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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.hn

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

1,944 (2003)

Internet users [time series]

168,600 (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: inadequate system domestic: NA international: country code - 504; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

322,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

326,500 (2002)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.342 billion expenditures: $1.744 billion, including capital expenditures of $106 million (2003)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

lempira (HNL)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

HNL

Current account balance [time series]

$-279.6 million (2003)

Debt - external [time series]

$5.246 billion (2003)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

56.3 (1998)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$557.8 million (1999)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

3.822 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

308 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

3.778 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

US 65.5%, El Salvador 3.5%, Guatemala 2.4% (2003)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $17.55 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

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

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

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

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

US 53.1%, El Salvador 4.5%, Mexico 3% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

7.7% (2003 est.)

Industries [time series]

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

7.7% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

24% of GDP (2003)

Labor force [time series]

2.41 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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

Oil - consumption [time series]

29,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

53% (1993 est.)

Public debt [time series]

57.8% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold (Reserves of foreign exchange & gold) [time series]

$1.439 billion (2003)

Unemployment rate [time series]

27.5% (2003 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 112,090 sq km land: 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate [time series]

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Coastline [time series]

820 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

760 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 9.55% permanent crops: 3.22% other: 87.23% (2001)

Location [time series]

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 [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Tegucigalpa

Constitution [time series]

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995

Country name [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

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%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

democratic constitutional republic

Independence [time series]

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Introduction

Background [time series]

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.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$99.8 million (2003)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.5% (2003)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

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

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

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

Military manpower - military age and obligation [time series]

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

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 76,143 (2004 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

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.)

Birth rate [time series]

31.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.64 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

4,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

63,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 29.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 33.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages [time series]

Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 66.15 years male: 64.99 years female: 67.37 years (2004 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.2% male: 76.1% female: 76.3% (2003 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 19 years male: 18.6 years female: 19.4 years (2004 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population [time series]

6,823,568 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.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.24% (2004 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Sex ratio [time series]

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 [time series]

3.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

115 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 104 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 84 (2004 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

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.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

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

Waterways [time series]

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