Part 326

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

Coastline: 820 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: land boundary dispute with El Salvador mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, ICJ referred to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required; maritime boundary dispute with Nicaragua

Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish

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

Irrigated land: 900 sq km (1989 est.)

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 freshwater) with heavy metals as well as several rivers and streams natural hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Tropical Timber 94

People ------

Population: 5,605,193 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 1,220,188; female 1,177,725) 15-64 years: 54% (male 1,496,625; female 1,520,918) 65 years and over: 3% (male 91,126; female 98,611) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.6% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 33.38 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.83 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 41.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.42 years male: 66.01 years female: 70.96 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Languages: Spanish, Indian dialects

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 72.7% male: 72.6% female: 72.7%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Honduras local long form: Republica de Honduras local short form: Honduras