Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western 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, sharply increased inflation, 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.
Despite government efforts at reform and large-scale foreign assistance, the
economy still is unable to take advantage of its sizable natural resources.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $5.2 billion, per capita $1,050; real growth rate
- 0.3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
26% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% unemployed, 30-40% underemployed (1989)
Budget:
revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $511 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber
partners:
US 52%, Germany 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium
Imports:
$1.3 billion (c.i.f. 1991)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods,
fuel and oil, foodstuffs
partners:
US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico
External debt:
$2.8 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.9% (1989); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
575,000 kW capacity; 1,850 million kWh produced, 374 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood
products
Agriculture:
most important sector, accounting for more than 25% of GDP, over 60% of the
labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas,
coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally
for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1 billion
Currency:
lempira (plural - lempiras); 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos
:Honduras Economy
Exchange rates:
lempiras (L) per US$1 - 5.4 (fixed rate); 5.70 parallel black-market rate
(November 1990)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Honduras Communications
Railroads:
785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways:
8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km
unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
465 km navigable by small craft
Ports:
Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo
Merchant marine:
201 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 629,134 GRT/939,289 DWT; includes 2
passenger-cargo, 127 cargo, 17 refrigerated - cargo, - 7 - container, - 2 -
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 3
specialized tanker, 1 vehicle carrier, 18 bulk, 2 passenger, 1 short-sea
passenger; note - a flag of convenience registry; Republics of the former
USSR own 10 ships under the Honduran flag
Civil air:
6 major transport aircraft
Airports:
171 total, 133 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
improved, but still inadequate; connection into Central American Microwave
System; 35,100 telephones; broadcast stations - 176 AM, no FM, 28 TV, 7
shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
:Honduras Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Public Security Forces (FUSEP)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 1,148,376; 684,375 fit for military service; 57,028 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $43.4 million, about 1% of GDP (1992 est.)
:Hong Kong Geography
Total area:
1,040 km2
Land area:
990 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
30 km; China 30 km
Coastline:
733 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
3 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring
through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain:
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Natural resources:
outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use:
arable land 7%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
woodland 12%; other 79%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons
:Hong Kong People
Population:
5,889,095 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
- 2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
76 years male, 83 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
adjective - Hong Kong
Ethnic divisions:
Chinese 98%, other 2%
Religions:
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages:
Chinese (Cantonese), English
Literacy:
77% (male 90%, female 64%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
(1971)
Labor force:
2,800,000 (1990); manufacturing 28.5%, wholesale and retail trade,
restaurants, and hotels 27.9%, services 17.7%, financing, insurance, and
real estate 9.2%, transport and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%,
other 9.7% (1989)
Organized labor:
16% of labor force (1990)
:Hong Kong Government
Long-form name:
none; abbreviated HK
Type:
dependent territory of the UK; scheduled to revert to China in 1997
Capital:
Victoria
Administrative divisions:
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (dependent territory of the UK); the UK signed an agreement with China
on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the
joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and
economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law
approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the Executive Council
Legislative branch:
Legislative Council
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
Head of Government:
Governor-designate Chris PATTEN (since July 1992); Chief Secretary Sir David
Robert FORD (since February 1987)
Suffrage:
direct election - universal at age 21 as a permanent resident living in the
territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election - limited
to about 100,000 professionals of electoral college and functional
constituencies
Elections:
Legislative Council:
indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections were
held 15 September 1991 (next to be held for the first time in September
1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total; 21
indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 18 directly elected, 18
appointed by governor, 3 ex officio members); indirect elections - number of
seats by functional constituency NA; direct elections - UDHK 12, Meeting
Point 3, ADPL 1, other 2
Communists:
5,000 (est.) cadres affiliated with Communist Party of China
Other political or pressure groups:
Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union
Council (pro-Taiwan), Confederation of Trade Unions (prodemocracy), Hong
Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce
(pro-China), Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese Manufacturers'
Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, Hong Kong
Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China
Member of:
APEC, AsDB, CCC, ESCAP (associate), GATT, ICFTU, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO
(correspondent), WCL, WMO
:Hong Kong Government
Diplomatic representation:
as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are
represented by the UK
US:
Consul General Richard L. WILLIAMS; Consulate General at 26 Garden Road,
Hong Kong (mailing address is Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO AP 96522-0002);
telephone [852] 239-011
Flag:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong
Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag;
the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by
a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another
lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the
shield
:Hong Kong Economy
Overview:
Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff
barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be
imported. Manufacturing accounts for about 18% of GDP, employs 28% of the
labor force, and exports about 90% of its output. Real GDP growth averaged a
remarkable 8% in 1987-88, then slowed to 2.5-3.0% in 1989-90. Unemployment,
which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now about 2%. A shortage of
labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living.
