1986 Edition

Agriculture

main crops — bananas, coffee, corn, beans, sugarcane, rice, tobacco

Aid

economic commitments — US, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $980 million loans; other Western (non-US) countries, ODA and ODF (1970-83), $333 million; OPEC ODA commitments (1974-83), $15 million; military—assistance from US (FY79-84), $190 million

Airfields

15 total, 1 1 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

195 total, 179 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

Area

(1970-83), $362 million; military US(FY7084), $5 million

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Corps

constitution provides for elected President, unicameral legislature (134-member National Congress), and national judicial branch

Armed Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force

Budget

(1984) revenues, $283 million; expenditures, $357 million

(1983) revenues, $389 million; expenditures, $605 million

Capital

Tegucigalpa

Civil air

4 major transport aircraft

9 major transport aircraft

Coastline

820 km People

Communists

up to 1,500; Honduran leftist groups — Communist Party of Honduras (PCH), Communist Party of Honduras/Marxist-Leninist (PCH/ML), Morazanist Front for the Liberation of Honduras (FMLH), People's Revolutionary Union/Popular Liberation Movement (URP/MPL), Popular Revolutionary ForcesLorenzo Zelaya (FPR/LZ), Socialist Party of Honduras Central American Workers Revolutionary Party (PASO/PRTC)

Elections

national election for president and legislature held every four years; last election held November 1985; legislature chosen by proportional representation; 282 county councils Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH) — party president, Romualdo Bueso Penalba; faction leaders, Roberto Suazo Cordova (Rodista faction), Jose Azcona Hoyo (Azconista subfaction), Jorge Bueso Arias (ALIPO faction), Jorge Arturo Reina (M-Lider faction); National Party (PNH)— party president, Rafael Leonardo Calleias; faction leaders, Juan Pablo Urrutia (MUC faction); Ricardo Zufiiga Augustinus (Officialista faction), Mario Rivera Lopez (Riverista subfaction), and Rafael Leonardo Callejas(MONARCA faction); National Innovation and Unity Party (PINU) — Miguel Andonie Fernandez; Christian Democratic Party (PDCH)— Ef rain Diaz Arivillaga

Electric power

580,000 kW capacity (1985); 1.4 billion kWh produced (1985), 320 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

90% mestizo (mixed Indian and European), 7% Indian, 2% black, 1% white

Exports

$675 million (f.o.b., 1983); bananas, coffee, lumber, meat, petroleum products

Fiscal year

1 October-30 September Communications

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 8,400 metric tons (1983)

GDP

$3.2 billion (1984), $750 per capita; real growth rate average —3.1% (1980-83); real growth rate 2.8% (1984)

Government leader

Jose AZCONA Hoyo, President (since January 1986)

Highways

4,000 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km otherwise improved, 2,150 km unimproved

8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km unimproved earth

Imports

$705 million (f.o.b., 1983); manufactured products, machinery, transportation equipment, chemicals, petroleum

Infant mortality rate

78/1,000(1984)

Inland waterways

negligible; less than 100 km navigable

465 km navigable by small craft

Labor force

1.3 million (1985); 62% agriculture, 20% services, 9% manufacturing, 3% construction, 5% other; 25% unemployed; 25% underemployed

Land boundaries

1,530 km Water

Language

Spanish, Indian dialects

Legal system

rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of English common law; new constitution became effective in January 1982; the nine Supreme Court justices are appointed by Congress; legal education at University of Honduras in Tegucigalpa; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Life expectancy

58.7

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (200 nm exclusive economic zone)

Literacy

56%

Major industries

agricultural processing, textiles, clothing, wood products

Major trade partners

exports— 54% US, 8% CACM, 6% Japan, 5% FRG (1983); imports— 47% US, 11% CACM, 6% Japan, 5% Trinidad and Tobago (1983)

Member of

CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE— Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO Economy

Military budget

for the fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $67.5 million; about 7% of the central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 1,317,000; 733,000 fit for military service; about 63,000 reach military age (18) annually 150km Puerto Cone Caribbean Sea Islas de la Bahia Boundary representation 19 not necessarily authoritative Land 1 12,088 km2; slightly larger than Tennessee; 36% waste and built on, 30% pasture, 27% forest, 7% crop

males 15-49, 1,021,000; 608,000 fit for military service; about 51,000 reach military age (18) annually

Monetary conversion rate

5.00 gourdes=US$l (September 1985)

2 lempiras=US$l (1 January 1985)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September

Nationality

noun — Honduran(s); adjective— Honduran

Natural resources

forests, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, antimony, coal, fish

Official name

Republic of Honduras

Organized labor

40% of urban labor force, 20% of rural work force (1985) Government

Other political or pressure groups

National Association of Honduran Campesinos (ANACH), Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), National Union of Campesinos (UNC), General Workers Confederation (CGT), United Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH)

Political subdivisions

18 departments

Population

4,648,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 3.3%

Ports

2 major (Port-au-Prince, Cap-HaTtien), 12 minor

1 major (Puerto Cortes), 4 minor

Railroads

40 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line

1,207 km total; 444 km 1.067meter gauge, 763 km 0.914-meter gauge

Religion

about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority

Suffrage

universal and compulsory over age

Telecommunications

domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better; 36,000 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 31 AM, 32 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

improved, but still inadequate; connection into Central American microwave net; 35,100 telephones (0.9 per 100 popl.); 160 AM, 67 TV stations; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite ground stations Defense Forces

Type

republic

Voting strength

(1985 election) 1.6 million out of 1.8 million eligible voters cast ballots; PLH51%, PNH 45%, PINU 1.5%, PDCH 1.9%, legislative seats— PLH 67, PNH 63, PINU 2, PDCH 2