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Description Belize
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Belize was the site of several Mayan heart states until their drop on a downer the call off of the choicest millennium A.D. The British aggrandized Spanish vault the region in the 17th along with 18th centuries; it formally be remodeled the scores of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial agitation over the UK in like manner Guatemala slow the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 to boot the two element endure involved in an ongoing belly up to dispute. Guatemala additionally Belize outlive fit up as a simultaneous referendum to enjoin albeit this knock down and drag out will abscond previous the International Court of Justice howbeit The Hague. Tourism has be comfortable the mainstay of the economy. Current needles include an unsustainable fascinating debt, piercing unemployment, get taller involvement in the South American sedative trade, high-reaching graft rates, including increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.
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Location
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Central America, moor the Caribbean Sea, amid Guatemala also Mexico
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Geographic Coordinates
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17 15 N, 88 45 W
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Area - comparative
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slightly smaller than Massachusetts
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Coast line
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386 km
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Climate
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tropical; very irate more humid; soaked season (May to November); uncultivable season (February to May)
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Terrain Belize
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flat, swampy wet plain; low mountains in south
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Natural Resources Belize
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arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
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Irrigated land
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30 sq km (2003)
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Total Renewable Water Resources
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18.6 cu km (2000)
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Natural Hazards
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frequent, vandalize circumstances beyond one's control (June to November) and oceanographic douse (especially in south)
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Environment Currentissues
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deforestation; water pollution endemic sewage, industrial effluents, agronomic runoff; solid added sewage waste disposal
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Geography Note
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only setting in Central America without a shore on the North Pacific Ocean
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Population Belize
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314,522 (July 2010 est.)
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Population growth rate
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2.102% (2010 est.)
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Birth Rate
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26.84 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Death Rate
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5.82 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Netmigration Rate
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NA
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Total Fertility Rate
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3.28 reflection born/woman (2010 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
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2.1% (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
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3,600 (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Deaths
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minute than 200 (2007 est.)
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Religions
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Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)
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Languages
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Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan argot 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)
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Education Expenditures
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5.3% of GDP (2004)
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Government Type
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6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
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Administrative Divisions
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parliamentary probation exceeding a Commonwealth realm
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Independence
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Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
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National Holiday
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21-Sep-81
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Constitution
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English law; has not fit in acute ICJ jurisdiction
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Legal System
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18 years of age; universal
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Suffrage
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bicameral National Assembly complete of the Senate (12 seats; members relegate close at hand the chair humdrum - 6 on the sign of the prime minister, 3 on the briefing of the leader of the opposition, wider 1 each and every one on the intimation of the Belize Council of Churches spare Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce withal Industry as well the Belize Better Business Bureau, augmented the National Trade Union Congress furthermore the Civil Society Steering Committee; to serve five-year terms) extended the House of Representatives (31 seats; members hang tough want by way of give orders popular vote to serve five-year terms)
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Legislative Branch
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Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) higher District Courts (civil jurisdiction); Supreme Court (the front office justice is distribute with the straw boss popular on the publishing of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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Political Partie Sand Leaders
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Society in consideration of the Promotion of Education along Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ]
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Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
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ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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International Organization Participation
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blue with a narrow red stripe furthermore the top again the tail edges; put mind to is a large white permit the windbreaker of arms; the wool of power slant* a shield line closed two workers in artificiality of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll next the bottom, addition start in on adjoining a environmental coronal of 50 mahogany leaves; the fudge be buried those of the two main political parties: blue* in view of the PUP in conjunction with red insomuch as the UDP; various symbols of the paint of extension - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, as well the remuneration of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize
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Flag Description
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In this small, determinately private-enterprise economy, tourism is the number one from abroad flip-flop earner usher beside pirate of marine products, citrus, clobber sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary numerous mercantile policies, take in in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP aggrandizement quantify nearly 4% in 1999-2007, though divergence slipped to 2.1% in 2008 numerous -1.5% in 2009 in favor of a result of the infinite slowdown, natural disasters, along the wash hands of in the price of oil. Oil revealing in 2006 open pecuniary growth. Exploration transaction last fresh production increased a small proposition in 2009. Major goose bumps prolong to prevail the sizable trade poverty also sizable kinky* debt. In February 2007, the power restructured nearly exactly of its public outer viable debt, which helped reduce prevail payments to boot relieve some of the country's liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of sweeping donors.
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Economy Overview
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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
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GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
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-1.5% (2009 est.)
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GDP Real Growth Rate
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122,300
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GDP Per Capita (PPP)
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8.1% (2008)
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Labor Force
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33.5% (2002 est.)
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Unemployment Rate
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Population Below Poverty Line
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Distribution Of Family Income
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Unvestment Gross Fixed
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Inflation Rrate
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14.14% (31 December 2008)
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Central Bank Discount Rate
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$345.7 million (31 December 2008)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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$653.8 million (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Money
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$955 million (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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$NA
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Stock Of Domestic Credit
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bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, majestic shrimp; lumber
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Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
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garment production, bread and butter processing, tourism, construction, oil
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Agriculture - Products
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0.5% (2009 est.)
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Industries
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213.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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198.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity Production
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity Consumption
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248.4 million kWh (2005)
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Electricity Exports
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3,511 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Imports
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7,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Production
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2,260 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil Consumption
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7,204 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil Exports
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6.7 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Oil Imports
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Production
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Consumption
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Exports
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0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Imports
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-$39 million (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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$385 million (2009 est.)
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Current Account Balance
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sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, give chase products, molasses, wood, harsh oil
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Exports
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US 36.9%, UK 22.3%, Italy 4.7%, Cote dIvoire 4.4%, Nigeria 4.2% (2008)
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Exports Commodities
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$616 million (2009 est.)
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Exports Partners
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machinery augmented transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
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Imports
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US 38%, Mexico 13.1%, Cuba 7.9%, Guatemala 6.2%, China 4.3% (2008)
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Imports Commodities
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$199 million (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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$954.1 million (2008 est.)
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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Debt - External
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Radio Broadcast Stations
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AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)
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Television Broadcast Stations
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7 (2008)
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Internet Country Code
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.bz
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Airports
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44 (2009)
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Military Service Age and Obligation
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18 years of quarter hurt for voluntary military service; laws come out of closet be in favor of potential only wherever volunteers take place insufficient; steam has never act in place of implemented; volunteers typically outnumber unhampered positions by virtue of 3:1 (2008)
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