CAPITAL: Tegucigalpa.

FLAG: The national flag consists of a white horizontal stripe between two blue horizontal stripes, with five blue stars on the white stripe representing the five members of the former union of Central American provinces.

ANTHEM: Himno Nacional, beginning "Tu bandera es un lampo de cielo" ("Thy flag is a heavenly light").

MONETARY UNIT: The lempira (l), also known as the peso, is a paper currency of 100 centavos. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 centavos, and notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 lempiras. l1 = $0.10638 (or $1 = l9.4).

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard; some old Spanish measures are still used.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Day of the Americas, 14 April; Labor Day, 1 May; Independence Day, 15 September; Birthday of Francisco Morazán, 3 October; Columbus Day, 12 October; Army Day, 21 October; Christmas, 25 December. Movable religious holidays include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

TIME: 6 am = noon GMT.

Source Database: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations

Table of Contents
AGRICULTURE | ARMED FORCES | CLIMATE | DOMESTICATED ANIMALS | ECONOMY | EDUCATION | ENERGY AND POWER | ENVIRONMENT | ETHNIC GROUPS | FAMOUS HONDURANS | FISHING | FORESTRY | FURTHER READINGS | GOVERNMENT | HEALTH | HISTORY | HOUSING | INCOME | INDUSTRY | JUDICIAL SYSTEM | LABOR | LANGUAGES | LOCATION AND SIZE | MEDIA | MIGRATION | MINING | PLANTS AND ANIMALS | POLITICAL PARTIES | POPULATION | RELIGIONS | SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | SOURCE CITATION | TOPOGRAPHY | TOURISM AND RECREATION | TRANSPORTATION | VIEW MULTIMEDIA FILE(S)

LOCATION AND SIZE

Situated in Central America, Honduras has a total area of 112,090 square kilometers (43,278 square miles), slightly larger than the state of Tennessee. It has a total boundary length of 2,170 kilometers (1,349 miles).

The capital city of Honduras, Te-gucigalpa, is located in the south central part of the country.

TOPOGRAPHY

Honduras is mountainous, with the exception of the northern Ulúa and Aguán river valleys on the Caribbean Sea and the southern coastal area. There are four main topographic regions: the eastern lowlands; the northern coastal plains; the central highlands; and the Pacific lowlands.

There are two large rivers in the north, the Patuca and the Ulúa. Other important features include the Choluteca river in the south, Lake Yojoa (Lago de Yojoa) in the west, and Caratasca Lagoon (Laguna de Caratasa) in the northeast.

GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Size ranking: 100 of 192

Highest elevation: 2,849 meters (9,347 feet) at Mount Las Minas

Lowest elevation: Sea level at the Caribbean Sea

Arable land: 15%

Permanent crops: 3%

Permanent pastures: 14%

Forests: 54%

Other: 14%

Average annual precipitation: 95.4 centimeters (37.6 inches)

Average temperature in January: 19.2°c (66.6°f)

Average temperature in July: 22.6°c (72.7°f)

Arable land: Land used for temporary crops, like meadows for mowing or pasture, gardens, and greenhouses. Permanent crops: Land cultivated with crops that occupy its use for long periods, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyards. Permanent pastures: Land used permanently for forage crops. Forests: Land containing stands of trees. Other: Any land not specified, including built-on areas, roads, and barren land.

The measurements for precipitation and average temperature were taken at weather stations closest to the country's largest city. Precipitation and average temperature can vary significantly within a country, due to factors such as latitude, altitude, coastal proximity, and wind patterns.

CLIMATE

The northern Caribbean area and the southern coastal plain have a wet, tropical climate, but the interior is drier and cooler. Temperatures vary from a mean of 31°c (88°f) in the coastal lowlands to 23°c (73°f) at the highest altitudes. Average annual rainfall varies from over 240 centimeters (95 inches) along the northern coast to about 84 centimeters (33 inches) in the south. The northwest coast is vulnerable to hurricanes.

PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Tropical trees, ferns, moss, and orchids abound, especially in the rainforest areas. Mammal life includes the anteater, armadillo, coyote, deer, and fox. Birds include the black robin, hummingbird, macaw, nightingale, thrush, and many others.

ENVIRONMENT

The major environmental problems are loss of soil fertility, erosion, and destruction of forests for lumber, firewood, and land cultivation.

Rivers and streams in Honduras are threatened by pollution from mining chemicals. Honduras' cities produce 0.5 million tons of solid waste per year. Air pollution results from a lack of pollution control equipment for industries and automobiles.

One species of mammal, 11 bird species, and 3 reptiles are threatened, and 43 plant species are endangered.

HISTORY

The Mayan ceremonial center at Copán in western Honduras flourished in the eighth century ad, but was in ruins when Christopher Columbus reached the mainland on his fourth voyage in 1502. He named the region Honduras, meaning "depths."