Short-term prospects remain solid so long as major trading partners continue
to be reasonably prosperous. The crackdown in China in 1989-91 casts a
shadow over the longer term economic outlook.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $80.9 billion, per capita $13,800; real growth
rate 3.8% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.0% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
$8.8 billion (FY90)
Exports:
$82.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990), including reexports of $53.1 billion
commodities:
clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances,
watches and clocks, toys
partners:
China 25%, US 24%, Germany 7%, Japan 6%, UK 2%, (1990)
Imports:
$82.4 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum
partners:
China 37%, Japan 16%, Taiwan 9%, US 8% (1990)
External debt:
$9.5 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4% 1991 (est)
Electricity:
8,600,000 kW capacity; 25,637 million kWh produced, 4,378 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Agriculture:
minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20%
self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
Illicit drugs:
a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and major financial
and money-laundering center
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $152 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $923 million
Currency:
Hong Kong dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1991), 7.790 (1990), 7.800 (1989),
7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of
about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
:Hong Kong Communications
Railroads:
35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned
Highways:
1,484 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
Ports:
Hong Kong
Merchant marine:
142 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 5,035,223 GRT/8,598,134 DWT;
includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 15 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo,
26 container, 13 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 6 combination ore/oil,
5 liquefied gas, 68 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience
registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag, and an estimated
500 Hong Kong - owned ships are registered elsewhere
Civil air:
16 major transport aircraft
Airports:
2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services;
3,000,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical
fiber transmission network; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) repeater station and 1 British Forces
Broadcasting Service repeater station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000
TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations - 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou,
China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN
member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
:Hong Kong Defense Forces
Branches:
Headquarters of British Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong
Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 1,732,360; 1,334,923 fit for military service; 46,285 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this
represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder
being paid by the UK
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
:Howland Island Geography
Total area:
1.6 km2
Land area:
1.6 km2
Comparative area:
about 2.7 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
6.4 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain:
low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing
reef; depressed central area
Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 5%; other 95%
Environment:
almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing
shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine
wildlife; feral cats
Note:
remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean,
just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
:Howland Island People
Population:
uninhabited
Population:
note:
American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks
during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but
abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and
generally restricted to scientists and educators
:Howland Island Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National
Wildlife Refuge System
Capital:
none; administered from Washington, DC
:Howland Island Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
:Howland Island Communications
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the
west coast
Airports:
airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the
round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan - they left Lae,
New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is
no longer serviceable
Note:
Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was
partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in
memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart
:Howland Island Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast
Guard
:Hungary Geography
Total area:
93,030 km2
Land area:
92,340 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
2,113 km; Austria 366 km, Slovenia 82 km, Czechoslovakia 676 km, Romania 443
km, Croatia 292 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Ukraine 103 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Czechoslovakia
Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils
Land use:
arable land 54%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 14%; forest and
woodland 18%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year
Note:
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western
Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean
basin
:Hungary People
Population:
10,333,327 (July 1992), growth rate - 0.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
14 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Hungarian(s); adjective - Hungarian
Ethnic divisions:
Hungarian 96.6%, Gypsy 5.8%, German 1.6%, Slovak 1.1%, Southern Slav 0.3%,
Romanian 0.2%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20.0%, Lutheran 5.0%, atheist and other 7.5%
Languages:
Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%
Literacy:
99% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
5.4 million; services, trade, government, and other 43.2%, industry 30.9%,
agriculture 18.8%, construction 7.1% (1991)
Organized labor:
45-55% of labor force; Central Council of Hungarian Trade Unions (SZOT)
includes 19 affiliated unions, all controlled by the government; independent
unions legal; may be as many as 12 small independent unions in operation
:Hungary Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Hungary
Type:
republic
Capital:
Budapest
Administrative divisions:
19 counties (megyek, singular - megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros);
Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad,
Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok,
Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas,
Veszprem, Zala
Independence:
1001, unification by King Stephen I
Constitution:
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18 October
1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks
on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of
parliamentary oversight
Legal system:
in process of revision, moving toward rule of law based on Western model
National holiday:
October 23 (1956); commemorates the Hungarian uprising
Executive branch:
president, prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, may be restructured as part of ongoing government overhaul
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim President
from 2 May 1990)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 23 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Forum, Jozsef ANTALL, chairman; Dr. Lajos FUR, acting president;
Free Democrats, Peter TOLGYESSY, chairman; Independent Smallholders, Jozsef
TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP), Gyula HORN, chairman;
Young Democrats, Gabor FODOR, head; Christian Democrats, Dr. Lazlo SURJAN,
president; note - the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP)
renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in
October 1989; there is still a small (fringe) MSZMP
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 3 August 1990 (next to be held August 1994); results - President
GONCZ elected by popular vote; note - President GONCZ was elected by the
National Assembly with a total of 294 votes out of 304 as interim President
from 2 May 1990 until elected President
National Assembly:
last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April
1990); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (386 total) Democratic
Forum 162, Free Democrats 90, Independent Smallholders 45, Hungarian
Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 22, Christian Democrats 21,
independents or jointly sponsored candidates 13
Communists:
fewer than 100,000 (December 1989)
:Hungary Government
Member of:
BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT, HG, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Pal TAR; Chancery at 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC
20008; telephone (202) 362-6730; there is a Hungarian Consulate General in
New York
US:
Ambassador Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest (mailing
address is APO AE 09213-5270); telephone [36] (1) 112-6450; FAX 132-8934
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
:Hungary Economy
Overview:
Hungary is in the midst of a difficult transition between a command and a
market economy. Agriculture is an important sector, providing sizable export
earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of
GDP and 30% of employment. Hungary claims that less than 20% of foreign
trade is now with former CEMA countries, while about 70% is with OECD
members. Hungary's economic reform programs during the Communist era gave it
a head start in creating a market economy and attracting foreign investment.
In 1990, Hungary received half of all foreign investment in Eastern Europe
and in 1991 received the largest single share. The growing private sector
accounts for one-quarter to one-third of national output according to
unofficial estimates. Privatization of state enterprises is progressing,
although excessive redtape, bureaucratic oversight, and uncertainties about
pricing have slowed the process. Escalating unemployment and high rates of
inflation may impede efforts to speed up privatization and budget reform,
while Hungary's heavy foreign debt will make the government reluctant to
introduce full convertability of the forint before 1993.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $60.1 billion, per capita $5,700; real growth
rate - 7% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
34% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.0% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $12.7 billion; expenditures $13.6 billion (1992 planned)
Exports:
$10.2 billion (f.o.b. 1991)
commodities:
capital goods 25.9%, foods 23%, consumer goods 16.5%, fuels 2.4%, other
32.2%
partners:
USSR and Eastern Europe 31.9%, EC 32.2%, EFTA 12% (1990)
Imports:
$11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
capital goods 31.6%, fuels 13.8%, manufactured consumer goods 14.6%,
agriculture 6%, other 34.0%
partners:
USSR and Eastern Europe 34%, EC 31%, EFTA 15.4%
External debt:
$22.7 billion (January 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 20% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
6,967,000 kW capacity; 28,376 million kWh produced, 2,750 kWh per capita
(1990)
Industries:
mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods, textiles,
chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), trucks, buses
Agriculture:
including forestry, accounts for about 15% of GDP and 19% of employment;
highly diversified crop-livestock farming; principal crops - wheat, corn,
sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets; livestock - hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy
products; self-sufficient in food output
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southeast Asia heroin transiting the Balkan route
:Hungary Economy
Economic aid:
recipient - $9.1 billion in assistance from OECD countries (from 1st quarter
1990 to end of 2nd quarter 1991)
Currency:
forint (plural - forints); 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Hungary Communications