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.

Map reference:

Area
Total: 112,090 km²
Land: 111,890 km²

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 820 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains antimony, coal, fish

Land use
Arable land: 14%
Permanent crops: 2%
Meadows and pastures: 30%
Forest and woodland: 34%
Other: 20%

Irrigated land: 900 km² (1989 est.)

Population: 5,170,108 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.8% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Honduran(s)
Adjective: Honduran

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

Languages: Spanish, Indian dialects

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Population growth rate: 2.8% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 35.82 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.43 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 47.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.17 years
Male: 64.82 years
Female: 69.62 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.87 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Male: 76%
Female: 71%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
Conventional short form: Honduras
Local long form: Republica de Honduras
Local short form: Honduras

Government type: republic

Capital: Tegucigalpa

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982

Legal system:

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)

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

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Arturo BENDANA-VALENZUELA
In the us chancery: 3,007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 966-7,702
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
In the us consulates: Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William Bryce (since 28 May 1993)
From the us embassy: Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,022, Tegucigalpa
From the us telephone: 504 32-3,120
From the us fax: 504 32-0027

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 Hemisphere. Agriculture, the most important sector of the economy, accounts for more than 25% of GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low. Industry, still in its early stages, employs nearly 9% of the labor force, accounts for 15% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 50% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the economy include rapid population growth, high unemployment, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and the dependence of the export sector mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations. A far-reaching reform program initiated by President CALLEJAS in 1990 is beginning to take hold.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.6% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,090 (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: most important sector, accounting for more than 25% of GDP, more than 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:

Labor force: 1.3 million
By occupation agriculture: 62%
By occupation services: 20%
By occupation manufacturing: 9%
By occupation construction: 3%
By occupation other: 6% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 15% (30-40% underemployed) (1989)

Budget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $511 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, meat, lumber
Partners: US 65%, Germany 9%, Japan 8%, Belgium 7%

Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f. 1991)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs
Partners: US 45%, Japan 9%, Netherlands 7%, Mexico 7%, Venezuela 6%

Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1 - 5.4 (fixed rate; 5.70 parallel black-market rate (November 1990; the lempira was allowed to float in 1992; current rate about US$1 - 5.65

Electricity
Production: 575,000 kW capacity; 2,000 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1992)

Airports: 165
Usable: 137
With permanentsurface runways: 11
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 14

Waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft

Merchant marine:

Disputes international:

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