Colonization began in 1524 under Gil González de Ávila. In 1539, Honduras was made part of the captaincy-general of Guatemala, and for most of the period until 1821, it was divided into two provinces, Comayagua and Tegucigalpa. Some silver was mined in Tegucigalpa.

Honduras joined other provinces of Central America in declaring independence from Spain in 1821. After coming briefly under the Mexican empire of Agustín de Iturbide in 1822-23, Honduras was a member of the United Provinces of Central America from 1824 to 1838.

United States corporate interests, especially the United Fruit Co. (now United Brands), and military dictators dominated Honduran political and economic life during the first half of the twentieth century. Elected politics was dominated by the conservative General Tiburcio Carías Andino (1932-48). In the 1950s and early 1960s there were several different governments, with military coups in 1956 and 1963, when power was seized by a conservative coalition of military, Nationalist Party, and Liberal Party leaders under an air force officer, Colonel Oswaldo López Arellano.

This government was legalized almost two years later by an elected national assembly, which adopted a new constitution and proclaimed López president in June 1965. During López's second term, a bitter and destructive four-day war broke out in July 1969 between Honduras and El Salvador.

Although the immediate cause of the war was hostility arising from a World Cup elimination-round soccer match between the two countries, the underlying causes were a long-standing border dispute and the long-term migration of some 300,000 Salvadorans in search of land, which the Honduran government made it illegal for Salvadoran immigrants to own. With the help of the OAS, a compromise ceasefire was arranged. In June 1970, the two nations accepted a seven-point peace plan, creating a demilitarized zone along their common frontier.

López and the military continued to dominate Honduran politics until López was overthrown in April 1974 by a group of lieutenant colonels. Two more military governments followed between 1975 and 1983. This period saw strong economic growth and, at the same time, a gradual movement toward democracy.

Under a new constitution in 1982, Roberto Suazo Córdova of the Liberal Party became president, and the military continued to grow in response to domestic unrest and the fighting in neighboring Nicaragua and El Salvador.

By 1983, several thousand anti-Sandinista guerrillas (popularly known as "contras") in Honduras were working for the overthrow of Nicaragua's Sandinista government, while the Honduran army, backed by the United States, was helping Salvadoran government forces in their fight against leftist guerrillas. The CIA used Honduras during that time as a base for covert activities against the Sandinista regime. In exchange, the United States sent large amounts of economic aid to Honduras.

In November 1985, Hondurans elected José Simón Azcona Hoyo to the presidency in the first peaceful transfer of power between elected executives in half a century. Azcona signed the Central American peace plan outlined by President Oscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica, but did not move to close down contra bases as promised.

In 1989, Rafael Leonardo Callejas of the National (conservative) Party was elected. Callejas focused on domestic issues, especially reducing the deficit. In November 1993, the Liberal Party returned to power in the person of Carlos Roberto Reina. The struggle to improve economic conditions continued through 1996, with the government caught in the middle. The international financial community demanded tough structural reforms which the Honduran population resisted.

In late 1998, Hurricane Mitch struck Honduras with devastating force. Most of the country's agriculture was destroyed, and thousands were left homeless. Observers estimated that it would take millions of dollars and several years of rebuilding before Honduras would fully recover.

MIGRATION

When the Sandinistas (a military and political group) took over in Nicaragua in 1979, former National Guard members began to arrive in Honduras, and by 1983 there were 5,000-10,000 of them along the border. In addition, at least 25,000 Miskito Amerindians from Nicaragua and about 21,000 Salvadorans had fled to Honduras by the end of 1986. Many of them later returned, but by the end of 1992 about 100,000 citizens of Central American nations had taken refuge in Honduras. In 1996, the net emigration rate was 1.53 migrants per 1,000 population.

ARMED FORCES

The regular forces consisted of 18,800 personnel in 1995; there were 16,000 in the army, 1,800 in the air force, and 1,000 in the navy. Police forces numbered 5,500 personnel. Two years of compulsory peacetime military service may be required of all males between the ages of 18 and 55. The defense budget in 1996 was $49 million.

GOVERNMENT

The constitution of 1982 defines Honduras as a democratic republic headed by a president who must be a native-born civilian. The president is elected by direct popular vote for a four-year term. The executive branch also includes a cabinet of 12 ministers. The 1982 constitution provides for the popular election of deputies to the single-chamber National Assembly, consisting of 128 deputies. All men and women 18 years of age and older are eligible to vote.

Honduras is divided into 18 departments, which are further divided into municipalities (283 in 1997).

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Judicial power is exercised by the nine-member Supreme Court and five courts of appeal, as well as by lower-level courts and local judges. The Supreme Court has the power to declare laws unconstitutional. Due to the lack of funds and corruption, the outcome of legal disputes in courts is often the product of influence and political pressure.

