Honduras

Republic of HondurasRepublica de Honduras

democratic constitutional republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Honduras as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 122 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, UTC-6
Position15 00 N, 86 30 W
Area112,090 sq km
2006

Every edition of Honduras

Populationas each edition published it
7.33 million July 2006 est. · 5.26m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.16% 2006 est. · 2.8% in 1993
Median ageyears
19.5 years 2006 est. · 18.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
69.33 years 2006 est. · 67.17 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.59 children per woman 2006 est. · 4.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
25.82 deaths per 1,000 live births 2006 est. · 62 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,900 2005 est. · $1,090 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.2% 2005 est. · 3.6% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

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 9.53%permanent crops 3.21%other 87.26% (2005)irrigated 800 sq km (2003)
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

Age structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)

113,747
65 and over3.4%
137,061
2,076,727
15-6456.7%
2,077,975
1,491,170
0-1439.9%
1,429,816
MaleFemale
Population
7,326,496
growth rate: 2.16% (2006 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 2006 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)

Birth
28.24Death
5.28Net migration
-1.39

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2006 est.)69.33
67.75 · 70.98Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)25.82
29 · 22.47
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)76.2%
76.1% · 76.3%Median age years (2006 est.)19.5
19.1 · 19.8
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.83 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.59 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,100 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Honduran(s)
adjective:
Honduran

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

Languages

Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Government

Democratic constitutional republic; President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006); President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006)

18 fields

National Congress or Congreso Nacional, 128 seats, elected 27 November 2005one dot, one seat

PL 62PN 55PUD 5PDC 4PINU 2

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

name:
Tegucigalpa
geographic coordinates:
14 06 N, 87 13 W
time difference:
UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
  • +1hr, begins second Sunday in March;
  • ends first Sunday in November;
  • note - these new dates become effective in 2007

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 Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006);
  • First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27 January 2006);
  • Second Vice President (vacant);
  • Third Vice President (vacant);
  • note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
  • President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006);
  • First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27 January 2006);
  • Second Vice President (vacant);
  • Third Vice President (vacant)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by president
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
election results:
Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (PL) elected president - 49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa (PN) 46.1%, other 4.1%

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 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2

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 [Saul ESCOBAR Andrade];
  • Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Matias FUNES];
  • Liberal Party or PL [Patricia RODAS];
  • National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Olban F. VALLADARES];
  • National Party of Honduras or PN [Gilberto GOLDSTEIN]

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 Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

International organization participation

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, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Charles A. FORD
embassy:
Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa
mailing address:
American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa
telephone:
[504] 236-9320, 238-5114
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

42 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$20.61billion
(2005 est.)official exchange rate: $7.812 billion (2005 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$2,900
(2005 est.)
Real growth rate
4.2%
(2005 est.)industrial production growth: 7.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)

agriculture 13.9%industry 31.2%services 54.9% (2005 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

73.2%
US
53.1%
2.9%
Guatemala
6.5%
2.9%
El Salvador
4.1%
Exports $1.726 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)Imports $4.161 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)(2005)

Budget

Revenues
$1.693 billionExpenditures
$1.938 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $106 million

Electricity

Electricity production
4.338 billion (2003)Electricity consumption
4.369 billion (2003)Electricity imports
335 million (2003)

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 under the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

The country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, and began a three-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PGRF) program in February 2004. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest trading partner, on continued exports of non-traditional agricultural products (such as melons, chiles, tilapia, and shrimp), and on reduction of the high crime rate.

Labor force

2.54 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

28% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Investment (gross fixed)

23.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Public debt

68.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

37,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance

$-42.3 million (2005 est.)

Exports

$1.726 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Imports

$4.161 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.339 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$5.795 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$557.8 million (1999)

Currency (code)

lempira (HNL)

Exchange rates

lempiras per US dollar - 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345 (2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
1.282 million
(2005)
Internet users
3,973
(2006)
Fixed lines
494,400
(2005) · 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

223,000 (2005)

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
19
3
under 914 m
84
Paved 11Unpaved 105

Networkskm

Roadways
13,603Railways
699Waterways
465 (2005)
Roadways: paved: 2,775 km · unpaved: 10,828 km (1999) · Railways: narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2005) · Waterways: (most navigable only by small craft)

Airports

116 (2006)

Railways

total:
699 km
narrow gauge:
279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Roadways

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

Waterways

465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2005)

Merchant marine

total:
136 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,984 GRT/557,179 DWT
by type:
bulk carrier 11, cargo 61, chemical tanker 5, container 1, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 29, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned:
43 (Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 4, Greece 3, Hong Kong 2, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Qatar 1, Singapore 11, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, US 1, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals

Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Military

Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2006)

6 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary two-three year military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49:
1,537,232
females age 18-49:
1,515,120 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49:
1,100,991
females age 18-49:
1,121,649 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49:
82,105
females age 18-49:
78,971 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • in 1992, International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border, but despite Organization of American States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full demarcation of the border remains stalled;
  • 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 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, which the OAS is attempting to revive;
  • Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over a complex dispute over islands and maritime boundaries 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 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/honduras/2006.

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