2001 Edition

Administrative divisions

18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.22% (male 1,381,823; female 1,322,684) 15-64 years: 54.21% (male 1,719,593; female 1,753,003) 65 years and over: 3.57% (male 108,271; female 120,678) (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp

Airports

119 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 107 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 84 (2000 est.) Honduras Military

Area

total: 112,090 sq km land: 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Tennessee

Background

Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and one-half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting against leftist guerrillas. Honduras Geography

Birth rate

31.94 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Budget

revenues: $607 million expenditures: $411.9 million, including capital expenditures of $106 million (1999 est.)

Capital

Tegucigalpa

Climate

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Coastline

820 km

Constitution

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Honduras local long form: Republica de Honduras local short form: Honduras

Currency

lempira (HNL)

Currency code

HNL

Death rate

5.52 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Debt - external

$5.4 billion (2000)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Frank ALMAGUER embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 238-5114, 236-9320

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo NOE PINO chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702

Disputes - international

with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required; the maritime boundary dispute with Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea is before the ICJ

Economic aid - recipient

$557.8 million (1999)

Economy - overview

Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, is banking on expanded trade privileges under the Enhanced Caribbean Basin Initiative and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. While reconstruction from 1998's Hurricane Mitch is at an advanced stage, and the country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, it failed to meet the IMF's goals to liberalize its energy and telecommunications sectors. Economic growth has rebounded nicely since the hurricane and should continue in 2001.

Electricity - consumption

3.232 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

145 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

3.319 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 44.71% hydro: 55.29% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Environment - current issues

urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water) as well as several rivers and streams with heavy metals; severe Hurricane Mitch damage

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Honduras People

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

lempiras per US dollar - 15.1407 (December 2000), 15.1407 (2000), 14.5039 (1999), 13.8076 (1998), 13.0942 (1997), 12.8694 (1996)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse (since 27 January 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; First Vice President William HANDAL (since NA); Second Vice President Gladys CABALLERO de Arevalo (since NA); Third Vice President Hector Vidal CERRATO Hernandez (since NA) head of government: President Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse (since 27 January 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; First Vice President William HANDAL (since NA); Second Vice President Gladys CABALLERO de Arevalo (since NA); Third Vice President Hector Vidal CERRATO Hernandez (since NA) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 30 November 1997 (next to be held 25 November 2001) election results: Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse elected president; percent of vote - Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse (PL) 50%, Nora de MELGAR (PN) 40%, other 10%

Exports

$2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, bananas, shrimp, lobster, meat; zinc, lumber

Exports - partners

US 35.4%, Germany 7.5%, El Salvador 6.4%, Guatemala 5.8%, Nicaragua 4.8% (1999)

FAX

[1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, and Jacksonville

[504] 236-9037

Fiscal year

calendar year Honduras Communications

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band Honduras Economy

GDP

purchasing power parity - $17 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 16.2% industry: 31.9% services: 51.9% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2000 est.)

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Government type

democratic constitutional republic

Highways

total: 15,400 km paved: 3,126 km unpaved: 12,274 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.92% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,200 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

63,000 (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 42.1% (1996)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; vulnerable to money laundering

Imports

$2.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

US 47.1%, Guatemala 7.4%, El Salvador 5.9%, Mexico 4.8%, Japan 4.7% (1999)

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

4% (1999 est.)

Industries

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Infant mortality rate

30.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11% (2000 est.)

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Internet country code

.hn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

8 (2000)

Internet users

20,000 (2000) Honduras Transportation

Irrigated land

740 sq km (1993 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are elected for four-year terms by the National Congress)

Labor force

2.3 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 29%, industry 21%, services 50% (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

Land use

arable land: 15% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 14% forests and woodland: 54% other: 14% (1993 est.)

Languages

Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Legal system

rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members are elected proportionally to the number of votes their party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 30 November 1997 (next to be held 25 November 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - PL 46%, PN 38%, PINU-SD 4%, PDC 2%, PUD 2%; seats by party - PL 67, PN 55, PINU-SD 3, PDC 2, PUD 1

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.35 years male: 67.51 years female: 71.28 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 72.7% male: 72.6% female: 72.7% (1995 est.) Honduras Government

Location

Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Merchant marine

total: 313 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 760,819 GRT/820,582 DWT ships by type: bulk 21, cargo 187, chemical tanker 7, container 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 52, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Russia 4, Singapore 2, Vietnam 1 (2000 est.)

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$35 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.6% (FY99) Honduras Transnational Issues

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,515,101 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 902,220 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 72,335 (2001 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Nationality

noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran

Natural hazards

frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast

Natural resources

timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Net migration rate

-2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Efrain DIAZ Arrivillaga, president]; Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Marias FUNES Valladares, president]; Liberal Party or PL [Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse, president]; National Innovation and Unity Party-Social Democratic Party or PINU-SD [Olban VALLADARES, president]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Carlos URBIZO, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Federation of Honduran Workers or FUTH

Population

6,406,052 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

53% (1993 est.)

Population growth rate

2.43% (2001 est.)

Ports and harbors

La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela, Puerto Lempira

Radio broadcast stations

AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Radios

2.45 million (1997)

Railways

total: 595 km narrow gauge: 349 km 1.067-m gauge; 246 km 0.914-m gauge (1999)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate system domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Telephones - main lines in use

234,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

14,427 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

570,000 (1997)

Terrain

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Total fertility rate

4.15 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate

28% (2000 est.)

Waterways

465 km (navigable by small craft)