POLITICAL PARTIES

The two major parties in Honduras are the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal--PL) and the National Party (Partido Nacional--PN). The National Party is generally the more conservative of the two.

Two minor parties occupy mildly leftist positions: the Christian Democratic Party, under Efraín Díaz, and the National Innovation and Unity Party, led by Germán Leitzelar. Neither takes more than a couple of seats in the Assembly.

TOURISM AND RECREATION

Honduran governments have attempted to attract foreign visitors. After a period of inactivity, tourism experienced modest growth in the late 1980s. In 1994, there were an estimated 290,237 tourist arrivals, mostly from the Americas, and tourists spent $33 million. There were 6,739 hotel rooms and 11,946 beds in 1991. The main tourist attraction is the restoration at Copán, the second-largest city of the ancient Mayan Empire. There are also beaches on the northern coast and good fishing in Trujillo Bay and Lake Yojoa.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The present Honduran Social Insurance Law covers accidents, illness, maternity, old age, occupational disease, unemployment, disability, death, and other circumstances affecting the capacity to work and maintain oneself and one's family. Actual coverage, however, has been limited mainly to maternity, sickness, and workers' compensation. In 1995, 30% of the government's budget went for education and health care.

Traditional attitudes prevent women from obtaining full access to educational and economic opportunities guaranteed by the law. In 1995, there were 14 women serving in the National Assembly.

ETHNIC GROUPS

The vast majority (90-92%) of the Honduran people are mestizo, a mixture of white and Amerindian (native people). About 5-7% of the population is Amerindian. Blacks comprise 2% of the population. Approximately 1% of the population is white, chiefly of Spanish origin.

LANGUAGES

The official language is Spanish. However, English is used widely, especially in northern Honduras. The more important Amerindian languages include Miskito, Zambo, Paya, and Xicaque.

RELIGIONS

In 1993, an estimated 93.5% of the population was Roman Catholic. The Protestant population accounted for another 3%, and there were also small numbers of spirit worshippers, Amerindian tribal religionists, Muslims, Buddhists, Baha`is, and Jews.

TRANSPORTATION

In 1991 there were 14,230 kilometers (8,825 miles) of highways. In 1992 there were 115,000 motor vehicles, of which 41,000 were passenger vehicles. Rail service exists only in the north, connecting the industrial and banana-growing northeastern coastal zone with the principal ports and cities. There are 785 kilometers (488 miles) of track.

Principal ports--Puerto Cortés, Tela, and La Ceiba--serve the country on the Caribbean side.

There are more than 30 landing fields in Honduras, including three international airports. Transportes Aéros Nacionales de Honduras/Servicio Aéreo de Honduras (TAN/SAHSA) flies to the United States, Mexico, and other Central American countries and also provides domestic passenger service. In 1995, 474,000 passengers were carried on domestic and international flights.

FAMOUS HONDURANS

José Cecilio del Valle (1780-1834), a member of the French Academy of Sciences, was an intellectual and political leader, and the author of the Central American declaration of independence. Outstanding literary figures include Marco Aurelio Soto (1846-1908), an essayist and liberal president, and Froilán Turcios (1875-1943).

EDUCATION

The rate of illiteracy among adults in 1995 was estimated at 27%. Public education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 15. In 1993, 90% of primary-school-age children were actually in school. There are about 7,600 primary and elementary schools, with 900,000 students and 23,000 teachers. Secondary and normal schools had 194,083 pupils and 8,507 teachers.

In 1994, total university enrollment was 50,323, with 4,078 teaching staff. The major university is the National Autonomous University of Honduras, founded at Tegucigalpa in 1847.

HEALTH

Health conditions in Honduras are among the worst in the Western Hemisphere, and health care remains inadequate. In 1992 there were 2,326 people per physician. In 1993, 62% of the population had access to health care services.

Major causes of illness are diseases of the digestive tract, intestinal parasites, influenza, pneumonia, cancer, and infant diseases. Malnutrition, impure water, poor sewage disposal, and inadequate housing are the major causes of health problems. Life expectancy is an average of 67 years.

HOUSING

Many urban dwellings and most rural dwellings lack running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing. Estimates of the shortage in housing units grew to 500,000 in 1985. Projects underway during the early 1980s included a $30-million low-cost housing program sponsored by the Housing Finance Corporation.

POPULATION

In mid-1998, the population was estimated at 5.9 million and the projected population for the year 2005 is 6.8 million. The estimated population density was 55 per square kilometers (142 per square miles) in 1998. Tegucigalpa, the capital and principal city, had 995,000 residents in 1995, including suburbs.

MEDIA

During 1995, Honduras had 176 radio stations and 28 television stations. That year, there were 2.1 million radios, 400,000 television sets, and 117,100 telephones.

