Honduras

Republic of HondurasRepublica de Honduras

democratic constitutional republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Honduras as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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
Position15 00 N, 86 30 W
Area112,090 sq km
2003

Every edition of Honduras

Populationas each edition published it
6.67 million July 2003 est. · 5.26m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.32% 2003 est. · 2.8% in 1993
Median ageyears
18.8 years 2002 · 26.1 yrs in 2025
Life expectancyyears at birth
66.65 years 2003 est. · 67.17 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
4.07 children per woman 2003 est. · 4.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
29.96 deaths per 1,000 live births 2003 est. · 62 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,500 2002 est. · $1,090 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.5% 2002 est. · 3.6% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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

Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

18 fields

Land useshare of 112,090 sq km

arable land 15.15%permanent crops 3.13%other 81.72% (1998 est.)irrigated 760 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
112,090sq km
land: 111,890 sq kmwater: 200 sq kmslightly larger than Tennessee
Coastline
820km
contiguous zone: 24 NMterritorial sea: 12 NMcontinental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 NMexclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Highest point
2,870m
Cerro Las Minaslowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
1,520km
border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

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

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

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, hydropower

Natural hazards

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

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

Geography - note

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

People

19 fields
Population
6,669,789
growth rate: 2.32% (2003 est.)
Note
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.)

Per 1,000 population(2003 est.)

Birth
31.67Death
6.44Net migration
-2.04

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2003 est.)66.65
65.31 · 68.06Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)29.96
33.6 · 26.14
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)76.2%
76.1% · 76.3%Median age years (2002)18.8
18.4 · 19.2
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

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.)

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 (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,300 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Honduran(s)
adjective:
Honduran

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Languages

Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Government

Democratic constitutional republic; President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (since 27 January 2002); President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (since 27 January 2002)

18 fields

National Congress or Congreso Nacional, 128 seats, elected 25 November 2001one dot, one seat

PN 61PL 55PUD 5PDC 4PINU-SD 3

Country name

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

Government type

democratic constitutional republic

Capital

Tegucigalpa

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

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

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
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
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by president
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005)
election results:
Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (PN) elected president - 52.2%, Raphael PINEDA Ponce (PL) 44.3%, others 3.5%

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 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PN 61, PL 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU-SD 3

Judicial branch

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Mario Miguel CANAHUATI
honorary consulate(s):
Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-9751
telephone:
[1] (202) 966-2604
chancery:
Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

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
FAX:
[504] 236-9037

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

37 fields
Real growth rate
2.5%
(2002 est.)industrial production growth: 4% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate
28%
(2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2002 est.)

agriculture 14%industry 32%services 54% (2002 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

69.5%
US
55.3%
3%
El Salvador
4.3%
Mexico
4.2%
2%
Guatemala
Exports $1.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)Imports $2.7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)(2002)

Budget

Revenues
$607 millionExpenditures
$411.9 million (1999 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $106 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 50.2%hydro 49.8%other 0% · nuclear 0%
Electricity production
3.778 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
3.822 billion (2001)Electricity imports
308 million (2001)

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.

GDP

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

GDP - per capita

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
0.6%
highest 10%:
42.7% (1998)

Labor force

2.3 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Industries

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

29,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Agriculture - products

  • bananas, coffee, citrus;
  • beef;
  • timber;
  • shrimp

Exports

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

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

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

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$5.4 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$557.8 million (1999)

Currency

lempira (HNL)

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
14,427
(1997)
Fixed lines
234,000
(1997) · country code .hn

Telephone system

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Internet users

40,000 (2000)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

3
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
3
914 to 1,523 m
18
4
under 914 m
83
Paved 12Unpaved 103

Networkskm

Highways
13,603Railways
699Waterways
465
Highways: paved: 2,775 km · unpaved: 10,828 km (1999 est.) · Railways: narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2002) · Waterways: (navigable by small craft)

Railways

total:
699 km
narrow gauge:
279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2002)

Highways

total:
13,603 km
paved:
2,775 km
unpaved:
10,828 km (1999 est.)

Waterways

465 km (navigable by small craft)

Ports and harbors

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

Merchant marine

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

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of 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.)

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

Airports

115 (2002)

Military

Army, Navy (including marines), Air Force

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy (including marines), Air Force

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

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.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

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

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Honduras.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/honduras/2003.

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