2015 Edition

Background

Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a 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 leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded.

Area

land

111,890 sq km

total

112,090 sq km

water

200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Coastline

Caribbean Sea 669 km; Gulf of Fonseca 163 km

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

295.6 cu m/yr (2006)

total

2.12 cu km/yr (16%/23%/61%)

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

Irrigated land

878.5 sq km (2007)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Guatemala 244 km, El Salvador 391 km, Nicaragua 940 km

total

1,575 km

Land use

arable land 9.1%; permanent crops 4%; permanent pasture 15.7%

agricultural land

28.8%

forest

45.3%

other

25.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Central 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

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

Terrain

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Total renewable water resources

95.93 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

34.18% (male 1,527,234/female 1,462,763)

15-24 years

21.14% (male 943,039/female 906,273)

25-54 years

35.73% (male 1,578,654/female 1,546,902)

55-64 years

4.85% (male 197,602/female 226,294)

65 years and over

4.09% (male 156,023/female 201,889) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

23.14 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

16% (2002 est.)

total number

280,809

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

7.1% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.2% (2011/12)

Death rate

5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Demographic profile

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has the world's highest murder rate. More than half of the population lives in poverty and per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. Poverty rates are higher among rural and indigenous people and in the south, west, and along the eastern border than in the north and central areas where most of Honduras' industries and infrastructure are concentrated. The increased productivity needed to break Honduras' persistent high poverty rate depends, in part, on further improvements in educational attainment. Although primary-school enrollment is near 100%, educational quality is poor, the drop-out rate and grade repetition remain high, and teacher and school accountability is low.

Honduras' population growth rate has slowed since the 1990s, but it remains high at nearly 2% annually because the birth rate averages approximately three children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Consequently, Honduras' young adult population - ages 15 to 29 - is projected to continue growing rapidly for the next three decades and then stabilize or slowly shrink. Population growth and limited job prospects outside of agriculture will continue to drive emigration. Remittances represent about a fifth of GDP.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.7%

potential support ratio

13.1% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.8%

youth dependency ratio

50.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.4% of population

rural: 83.8% of population

total: 91.2% of population

urban: 2.6% of population

rural: 16.2% of population

total: 8.8% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

8.7% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.42% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,200 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

23,000 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

15.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

20.59 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.18 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.74 years (2015 est.)

male

69.34 years

total population

71 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

88.6% (2015 est.)

male

88.4%

total population

88.5%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria (2013)

Major urban areas - population

TEGUCIGALPA (capital) 1.123 million; San Pedro Sula 852,000 (2015)

Median age

female

22.7 years (2015 est.)

male

21.9 years

total

22.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Honduran

noun

Honduran(s)

Net migration rate

-1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

16.3% (2014)

Physicians density

0.37 physicians/1,000 population (2005)

Population

8,746,673

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.68% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 86.7% of population

rural: 77.7% of population

total: 82.6% of population

urban: 13.3% of population

rural: 22.3% of population

total: 17.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

12 years (2013)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.78 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

13.8% (2011 est.)

male

5.5%

total

8%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

54.7% of total population (2015)

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

Capital

daylight saving time

none scheduled for 2013

geographic coordinates

14 06 N, 87 13 W

name

Tegucigalpa

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest approved 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times, last in 2012 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Honduras

conventional short form

Honduras

local long form

Republica de Honduras

local short form

Honduras

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador James D. NEALON (since 21 August 2014)

embassy

Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa

FAX

[504] 2236-9037

mailing address

American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa

telephone

[504] 2236-9320, 2238-5114

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Jorge Alberto MILLA Reyes (since 21 May 2014)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 966-9751

telephone

[1] (202) 966-2604

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president

chief of state

President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Rossana GUEVARA, and Lorena HERRERA (since 27 January 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado elected president; percent of vote - Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (PNH) 36.9%, Xiomara CASTRO (LIBRE) 28.8%, Mauricio VILLEDA (PL) 20.3%, Salvador NASRALLA (PAC) 13.4%, other 0.6%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 4-year term; election last held on 24 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2017)

head of government

President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Rossana GUEVARA, and Lorena HERRERA (since 27 January 2014)

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; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water and the peace and prosperity of its people

note

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 words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Government type

democratic constitutional republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 principal judges - including the court president - and 7 alternates; court organized into civil, criminal, and labor chambers); note - the court has both judicial and constitutional jurisdiction

judge selection and term of office

court president elected by his peers; judges elected by the National Congress from candidates proposed by the Nominating Board, a diverse 7-member group of judicial officials, other government and non-government officials selected by each of their organizations; judges elected by Congress for renewable, 7-year terms

subordinate courts

courts of appeal; courts of first instance; peace courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNH 48, LIBRE 37, PL 27, PAC 13, DC 1, UD 1, PINU 1

elections

last held on 24 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2017)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Augusto Constancio COELLO/Carlos HARTLING

name

"Himno Nacional de Honduras" (National Anthem of Honduras)

note

adopted 1915; the anthem's seven verses chronicle Honduran history; on official occasions, only the chorus and last verse are sung

