Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Economy - overview:
The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the Australian
Government allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.
Communications ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Internet country code:
.hm
Transportation ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts
fisheries patrols
Transnational Issues ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on September 14, 2009
======================================================================
@Holy See (Vatican City) (Europe)
Introduction ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Background:
Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula
for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many
of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of
Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when
Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner"
popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties,
which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted
Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat
between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier
treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the
Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include
religious freedom, international development, the environment, the
Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, terrorism,
interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of
church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About
one billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
Geography ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates:
41 54 N, 12 27 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 0.44 sq km
country comparison to the world: 249
land: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 3.2 km
border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry
summers (May to September)
Terrain:
urban; low hill
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (urban area) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond
the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929
grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome
and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel
Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence)
People ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Population:
826 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 235
Population growth rate:
0.003% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
Italians, Swiss, other
Religions:
Roman Catholic
Languages:
Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Government ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Country name:
conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
Government type:
ecclesiastical
Capital:
name: Vatican City
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with
Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full
sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent;
however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have
varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century
National holiday:
Election Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 19 April (2005)
Constitution:
Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November
2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaced the first Fundamental Law
of 1929)
Legal system:
based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it
Suffrage:
limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Executive branch:
chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE
(since 15 September 2006)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City
appointed by the pope
elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals;
election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of
the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope
election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI
Legislative branch:
unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
Judicial branch:
there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters
within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining
to the Holy See
note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope
PIUS XII on 1 May 1946
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
International organization participation:
CE (observer), IAEA, Interpol, IOM (observer), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM
(guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR,
Union Latina (observer), UNWTO (observer), UPU, WFTU, WIPO, WTO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Julieta
NOYES
embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome
mailing address: PSC 833, Box 66, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428
FAX: [39] (06) 575-3411
Flag description:
two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms of
the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter
surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white
band
Economy ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Economy - overview:
The Holy See is supported financially by a variety of sources,
including investments, real estate income, and donations from
Catholic individuals, dioceses, and institutions; these help fund
the Roman Curia (Vatican bureaucracy), diplomatic missions, and
media outlets. The separate Vatican City State budget includes the
Vatican museums and post office and is supported financially by the
sale of stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for
admission to museums; and by publications sales. Moreover, an annual
collection taken up in dioceses and direct donations go to a
non-budgetary fund known as Peter's Pence, which is used directly by
the Pope for charity, disaster relief, and aid to churches in
developing nations. The incomes and living standards of lay workers
are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$NA
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
note: essentially services with a small amount of industry; nearly
all dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and the approximately 3,000
lay workers live outside the Vatican
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $374 million
expenditures: $388 million (2007)
Industries:
printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; mosaics and
staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy; a small portion of
electricity is self-produced from solar panels
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007),
0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,120 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 212
Telephone system:
general assessment: automatic digital exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2008)
Internet country code:
.va
Internet hosts:
63 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 205
Military ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Military branches:
Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera
Pontificia) (2009)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited
security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard
Transnational Issues ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Honduras (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Honduras
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.
Geography ::Honduras
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
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 86 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 112,090 sq km
country comparison to the world: 102
land: 111,890 sq km
water: 200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,520 km
border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua
922 km
Coastline:
820 km
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
Climate:
subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain:
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
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, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 9.53%
permanent crops: 3.21%
other: 87.26% (2005)
Irrigated land:
800 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
95.9 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.86 cu km/yr (8%/12%/80%)
per capita: 119 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to
damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
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
Geography - note:
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline,
including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
People ::Honduras
Population:
7,792,854
country comparison to the world: 93
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
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,514,544/female 1,451,862)
15-64 years: 58.3% (male 2,278,508/female 2,267,527)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 125,991/female 154,422) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.3 years
male: 20 years
female: 20.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.956% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Birth rate:
26.27 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Death rate:
5.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Net migration rate:
-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
Urbanization:
urban population: 48% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.03 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 91
male: 26.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.4 years
country comparison to the world: 147
male: 67.86 years
female: 71.02 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.27 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
28,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black
2%, white 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
Languages:
Spanish, Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 80%
male: 79.8%
female: 80.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (1991)
country comparison to the world: 121
Government ::Honduras
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras
Government type:
democratic constitutional republic
Capital:
name: Tegucigalpa
geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
first Sunday in November
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
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27
January 2006); Vice President Commissioner Aristides MEJIA Carranza
(since 1 February 2009); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government; because the president and vice
president are elected on the same ticket, the position of "vice
president commissioner" was created after Vice President Elvin
SANTOS resigned in late 2008 to run for president in the November
2009 election
head of government: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27
January 2006); Vice President Commissioner Aristides MEJIA Carranza
(since 1 February 2009)
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 in November
2009)
election results: Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales elected president -
49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa 46.1%, other 4.1%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats;
members are elected proportionally by department to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in 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 (15 judges are
elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Felicito AVILA]; Democratic
Unification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Liberal Party or PL [Patricia
RODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge AQUILAR
Paredes]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Porfirio LOBO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH;
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
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Eduardo
Enrique REINA Garcia
chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2604
FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco
honorary consulate(s): Jacksonville
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo LLORENS
embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa
mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa
telephone: [504] 236-9320, 238-5114
FAX: [504] 238-4357
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue, with
five blue, 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; 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 word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
Economy ::Honduras
Economy - overview:
Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, has an
extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and high
unemployment. The economy relies heavily on a narrow range of
exports, notably bananas and coffee, making it vulnerable to natural
disasters and shifts in commodity prices; however, investments in
the maquila and non-traditional export sectors are slowly
diversifying the economy. Economic growth remains dependent on the
US economy its largest trading partner, and will decline in 2009 as
a result of reduction in export demand and tightening global credit
markets. Remittances represent over a quarter of GDP or nearly
three-quarters of exports. The US-Central America Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster
investment. Despite improvements in tax collections, the
government's fiscal deficit is growing due to increases in current
expenditures and financial losses from the state energy and
telephone companies.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$33.8 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$32.5 billion (2007 est.)
$30.57 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
6.3% (2007 est.)
6.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,400 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
$4,300 (2007 est.)
$4,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.1%
industry: 30%
services: 56.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.991 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 39.2%
industry: 20.9%
services: 39.8% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
note: high level of underemployment with up to a third of the labor
force seeking more work.
Population below poverty line:
50.7% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 42.2% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
53.8 (2003)
country comparison to the world: 16
56.3 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
33.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Budget:
revenues: $2.754 billion
expenditures: $3.09 billion; including capital expenditures of $106
million (2008 est.)
Public debt:
20.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
74.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
6.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.94% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 33
16.61% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money: