Honduras Population: 8,448,465
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| 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. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded. |
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| Geography | |
| Has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast | |
| 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 |
| Area: | total: 112,090 sq km land: 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km Size comparison: slightly larger than Tennessee |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km |
| Coastline: | Caribbean Sea 669 km; Gulf of Fonseca 163 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm |
| Climate: | subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains |
| Terrain: | mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m |
| Natural resources: | timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 9.53% permanent crops: 3.21% other: 87.26% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 800 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast |
| Current Environment 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 |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 8,448,465 (July 2013 est.) 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 35.5% (male 1,530,385/female 1,466,136) 15-24 years: 21.2% (male 913,818/female 878,340) 25-54 years: 34.8% (male 1,482,548/female 1,459,341) 55-64 years: 4.6% (male 178,514/female 208,243) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 145,626/female 185,514) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 21.3 years male: 21 years female: 21.7 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.838% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 24.66 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 5.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 70.71 years male: 69.03 years female: 72.47 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.94 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.8% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 39,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 2,500 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran |
| Ethnic groups: | mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3% |
| Languages: | Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 80% male: 79.8% female: 80.2% (2001 census) |
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| Government | |
| 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: none scheduled for 2012 |
| 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 many times |
| Legal system: | civil law system |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Porfirio LOBO Sosa (since 27 January 2010); Vice President Maria Antonieta GUILLEN de Bogran (since 27 January 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Porfirio LOBO Sosa (since 27 January 2010); Vice President Maria Antonieta GUILLEN de Bogran (since 27 January 2010) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013) election results: Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa elected president; percent of vote - Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa 56.3%, Elvin SANTOS Lozano 38.1%, other 5.6% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members elected proportionally by department to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNH 71, PL 45, PDC 5, PUD 4, PINU 3 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Salvador NASRALLA]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Felicito AVILA Ordonez]; Broad Political Electoral Front in Resistance or FAPER [Andres PAVON]; Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Freedom and Refounding Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales]; Liberal Party or PL [Bill SANTOS Brito]; National Party or PN [Ricardo ALVAREZ]; Social Democratic Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge Rafael AGUILAR Paredes] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS; 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; United Farm Workers' Movement of the Aguan (MUCA) |
| International organization participation: | BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (suspended), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2604 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Belmont (MA), Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa J. KUBISKE embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 2236-9320, 2238-5114 FAX: [504] 2236-9037 |
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| Economy | |
| Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, suffers from extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, as well as high underemployment. While historically dependent on the export of bananas and coffee, Honduras has diversified its export base to include apparel and automobile wire harnessing. Nearly half of Honduras's economic activity is directly tied to the US, with exports to the US accounting for 30% of GDP and remittances for another 20%. The US-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster foreign direct investment, but physical and political insecurity, as well as crime and perceptions of corruption, may deter potential investors; about 70% of FDI is from US firms. The economy registered modest economic growth of 3.0%-4.0% from 2010 to 2012, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 65% of the population in poverty. An 18-month IMF Standby Arrangement expired in March 2012 and was not renewed, due to the country's growing budget deficit and weak current account performance. Public sector workers complained of not receiving their salaries in November and December 2012, and government suppliers are owed at least several hundred million dollars in unpaid contracts. The government announced in January 2013 that loss-making public enterprises will be forced to submit financial rescue plans before receiving their budget allotments for 2013. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $37.67 billion (2012 est.) $36.28 billion (2011 est.) $35.01 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $18.18 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 3.8% (2012 est.) 3.6% (2011 est.) 2.8% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,600 (2012 est.) $4,500 (2011 est.) $4,400 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 12.8% industry: 26.7% services: 60.5% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 3.44 million (2012 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 39.2% industry: 20.9% services: 39.8% (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 4.5% (2012 est.) 4.9% (2011 est.) note: about one-third of the people are underemployed |
| Population below poverty line: | 60% (2010 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 0.4% highest 10%: 42.4% (2009 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 57.7 (2007) 53.8 (2003) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (2012 est.) 6.8% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 26.6% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $3.339 billion expenditures: $4.044 billion (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 34.5% of GDP (2012 est.) 32.9% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster |
| Industries: | sugar, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 2.4% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 6.326 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 4.8 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 46 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 100,000 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$1.661 billion (2012 est.) -$1.503 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $6.946 billion (2012 est.) $7.204 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | apparel, coffee, shrimp, automobile wire harnesses, cigars, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber |
| Exports - partners: | US 33.1%, Germany 10.9%, El Salvador 7.3%, Belgium 6.5%, Guatemala 6.2% (2011) |
| Imports: | $10.66 billion (2012 est.) $10.34 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners: | US 46%, Guatemala 8.8%, Mexico 5.7%, El Salvador 5.4%, China 4.1%, Costa Rica 4% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $3.15 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $2.785 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $4.884 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $4.564 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 19.51 (2012 est.) 18.895 (2011 est.) 18.9 (2010 est.) 18.9 (2009) 18.983 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 609,200 (2011) country comparison to the world: 91 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 8.062 million (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in subscribership domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to a small increase in fixed-line teledensity; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 100 per 100 persons international: country code - 504; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .hn |
| Internet hosts: | 30,955 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 731,700 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 104 (2012) country comparison to the world: 53 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 91 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 73 (2012) |
| Railways: | total: 75 km narrow gauge: 75 km 1.067-m gauge (2009) |
| Roadways: | total: 14,239 km paved: 3,159 km unpaved: 11,080 km (1,420 km summer only) (2009) |
| Waterways: | 465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2012) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 88 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 39, carrier 2, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 3 foreign-owned: 47 (Bahrain 5, Canada 1, Chile 1, China 2, Egypt 2, Greece 4, Israel 1, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, Montenegro 1, Panama 1, Singapore 11, South Korea 6, Taiwan 1, Thailand 2, UAE 1, UK 1, US 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2012) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3 year military service (2004) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,045,914 females age 16-49: 1,991,418 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,525,578 females age 16-49: 1,539,688 (2010 est.) |
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