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer; national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Salvador NASRALLA]

Christian Democratic Party or DC [Felicito AVILA Ordonez]

Democratic Unification Party or UD [Cesar HAM]

Freedom and Refounding Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales]

Liberal Party or PL [Mauricio VILLEDA Bermudez]

National Party of Honduras or PNH [Gladys Aurora LOPEZ]

Social Democratic Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge Rafael AGUILAR Paredes]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH

Commiittee of the Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras or COFADEH

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 Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

United Farm Workers' Movement of the Aguan OR MUCA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster, sugar, oriental vegetables

Budget

expenditures

$4.335 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$3.354 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.25% (31 December 2010)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

17.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

20.08% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.444 billion (2014 est.)

-$1.655 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$7.111 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.636 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

57.7 (2007)

53.8 (2003)

Economy - overview

Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, suffers from extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, as well as high underemployment. While historically dependent on the export of bananas and coffee, Honduras has diversified its export base to include apparel and automobile wire harnessing. Honduras’s economy depends heavily on US trade and remittances. The US-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster foreign direct investment, but physical and political insecurity, as well as crime and perceptions of corruption, may deter potential investors; about 15% of foreign direct investment is from US firms. The economy registered modest economic growth of 2.6%-4.0% from 2010 to 2014, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 65% of the population in poverty. Honduras signed a three-year IMF stand-by arrangement in December 2014 that will help ease its poor fiscal position. In November 2014 along with his counterparts from El Salvador and Guatemala, President HERNANDEZ announced the “Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle.” This plan seeks to address the challenges facing the three Northern Triangle countries, including steps the governments will take to stimulate economic growth, increase transparency and fiscal responsibility, reduce violence, modernize the justice system, improve infrastructure, and promote educational opportunities over the next several years.

Exchange rates

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar -

21.1 (2014 est.)

20.494 (2013 est.)

19.64 (2012 est.)

18.895 (2011 est.)

18.9 (2010 est.)

Exports

$8.52 billion (2014 est.)

$7.833 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, apparel, coffee, shrimp, automobile wire harnesses, cigars, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Exports - partners

US 35.2%, Germany 8.4%, El Salvador 8%, Guatemala 6.3%, Nicaragua 5.9%, Mexico 4.4% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

48.2%

government consumption

16.1%

household consumption

80.8%

imports of goods and services

-71.1%

investment in fixed capital

25.2%

investment in inventories

0.7%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14%

industry

27.4%

services

58.7% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,700 (2014 est.)

$4,600 (2013 est.)

$4,500 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.1% (2014 est.)

2.8% (2013 est.)

4.1% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$19.51 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$39.08 billion (2014 est.)

$37.91 billion (2013 est.)

$36.88 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

14.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

10.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

16.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

42.4% (2009 est.)

lowest 10%

0.4%

Imports

$11.79 billion (2014 est.)

$11.03 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 43.3%, Guatemala 9.4%, China 7.6%, Mexico 5.6%, El Salvador 5.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2014 est.)

Industries

sugar, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.1% (2014 est.)

5.2% (2013 est.)

Labor force

3.579 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

39.2%

industry

20.9%

services

39.8% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

60% (2010 est.)

Public debt

44.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

43.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.934 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.009 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$7.623 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.11 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$11.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$10.81 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.006 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.934 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (2014 est.)

4.5% (2013 est.)

note

about one-third of the people are underemployed

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

10.33 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

20 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

5.091 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

237 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

29.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

10.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

76 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.815 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

6.713 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

58,220 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

46,370 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the lone government-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately owned radio stations (2007)

Internet country code

.hn

Internet users

percent of population

19.4% (2014 est.)

total

1.7 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to a small increase in fixed-line teledensity; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 100 per 100 persons

general assessment

fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in subscribership

international

country code - 504; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

6 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

530,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

90 (2014 est.)

total

7.7 million

Television broadcast stations

11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Airports

103 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

13

under 914 m

3 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

73 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

16

total

90

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 5, cargo 39, carrier 2, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 3

foreign-owned

47 (Bahrain 5, Canada 1, Chile 1, China 2, Egypt 2, Greece 4, Israel 1, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, Montenegro 1, Panama 1, Singapore 11, South Korea 6, Taiwan 1, Thailand 2, UAE 1, UK 1, US 1) (2010)

total

88

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Railways

narrow gauge

164 km 1.067-m gauge; 115 km 1.057-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)

total

699 km

Roadways

note

an additional 8,951 km of non-official roads used by the coffee industry (2012)

paved

3,367 km

total

14,742 km

unpaved

11,375 km (1,543 km summer only)

Waterways

465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2012)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,991,418 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,045,914

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,539,688 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,525,578

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

92,087 (2010 est.)

male

95,895

Military branches

Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.05% of GDP (2012)

1.13% of GDP (2011)

1.05% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2012)

Disputes - international

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

at least 29,400 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs) (2013)