforests, extensive cave networks, coastal lowland plains, and offshore cays... |
Toledo East | 5473 | 7th | 1st |
| Toledo West | 5324 | 11th | 2nd | |
| National | 31 | 148,026 | Avg. Voters per constituency | 4775 |
History
Below is the chronological order for the creation of Belize's current constituencies.- 1961
- The following became Belize's 18 original constituencies:
- Belize District: Albert, Belize Rural North, Belize Rural South, Collet, Fort George, Freetown, Mesopotamia, Pickstock
- Cayo District: Cayo North, Cayo South
- Corozal District: Corozal North, Corozal South
- Orange Walk District: Orange Walk North, Orange Walk South
- Stann Creek District: Stann Creek Town, Stann Creek Rural
- Toledo District: Toledo North, Toledo South
- The following became Belize's 18 original constituencies:
- 1984
- The following constituencies were created:
- Belize District: Caribbean Shores, Lake Independence, Queen's Square, Port Loyola
- Cayo District: Cayo Central, Cayo West
- Corozal District: Corozal Bay
- Orange Walk District: Orange Walk Central, Orange Walk East
- The following were altered:
- Corozal District: Corozal South was split into Corozal South East and Corozal South West
- Toledo District: Boundaries were altered and constituencies renamed to Toledo East and Toledo West
- The following were renamed:
- Stann Creek District: Stann Creek Town renamed Dangriga, Stann Creek Rural renamed Stann Creek West
- The following constituencies were created:
- 1993
- The following constituency was created:
- Belize District: Belize Rural Central
- The following constituency was created:
- 2005
- The following constituencies were created:
- Cayo District: Belmopan, Cayo North East
- The following constituencies were created:
See also
- BelizeBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
- Politics of BelizePolitics of BelizePolitics of Belize takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the...
- Districts of BelizeDistricts of BelizeBelize is divided into 6 districts. The districts are listed below, with the capital city and some statistics:-List:-Largest cities and towns by population:Based on 2005 estimate:#Belize City, BZ 70,800#Orange Walk, OW 17,300#San Ignacio, CY 16,800...