Honduras

Broadcast media

multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the lone government-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately owned radio stations (2007)

Internet country code

.hn

Internet users

total: 2,667,978 | percent of population: 30.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

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 90 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 (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 442,929 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 7,832,802 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Agriculture - products

bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster, sugar, oriental vegetables

Budget

revenues: $4.322 billion | expenditures: $4.913 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Central bank discount rate

6.25% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 68

Commercial bank prime lending rate

19.33% (31 December 2016 est.) | 20.66% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Current account balance

$-811 million (2016 est.) | $-1.144 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Debt - external

$7.852 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $7.584 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.1 (2014) | 45.7 (2009) | country comparison to the world: 27

Economy - overview

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. | Honduras’s economy depends heavily on US trade and remittances. The US-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement 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 15% of foreign direct investment is from US firms. | The economy registered modest economic growth of 3.1%-3.6% from 2010 to 2016, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 65% of the population in poverty. In 2016, Honduras faced rising public debt but its economy has performed better than expected due to low oil prices and improved investor confidence. The IMF continues to monitor the three-year standby arrangement signed in December 2014, aimed at easing Honduras’s poor fiscal position.

Exchange rates

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - | 22.995 (2016 est.) | 22.995 (2015 est.) | 22.098 (2014 est.) | 21.137 (2013 est.) | 19.64 (2012 est.)

Exports

$7.841 billion (2016 est.) | $8.188 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Exports - commodities

coffee, apparel, coffee, shrimp, automobile wire harnesses, cigars, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Exports - partners

US 36.7%, Germany 10.7%, El Salvador 8.6%, Guatemala 6.5%, Netherlands 5.4%, Nicaragua 5.3% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$21.37 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$43.17 billion (2016 est.) | $41.14 billion (2015 est.) | $39.27 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 112

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 77.5% | government consumption: 14.5% | investment in fixed capital: 21.8% | investment in inventories: 1.5% | exports of goods and services: 42.7% | imports of goods and services: -58% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 13.5% | industry: 28.2% | services: 58.3% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,300 (2016 est.) | $5,200 (2015 est.) | $5,000 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 170

GDP - real growth rate

3.6% (2016 est.) | 3.6% (2015 est.) | 3.1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Gross national saving

19.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 19.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 15.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.2% | highest 10%: 38.4% (2014)

Imports

$10.56 billion (2016 est.) | $11.1 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Imports - commodities

communications equipment, machinery and transport, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

US 32.8%, China 14.1%, Guatemala 8.9%, Mexico 7.3%, El Salvador 5.7% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Industries

sugar processing, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.7% (2016 est.) | 3.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Labor force

3.677 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 39.2% | industry: 20.9% | services: 39.8% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

29.6% (2014)

Public debt

47.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | 45.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.814 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.755 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Stock of broad money

$8.602 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $8.043 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Stock of domestic credit

$12.65 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $11.85 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Stock of narrow money

$2.455 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.326 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Taxes and other revenues

20.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Unemployment rate

6.3% (2016 est.) | 4.1% (2015 est.) | note: about one-third of the people are underemployed | country comparison to the world: 42

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

10 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity - consumption

7.215 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - exports

536 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Electricity - from fossil fuels

45.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

25.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - from other renewable sources

32% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity - imports

679 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.499 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity - production

8.367 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity access

population without electricity: 900,000 | electrification - total population: 82% | electrification - urban areas: 97% | electrification - rural areas: 66% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 152

Refined petroleum products - consumption

52,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Refined petroleum products - exports

13,160 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Refined petroleum products - imports

64,820 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157

Area

total: 112,090 sq km | land: 111,890 sq km | water: 200 sq km | country comparison to the world: 104

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Coastline

823 km (Caribbean Sea 669 km, Gulf of Fonseca 163 km)

Elevation

mean elevation: 684 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Environment - current 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

Environment - international 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

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Geography - note

has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Irrigated land

900 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 1,575 km | border countries (3): Guatemala 244 km, El Salvador 391 km, Nicaragua 940 km

Land use

agricultural land: 28.8% | arable land 9.1%; permanent crops 4%; permanent pasture 15.7% | forest: 45.3% | other: 25.9% (2011 est.)

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

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

Natural hazards

frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Natural resources

timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Population - distribution

most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; unlike other Central American nations, Honduras is the only one with an urban population that is distributed between two large centers - the capital of Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the Rio Ulua valley in the north is the only densely populated lowland area

Terrain

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

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

Capital

name: Tegucigalpa | geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W | time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 1 to 3 years

Constitution

several previous; latest approved 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times, last in 2012; note - in 2015, the Honduran Supreme Court struck down several constitutional articles on presidential term limits (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Honduras | conventional short form: Honduras | local long form: Republica de Honduras | local short form: Honduras | etymology: the name means "depths" in Spanish and refers to the deep anchorage in the northern Bay of Trujillo

