Honduras

Republic of HondurasRepublica de Honduras

democratic constitutional republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Honduras as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 121 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
2004

Every edition of Honduras

Populationas each edition published it
6.82 million July 2004 est. · 5.26m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.24% 2004 est. · 2.8% in 1993
Median ageyears
19 years 2004 est. · 18.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
66.15 years 2004 est. · 67.17 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.97 children per woman 2004 est. · 4.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
29.64 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 62 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,600 2003 est. · $1,090 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3% 2003 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 approximately $2 billion in damage.

Geography

Central 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 9.55%permanent crops 3.22%other 87.23% (2001)irrigated 760 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
112,090sq km
land: 111,890 sq kmwater: 200 sq kmslightly larger than Tennessee
Coastline
820km
territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 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

Central 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, 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
6,823,568
growth rate: 2.24% (2004 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 2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
31.04Death
6.64Net migration
-1.99

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)66.15
64.99 · 67.37Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)29.64
33.22 · 25.89
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)76.2%
76.1% · 76.3%Median age years (2004 est.)19
18.6 · 19.4
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:
41.2% (male 1,434,555; female 1,376,216)
15-64 years:
55.1% (male 1,866,219; female 1,896,027)
65 years and over:
3.7% (male 118,404; female 132,147) (2004 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 (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,100 (2003 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 long form:
Republica de Honduras
local short form:
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 27 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 27 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 [Juan Ramon VELAZQUEZ Nassar];
  • Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Matias FUNES];
  • 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 [Jose Celin DISCUA Elvir];
  • United Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

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

ABEDA, BCIE, CACM, 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), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Mario Miguel CANAHUATI
chancery:
Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 966-7702
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-9751
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco
honorary consulate(s):
Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville

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

40 fields
Real growth rate
3%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 7.7% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
27.5%
(2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 12.8%industry 31.9%services 55.3% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

65.5%
US
53.1%
3.5%
El Salvador
4.5%
Mexico
3%
2.4%
Guatemala
Exports $1.37 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $3.11 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$1.342 billionExpenditures
$1.744 billion (2003)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $106 million

Electricity

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 and massive unemployment, 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 has 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 - $17.55 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

24% of GDP (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Labor force

2.41 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Public debt

57.8% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products

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

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)

Current account balance

$-279.6 million (2003)

Exports

$1.37 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$3.11 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$5.246 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$557.8 million (1999)

Currency

lempira (HNL)

Exchange rates

lempiras per US dollar - 17.3453 (2003), 16.4334 (2002), 15.4737 (2001), 14.8392 (2000), 14.2132 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
326,500
(2002)
Internet users
1,944
(2003)
Fixed lines
322,500
(2002) · country code .hn

Telephone system

general assessment:
inadequate system
domestic:
NA
international:
  • country code - 504;
  • 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

168,600 (2002)

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
3
under 914 m
84
Paved 11Unpaved 104

Networkskm

Highways
13,603Railways
699Waterways
465 (2004)
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 (2003) · Waterways: (most navigable only by small craft)

Railways

total:
699 km
narrow gauge:
279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2003)

Highways

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

Waterways

465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2004)

Ports and harbors

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

Merchant marine

total:
238 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 598,600 GRT/616,158 DWT
by type:
bulk 12, cargo 139, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 54, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea/passenger 3
foreign-owned:
Argentina 1, Bahrain 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Bulgaria 1, Cayman Islands 1, China 4, Costa Rica 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 5, El Salvador 1, Greece 16, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Israel 1, Italy 1, Japan 2, Jordan 1, South Korea 9, Lebanon 4, Liberia 4, Maldives 2, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Nigeria 2, Panama 10, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 22, Spain 1, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, Thailand 1, Turkey 2, Turks and Caicos Islands 1, United States 7, Vanuatu 1, Vietnam 1
registered in other countries:
16 (2004 est.)

Airports

115 (2003 est.)

Military

Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary 2-3 year military service (2004)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,642,029 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 977,130 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • in 1992, ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border, and the OAS is assisting with a technical resolution of bolsones;
  • in 2003, the ICJ rejected El Salvador's request to revise its decision on one bolsone;
  • 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 by the ICJ, off Honduras in the Gulf of 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 failed 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 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/honduras/2004.

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