There is no press censorship. There were six daily newspapers in the republic in 1995, with a total circulation of 198,020. The country's principal newspapers (with 1995 circulation) were La Tribuna (50,000), El Tiempo (36,000), and El Heraldo (31,000), all published in Tegucigalpa, and La Prensa (42,000), published in San Pedro Sula.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the most important part of the economy, accounting for 37% of employment in 1995 and producing 28% of the gross national product (GNP). However, farming methods are inefficient, and crop yields and qualities are low. The principal export crops are bananas and coffee; the major subsistence crops are corn, sorghum, beans, and rice. Crop production for 1995 included sugarcane, 3.1 million tons; bananas, 839,000 tons; sorghum, 63,000 tons; beans, 38,000 tons; and rice, 35,000 tons.

DOMESTICATED ANIMALS

Honduran consumption of milk and meat is traditionally low. However, pastures accounted for 14% of the total land area in 1994. In 1995, the cattle population numbered 2 million head; hogs, 600,000; horses and mules, 241,000; and chickens, 14 million. That year, 375,000 tons of milk and 32,300 tons of eggs were produced.

ENERGY AND POWER

Much of Honduras's energy is derived from the burning of wood; about 25% is provided by imported crude oil and petroleum products, supplied mainly by Mexico and Venezuela. Hydroelectricity provided 93% of Honduras's electricity generation in 1994. Electrical power production in 1994 was 2.6 billion kilowatt hours.

FISHING

There is commercial fishing in Puerto Cortés, and other areas are served by local fishermen. In 1994, the total catch was 23,233 tons. Shrimp accounted for 45% of the total catch, taken mostly from southern shrimp farms.

FORESTRY

In 1994, about 54% of Honduras was covered by forests, including stands of longleaf pine and such valuable hardwoods as cedar, ebony, mahogany, and walnut. Total roundwood production in 1995 amounted to 6.46 million cubic meters (8.45 million cubic yards), and forest products exports were valued at $21 million.

MINING

Lead and zinc, as well as small amounts of cadmium, copper, silver, and gold are commercially important. The nonmetallic minerals extracted in Honduras are cement, marble, and salt. Inadequate transportation continues to hamper full development of mineral resources. As of 1994, the El Mochito Mine in the Santa Bárbara region was the only large operating mine in the country.

In 1994, production of zinc was 16,700 tons; lead, 2,810 tons; silver, 24,900 kilograms (54,780 pounds); and gold, 106 kilograms (233 pounds).

ECONOMY

Honduras is one of the three largest exporters of bananas in the world. It is, nevertheless, by most measures, the poorest nation on the mainland of the Americas. Income per person is one of the lowest in Latin America, although it has been improving moderately since 1990.

With its economy heavily dependent on banana production, the country is vulnerable to crop and world market price variations. The vast majority of banana holdings are controlled by two United States companies--United Brands and Standard Fruit. Bananas and coffee accounted for half of all exports in 1995.

Honduras has extensive forest, marine, and mineral resources. Unemployment is officially estimated at 15%, and combined unemployment and underemployment is 45%.

In 1995, the Honduran economy rebounded from a severe recession in 1994. Expansion in agriculture and rising world coffee prices helped the domestic economy grow by 3.6%.

INCOME

Honduras' gross national product (GNP) was $3.57 billion at current prices, or about $660 per person. For the period 1985-95, the average inflation rate was 14.2%, resulting in a real growth rate in GNP of 0.2% per person.

INDUSTRY

The largest firms are found in the cement, cotton, sugar, and wood products industries, and these companies are also active exporters. Small to mid-size industrial enterprises have sprung up in textiles, household preparations, light metals, and food products.

Manufacturing grew by 5.5% in 1995 and 4.6% in 1996. Growth was greatest among the electric, gas, and water sectors. Food and tobacco products, wood and paper products, and basic metalworking and metal products have also grown in recent years. The country has a well-established clothing assembly industry.

LABOR

In 1995, the economically active population totaled 1.9 million, of whom agriculture engaged 37%; services, 19%; manufacturing, 18%; commerce, 16.3%; construction, 5.6%; and other sectors, 4.1%. The unemployment rate by the end of 1996 was 3.2%. About 14% of the labor force was unionized in 1996.

FOREIGN TRADE

Honduras exports a limited range of agricultural commodities, with bananas, coffee, and shrimp and lobster accounting for two-thirds of total exports. Important import categories are industrial raw materials and intermediate products, nondurable consumer goods, and industrial capital goods. Exports in 1996 totaled $1.21 billion, up 14% from 1995. Imports in 1996 amounted to $1.74 billion, up 43% from 1995.

As of 1995, the United States continued to be Honduras's chief trading partner, supplying approximately 60% of its imports and purchasing over half of its exports. Other main partners in 1995 included Japan, Germany, Spain, Guatemala, and El Salvador.