Its Spanish-speaking neighbours Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras surround Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, a former British colony in Central America. It has been an independent state with a parliamentary democracy since 1981 and remained a member of the British Commonwealth. Less than 500 000 inhabitants (Creoles, Mestizos, Garifuna, Maya, Anglo-Europeans, Mennonites, Asians, Arabs and others)- of whom 50 % are under 18 years of age - live in an area of 23 300 square kilometers (9101 square miles). The official national language is English. However in many parts of the country Spanish, Creole, Garifuna, Chinese and Maya are spoken. Compared to its neighbors, Belizeans are better off since there is a basic food supply. Most people have access to a basic school system. About 70 % of its population can read and write. Thus the rate of analphabetics is considerably lower than that of its neighbors. The geographical mix of Caribbean coast with its many little islands and its rich, fascinating underwater world, the tropical forest of the Maya Mountains and its diversity, but also the sun and the high temperatures attract many tourists. Tourism, especially in the coastal region, is a main source of income. But Belize is more than a tourist destination: it is friendly, relaxed, beautiful, proud, poor and at the same time hopeful and optimistic concerning its future. Hurricanes such as Mitch, Keith and others have led to enormous damages in the past and have at least partly ruined the main source of income - tourism - and the meager existences connected with it. Life in Belize is not cheap, even though - or better because of its low infrastructure. Still, many immigrants, mainly from even poorer countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, are pushing their ways into Belize looking for a better life. In the medical field the low infrastructure is obvious: There is one public hospital in Belize worth mentioning. It can neither meet the demands nor serve the size of the population. It is located in Belize City, where people from distant regions can only get to with great effort. Many cannot afford medical care, sometimes only because it is too complicated and cumbersome to get it. The high birth rate and thus the number of children, picture the typical structure of its population as one of a developing country. Pregnant women, children and the elderly (about 80 % of the patients) are mainly affected by the shortcomings of the medical care system. Apart from the diseases known to the Western world, infections such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, AIDS, parasites, diarrhea, dengue fever, cholera and malaria predominate. Prevention and necessary information could support hygiene and raise the standards of water and nutritional quality, which are hardly available.