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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.
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Common Name: Honduras
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Local Official Name: Honduras
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Honduras
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Official Name: Republica de Honduras
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Official Script Name: Honduras
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Local Common Name: Honduras
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Former Name: Honduras
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO
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Government Type: democratic constitutional republic
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Independence: 1821 September 15 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 1982 January 11, effective 1982 January 20; amended 199
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 15 September
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International Organization Participation: 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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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
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: 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: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
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%
Legislative Branch:
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
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)
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Party Leaders: 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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International Disputes: 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: 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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Location of Honduras: 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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Continent: South America
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Land Area Total: 112,090 sq km
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Region: Central America |
Land Area Land: 111,890 sq km
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Capitol City: Tegucigalpa
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Land Area Water: 200 sq km
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Current: -6
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Latitude: 015 00 N
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Border Boundary Land: 1,520 km
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Longitude: 086 30 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 820 km
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Arable Land: 9.53 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 3.21 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 2,870 m
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Location: Cerro Las Minas
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Caribbean Sea
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Largest City in Honduras: Tegucigalpa
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Tegucigalpa Largest City Population: 919,000
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Threatened Species: 148
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Environmental 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
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Environmental 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
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Irrigated Land: 800
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Bordering Countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
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Natural Resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower
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Geographical Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
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Comparative Area of Honduras: slightly larger than Tennessee
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Honduras's Geography: has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Honduras.
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General Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
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Natural Hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
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Economic Overview: 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: $20,610,000,000 USD
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Currency: lempira
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GDP per Capita: $2,900 USD
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Currency Code: HNL
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GDP Growth Rate: 4.20 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% HNL
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Currency Exchange Rate History: lempiras per US dollar - 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345 (2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 13.90 %
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GDP of Industry: 31.20 %
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GDP of Services: 54.90 % |
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Inflation Rate: 8.80 % |
Population in Poverty: 53.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 28.00 %
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Tourism: 371,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.60 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $1,693,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 42.70 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $1,938,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 4,338,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 4,369,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 335,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 36.89%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 63.11%
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Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 37,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $5,795,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $557,800,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp
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Primary Industries: sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products
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Industrial Growth Rate: 7.70 %
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Import Amount in USD: $4,161,000,000 USD - machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
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Import Partners: US 53.1%, Guatemala 6.5%, El Salvador 4.1%
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Export Amount in USD: $1,726,000,000 USD - coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber
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Export Partners: US 73.2%, Guatemala 2.9%, El Salvador 2.9%
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GINI Index: 55.00%
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Labor Force Number of People: 2,540,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 34%, industry 21%, services 45%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 306 |
Number of People with Radios: 2,450,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 11 |
Number of People with Televisions: 570,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 494,400 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 1,282,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 3,937 |
Internet Users: 223,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .hn |
Newspapers: 96 |
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Two Letter Country Code: HP |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 504 |
Electricity Voltage: 110 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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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Highways: 2,775 km |
Railways: 699 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 0 km |
Waterways: 465 km
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Airports: 11 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 12 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 4,137,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.70 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: 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)
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Ports and Harbors: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
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Population: 7,326,496 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 28.24 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 62.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 5.28 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 2.16% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 3.59 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 1,491,170 |
Population Female 0-14: 1,429,816 |
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Population Male 15-64: 2,076,727 |
Population Female 15-64: 2,077,975 |
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Population Male 65+: 113,747 |
Population Female 65+: 137,061 |
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Population 0-14: 39.90% |
Literacy Rate: 76.20% |
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Population 15-64: 56.70% |
Literacy rate of Males: 76.10% |
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Population 65+: 3.40% |
Literacy rate of Females: 76.30% |
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Population that is Male: 52.50
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Population that is Female: 47.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 69.33 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 25.82 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 67.75 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 70.98 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 1.80%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 63,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 4,100 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -1.39
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Nationality: HONDURAN
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Ethnic Groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
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Primary Language: Spanish
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Other Languages: Spanish, Amerindian dialects
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
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Branches: Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 3,052,352 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 2,222,640 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 161,076 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 2.55
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Honduras Spa and Resort Directory
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Honduras Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
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Honduras Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
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Honduras City Information Game Earn Real Money
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