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| The World Factbook |
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Honduras |
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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
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Central America, bordering
the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of
Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 N, 86 30 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the
Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 112,090 sq km
land: 111,890 sq km
water: 200 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than
Tennessee |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,520 km
border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922
km |
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Coastline:
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820 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm |
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Climate:
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subtropical in lowlands,
temperate in mountains |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains in interior,
narrow coastal plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, gold, silver, copper,
lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 9.53%
permanent crops: 3.21%
other: 87.26% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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800 sq km (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
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frequent, but generally mild,
earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along
the Caribbean coast |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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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Geography - note:
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has only a short Pacific
coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited
eastern Mosquito Coast |
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Population:
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7,326,496
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.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 39.9%
(male 1,491,170/female 1,429,816)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 2,076,727/female 2,077,975)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 113,747/female 137,061) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 19.5 years
male: 19.1 years
female: 19.8 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.16% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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28.24 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.28 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.39 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 25.82
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
69.33 years
male: 67.75 years
female: 70.98 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.59 children born/woman
(2006 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.8% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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63,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,100 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo (mixed Amerindian and
European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 97%,
Protestant 3% |
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Languages:
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Spanish, Amerindian dialects
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 76.2%
male: 76.1%
female: 76.3% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form:
Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras |
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Government type:
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democratic constitutional
republic |
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Capital:
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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 |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from
Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15
September (1821) |
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Constitution:
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11 January 1982, effective 20
January 1982; amended 1995 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
and compulsory |
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Executive branch:
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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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of Justice or
Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are elected for seven-year terms by the
National Congress) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$20.61 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$7.812 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.2% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$2,900 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 13.9%
industry: 31.2%
services: 54.9% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.54 million (2005 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 34%
industry: 21%
services: 45% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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28% (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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53% (1993 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 0.6%
highest 10%: 42.7% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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55 (1999) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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8.8% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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23.2% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1.693
billion
expenditures: $1.938 billion; including capital expenditures of $106
million (2005 est.) |
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Public debt:
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68.4% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas, coffee, citrus;
beef; timber; shrimp |
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Industries:
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sugar, coffee, textiles,
clothing, wood products |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7.7% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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4.338 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 50.2%
hydro: 49.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.369 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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335 million kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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37,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$-42.3 million (2005 est.)
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Exports:
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$1.726 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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coffee, shrimp, bananas,
gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber |
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Exports - partners:
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US 73.2%, Guatemala 2.9%, El
Salvador 2.9% (2005) |
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Imports:
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$4.161 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and transport
equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
(2000) |
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Imports - partners:
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US 53.1%, Guatemala 6.5%, El
Salvador 4.1% (2005) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$2.339 billion (2005 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$5.795 billion (2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$557.8 million (1999) |
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Currency (code):
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lempira (HNL) |
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Currency code:
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HNL |
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Exchange rates:
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lempiras per US dollar -
18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345 (2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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494,400 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1.282 million (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
inadequate system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 504; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12
(1998) |
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Radios:
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2.45 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)
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Televisions:
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570,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.hn |
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Internet hosts:
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3,973 (2006) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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8 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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223,000 (2005) |
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Airports:
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116 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 105
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 84 (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 699 km
narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2005) |
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Roadways:
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total: 13,603 km
paved: 2,775 km
unpaved: 10,828 km (1999) |
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Waterways:
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465 km (most navigable only
by small craft) (2005) |
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Merchant marine:
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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) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Puerto Castilla, Puerto
Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy (includes naval
infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2006) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years of age for voluntary
two-three year military service (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49:
1,537,232
females age 18-49: 1,515,120 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49:
1,100,991
females age 18-49: 1,121,649 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49:
82,105
females age 18-49: 78,971 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$52.8 million (2005 est.)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.55% (2005 est.) |
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Transnational Issues |
Honduras |
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Disputes - international:
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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 |
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Illicit drugs:
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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 |
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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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