2003 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: 41.6% (male 1,414,791; female 1,357,537) 15-64 years: 54.8% (male 1,811,757; female 1,843,456) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 114,791; female 127,457) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp

Airports

115 (2002)

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: 3

under 914 m

4 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

103 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18

under 914 m

83 (2002) Military Honduras

Area

land

111,890 sq km

total

112,090 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. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused almost $1 billion in damage. Geography Honduras

Birth rate

31.67 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$607 million

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

6.44 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$5.4 billion (2002)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Larry Leon PALMER

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 Mario Miguel CANAHUATI

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa

honorary consulate(s)

Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville

Disputes - international

in 1992, ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border, but they still remain largely undemarcated; in 2002, El Salvador filed an application to the ICJ to revise the decision on a section of bolsones; the ICJ also advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador claims tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned by the ICJ, off Honduras in the Golfo de Fonseca; Honduras claims Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize but agreed to creation of a joint ecological park and Guatemalan corridor in the Caribbean in the 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum; Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over a complex maritime dispute in the Caribbean Sea

Distribution of family income - Gini index

56.3 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$557.8 million (1999)

Economy - overview

Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, 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 the country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, it failed to meet the IMF's goals to liberalize its energy and telecommunications sectors. Growth remains dependent on the status of the US economy, its major trading partner, on commodity prices, particularly coffee, and on reduction of the high crime rate.

Electricity - consumption

3.822 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

308 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

3.778 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

50.2%

hydro

49.8%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 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

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, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

lempiras per US dollar - 16.43 (2002), 15.47 (2001), 14.84 (2000), 14.21 (1999), 13.39 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president

chief of state

President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (since 27 January 2002); First Vice President Vicente WILLIAMS Agasse (since 27 January 2002); Second Vice President Armida Villela Maria DE LOPEZ Contreras (since 27 January 2002); Third Vice President Alberto DIAZ Lobo (since 27 January 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (PN) elected president - 52.2%, Raphael PINEDA Ponce (PL) 44.3%, others 3.5%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005)

head of government

President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (since 27 January 2002); First Vice President Vicente WILLIAMS Agasse (since 27 January 2002); Second Vice President Armida Villela Maria DE LOPEZ Contreras (since 27 January 2002); Third Vice President Alberto DIAZ Lobo (since 27 January 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Exports

$1.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, bananas, shrimp, lobster, meat; zinc, lumber (2000)

Exports - partners

US 69.5%, El Salvador 3%, Guatemala 2% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 966-9751

[504] 236-9037

chancery

Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 966-2604

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Honduras

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 Economy Honduras

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16.29 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

14%

industry

32%

services

54% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Geography - note

has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast People Honduras

Government type

democratic constitutional republic

Highways

paved

2,775 km

total

13,603 km

unpaved

10,828 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,300 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

57,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

42.7% (1998)

lowest 10%

0.6%

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; some money-laundering activity This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$2.7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs (2000)

Imports - partners

US 55.3%, El Salvador 4.3%, Mexico 4.2% (2002)

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

4% (1999 est.)

Industries

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Infant mortality rate

female

26.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

33.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

29.96 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.7% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.hn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

8 (2000)

Internet users

40,000 (2000) Transportation Honduras

Irrigated land

760 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

2.3 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 34%, industry 21%, services 45% (2001 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

total

1,520 km

Land use

arable land

15.15%

other

81.72% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

3.13%

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PN 61, PL 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU-SD 3

elections

last held 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.06 years (2003 est.)

male

65.31 years

total population

66.65 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

76.3% (2003 est.) Government Honduras

male

76.1%

total population

76.2%

Location

Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (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

Median age

female

19.2 years (2002)

male

18.4 years

total

18.8 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Argentina 1, Bahrain 1, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Bulgaria 1, China 8, Costa Rica 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 6, El Salvador 1, Germany 1, Greece 18, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Italy 1, Japan 7, Lebanon 4, Liberia 4, Maldives 2, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Panama 14, Philippines 1, Romania 2, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 24, South Korea 12, Spain 1, Syria 1, Taiwan 4, Tanzania 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 2, Turks and Caicos Islands 1, United Arab Emirates 6, UK 1, US 5, Vanuatu 1, Vietnam 1, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 18, cargo 140, chemical tanker 4, container 7, livestock carrier 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 55, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 4, specialized tanker 1

total

250 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 680,784 GRT/765,815 DWT

Military branches

Army, Navy (including marines), Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$35 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.6% (FY99) Transnational Issues Honduras

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

1,594,266 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

948,957 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

74,895 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Nationality

adjective

Honduran

noun

Honduran(s)

Natural hazards

frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-2.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

29,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Dr. Hernan CORRALES Padilla]; Democratic Unification Party or PUD [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Roberto MICHELETTI Bain]; National Innovation and Unity Party-Social Democratic Party or PINU-SD [Olban F. VALLADARES]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Raphael CALLEJAS]

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

6,669,789

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 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

53% (1993 est.)

Population growth rate

2.32% (2003 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

narrow gauge

279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2002)

total

699 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

inadequate system

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

4.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

28% (2002 est.)

Waterways

465 km (navigable by small craft)