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Heide B. FULTON (since June 2017) | 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Marlon Ramsses TABORA Munoz (since 24 April 2017) | chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 966-2604 | FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 | consulate(s): Dallas, McAllen (TX) | consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Rossana GUEVARA, and Lorena HERRERA (since 27 January 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Rossana GUEVARA, and Lorena HERRERA (since 27 January 2014) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 4-year term; election last held on 24 November 2013 (next to be held on 26 November 2017); note - in 2015, the Constitutional Chamber of the Honduran Supreme Court struck down the constitutional provisions on presidential term limits | election results: Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado elected president; percent of vote - Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (PNH) 36.9%, Xiomara CASTRO (LIBRE) 28.8%, Mauricio VILLEDA (PL) 20.3%, Salvador NASRALLA (PAC) 13.4%, other 0.6%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of cerulean blue (top), white, and cerulean blue, with five cerulean, 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; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water and the peace and prosperity of its people | note: 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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 principal judges - including the court president - and 7 alternates; court organized into civil, criminal, constitutional, and labor chambers); note - the court has both judicial and constitutional jurisdiction | judge selection and term of office: court president elected by his peers; judges elected by the National Congress from candidates proposed by the Nominating Board, a diverse 7-member group of judicial officials, and other government and non-government officials selected by each of their organizations; judges elected by Congress for renewable, 7-year terms | subordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; peace courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 24 November 2013 (next to be held on 26 November 2017) | election results: percent of vote by party - PNH 33.6%, LIBRE 27.5%, PL 17.0%, PAC 15.2%, PINU 1.9%, UD 1.7%, DC 1.6%, other 1.5%; seats by party - PNH 48, LIBRE 37, PL 27, PAC 13, PINU 1, UD 1, DC 1; note - seats by party as of 6 January 2016 - PNH 49, PL 27, LIBRE 31, PAC 13, VAMOS 4, PINU 1, UD 1, independents 2

National anthem

name: "Himno Nacional de Honduras" (National Anthem of Honduras) | lyrics/music: Augusto Constancio COELLO/Carlos HARTLING | note: adopted 1915; the anthem's seven verses chronicle Honduran history; on official occasions, only the chorus and last verse are sung

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer; national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Marlene ALVARENGA] | Christian Democratic Party or DC [Felicito AVILA Ordonez] | Democratic Unification Party or UD [Cesar HAM] | Freedom and Refounding Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales] | Go Solidarity Movement or VAMOS [Augusto CRUZ Asensio] | Liberal Party or PL [Mauricio VILLEDA Bermudez] | National Party of Honduras or PNH [Gladis Aurora LOPEZ] | Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Guillermo VALLE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS | Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH | Committee of the Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras or COFADEH | 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 OR MUCA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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.

Military branches

Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.59% of GDP (2016) | 1.52% of GDP (2015) | 1.62% of GDP (2014) | 1.55% of GDP (2013) | 1.15% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 96

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.95% (male 1,521,300/female 1,456,727) | 15-24 years: 21% (male 968,013/female 930,060) | 25-54 years: 36.63% (male 1,675,574/female 1,635,241) | 55-64 years: 5.13% (male 218,342/female 245,447) | 65 years and over: 4.29% (male 167,957/female 220,080) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

22.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

7.1% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 76

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.2% (2011/12)

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Demographic profile

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has the one of the world's highest murder rates. More than half of the population lives in poverty and per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. Poverty rates are higher among rural and indigenous people and in the south, west, and along the eastern border than in the north and central areas where most of Honduras' industries and infrastructure are concentrated. The increased productivity needed to break Honduras' persistent high poverty rate depends, in part, on further improvements in educational attainment. Although primary-school enrollment is near 100%, educational quality is poor, the drop-out rate and grade repetition remain high, and teacher and school accountability is low. | Honduras' population growth rate has slowed since the 1990s, but it remains high at nearly 2% annually because the birth rate averages approximately three children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Consequently, Honduras' young adult population - ages 15 to 29 - is projected to continue growing rapidly for the next three decades and then stabilize or slowly shrink. Population growth and limited job prospects outside of agriculture will continue to drive emigration. Remittances represent about a fifth of GDP.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 59.8 | youth dependency ratio: 52.7 | elderly dependency ratio: 7.1 | potential support ratio: 14.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 97.4% of population | rural: 83.8% of population | total: 91.2% of population | urban: 2.6% of population | rural: 16.2% of population | total: 8.8% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2013)

Ethnic groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<1000 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

21,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Health expenditures

8.7% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 45

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 19.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Languages

Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.2 years | male: 69.5 years | female: 72.9 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 89% | male: 89% | female: 88.9% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

TEGUCIGALPA (capital) 1.123 million; San Pedro Sula 852,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

129 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Median age

total: 23 years | male: 22.6 years | female: 23.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.4 years | note: median age a first birth among women 25-29 (2011/12 est.)

Nationality

noun: Honduran(s) | adjective: Honduran

Net migration rate

-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.4% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 89

Population

9,038,741 | 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 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Population distribution

most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; unlike other Central American nations, Honduras is the only one with an urban population that is distributed between two large centers - the capital of Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the Rio Ulua valley in the north is the only densely populated lowland area

Population growth rate

1.6% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Religions

Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 41%, atheist 1%, other 2%, none 9% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 86.7% of population | rural: 77.7% of population | total: 82.6% of population | urban: 13.3% of population | rural: 22.3% of population | total: 17.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years | male: 11 years | female: 12 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.67 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 14.2% | male: 7.6% | female: 25.6% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Urbanization

urban population: 55.9% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; 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 the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum

Illicit drugs

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 190,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs) (2016)

Airports

103 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 54

Airports - with 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 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 90 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 16 | under 914 m: 73 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HR (2016)

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) | country comparison to the world: 56

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 5 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 251,149 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 502,372 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Railways

total: 699 km | narrow gauge: 164 km 1.067-m gauge; 115 km 1.057-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 101

Roadways

total: 14,742 km | paved: 3,367 km | unpaved: 11,375 km (1,543 km summer only) | note: an additional 8,951 km of non-official roads used by the coffee industry (2012) | country comparison to the world: 125

Waterways

465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 84