Background: Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World Honduras became as 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.

Land boundaries: 1,520 km total; Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

Coastline: 820 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Land use: 14% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 34% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes 1% irrigated

Population: 5,259,699 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Honduran(s; adjective--Honduran

Ethnic groups: 90% mestizo (mixed Indian and European), 7% Indian, 2% black, 1% white

Languages: Spanish, Indian dialects

Religions: about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority

Birth rate: 37 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Environment
Current issues: subject to frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes along Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion

Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)

Literacy: 56%

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Honduras

Government type: 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

Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS Romero (since 26 January 1990)

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)

International organization participation: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro; Chancery at Suite 100, 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 966-7,700 through 7,702; there are Honduran Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville; US--Ambassador Crescencio ARCOS; Embassy at Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa (mailing address is APO Miami 34,022; telephone p504o 32-3,120

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 words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Economy overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, employing 62% of the labor force, and producing two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low, however, leaving considerable room for improvement. Although industry is still in its early stages, it employs nearly 15% of the labor force, accounts for 23% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 48% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the economy include a high population growth rate, a high unemployment rate, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and an export sector dependent mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations.

Agriculture products: most important sector, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, over 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat

Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1988)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 12% unemployed, 30-40% underemployed (1988)

Budget: revenues $1,053 million; expenditures $949 million, including capital expenditures of $159 million (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber
Partners: US 52%, FRG 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium

Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f. 1988)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs
Partners: US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico

Debt external: $3.2 billion (December 1989)

Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1--2.00 (fixed rate; 3.50 parallel exchange and black-market rate (October 1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 655,000 kW capacity; 1,980 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.9% of GDP, or $82.5 million (1990 est.)

Airports: 180 total, 140 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft

Merchant marine: 149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 438,495 GRT/660,990 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 87 cargo, 12 refrigerated cargo, 9 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 vehicle carrier, 17 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry

Disputes international: several sections of the boundary with El Salvador are in dispute

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine