Honduras

republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Honduras as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTegucigalpa

Area112,090 km2

Populationas each edition published it

5.26 million July 1990 · 9.53m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.8% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 67.17 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.8 children per woman 1990 · 2.29 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

62 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 15.4 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,090 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.6% in 1993

Geography

14 fields

Land useshare of 112,090 km2

arable land 14%permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 30%forest and woodland 34%other 20%includes 1% irrigated

Total area

112,090km2

land area: 111,890 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee

Coastline

820km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,520km total

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

Disputes

several sections of the boundary with El Salvador are in dispute

Climate

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Natural resources

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

Environment

subject to frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes;
damaging hurricanes along Caribbean coast;
deforestation;
soil erosion

People

14 fields

Population

5,259,699

(July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

37Death

7Net migration

Ethnic divisions

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

Literacy

56%

Religion

about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority

Labor force

1,300,000; 62% agriculture, 20% services, 9% manufacturing, 3% construction, 6% other (1985)

Organized labor

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

Government

Republic

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

51%

Leonardo Rafael Callejas (PNH) 51%Jose Azcona Hoyo (PLH) 43.3%others 5.7%26 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993)

National Congress, 134 seats, elected 24 November 1985one dot, one seat

PLH 62PNH 71PINU 1

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

Constitution

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982

Legal system

rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law;
some influence of English common law;
accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica) Chief of State and Head of Government--Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS Romero (since 26 January 1990)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Party (PLH)--faction leaders, Carlos Flores Facusse (leader of Florista Liberal Movement), Carlos Montoya (Azconista subfaction), Ramon Villeda Bermudez and Jorge Arturo Reina (M-Lider faction);
National Party (PNH), Ricardo Maduro, party president;
PNH faction leaders--Oswaldo Ramos Soto and Rafael Leonardo Callejas (Monarca faction);
National Innovation and Unity Party-Social Democrats (PINU-SD), Enrique Aguilar Cerrato Paz;
Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Jorge Illescas;
Democratic Action (AD), Walter Lopez Reyes

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18 President--last held on 26 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993);
results--Leonardo Rafael Callejas (PNH) 51%, Jose Azcona Hoyo (PLH) 43.3%, others 5.7%;
National Congress--last held on 24 November 1985 (next to be held November 1993);
results--PLH 51%, PNH 45%, PDCH 1.9%, PINU 1.5%, others 0.65;
seats--(134 total) PLH 62, PNH 71, PINU 1

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

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), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH), Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro;
Chancery at Suite 100, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 966-7700 through 7702;
there are Honduran Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville;
US--Ambassador Crescencio ARCOS;
Embassy at Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa (mailing address is APO Miami 34022);
telephone [504] 32-3120

Flag

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

Economy

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$4.4billion

per capita $890; real growth rate 4.0% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

11%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

12%unemployed

30-40% underemployed (1988)

External debt

$3.2billion

(December 1989)

Budget

Revenues

$1,053 millionExpenditures

$949 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $159 million (1989)

Overview

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, employing 62% of the labor force, and producing two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low, however, leaving considerable room for improvement.

Although industry is still in its early stages, it employs nearly 15% of the labor force, accounts for 23% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 48% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the economy include a high population growth rate, a high unemployment rate, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and an export sector dependent mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations.

Exports

$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber;
partners--US 52%, FRG 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium

Imports

$1.4 billion (c.i.f. 1988);
commodities--machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs;
partners--US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico

Industrial production

growth rate 5% (1988)

Electricity

655,000 kW capacity; 1,980 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products

Agriculture

most important sector, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, over 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports;
principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp;
importer of wheat

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $776 million

Currency

lempira (plural--lempiras); 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

lempiras (L) per US$1--2.00 (fixed rate); 3.50 parallel exchange and black-market rate (October 1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 149 ships by type

passenger-cargo 2cargo 87refrigerated cargo 12container 9roll-on/roll-off cargo 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 17liquefied gas 2specialized tanker 1vehicle carrier 1bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry 17149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 438,495 GRT/660,990 DWT

Airports, 180 total, 140 usable

permanent-surface runways

8runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

4runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

8,950Railroads

785Inland waterways

465

Highways: ; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge

improved, but still inadequate;
connection into Central American Microwave System;
35,100 telephones;
stations--176 AM, no FM, 28 TV, 7 shortwave;
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

Armed Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

1,222,858fit for military service

727,851reach military age (18) annually

61,493

Defense expenditures

1.9%of GDP

or $82.5 million (1990 est.)

Branches