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 (official), 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 (2008)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (1991)
country comparison to the world: 119
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 Porfirio LOBO Sosa (since 27 January
2010); Vice President Maria Antonieta Guillen de BOGRAN (since 27
January 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Porfirio LOBO Sosa (since 27 January
2010); Vice President Maria Antonieta Guillen de BOGRAN (since 27
January 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in November
2013)
election results: Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa elected president;
percent of vote - Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa 56.3%, Elvin SANTOS
Lozano 38.1%, other 5.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats;
members elected proportionally by department to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in
November 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PNH 71, PL 45, PDC 5, PUD 4, PINU 3
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 Ordonez];
Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Liberal Party or PL
[Roberto MICHELETTI Bain]; National Party or PN [Antonio ALVAREZ
Arias]; Social Democratic Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge
Rafael AGUILAR Paredes]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS; 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-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended),
IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
MINURSO, NAM, OAS (suspended), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG
(suspended), SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO,
UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro
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; 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
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
Economy ::Honduras
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. Nearly half of
Honduras's economic activity is directly tied to the US, with
exports to the US equivalent to 30% of GDP and remittances for
another 20%. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
came into force in 2006 and has helped foster foriegn direct
investment, but physical and political insecurity may deter
potential investors; about 70% of FDI is from US firms. The economy
registered marginally positive economic growth in 2010, insufficient
to improve living standards for the nearly 60% of the population in
poverty. The LOBO administration inherited a difficult fiscal
position with off-budget debts accrued in previous administrations
and government salaries nearly equivalent to tax collections. His
government has displayed a commitment to improving tax collection
and cutting expenditures. This enabled Tegucigalpa to secure an IMF
Precautionary Stand-By agreement in October 2010. The IMF agreement
has helped renew multilateral and bilateral donor confidence in
Honduras following the ZELAYA administration's economic
mismanagement and the political coup.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$33.77 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
$32.94 billion (2009 est.)
$33.65 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$15.34 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
-2.1% (2009 est.)
4.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,200 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
$4,200 (2009 est.)
$4,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 26.9%
services: 60.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
3.394 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 39.2%
industry: 20.9%
services: 39.8% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
3.2% (2009 est.)
note: about 36% are unemployed or underemployed
Population below poverty line:
65% (2010)
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: 15
56.3 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
Public debt:
26.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
23.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
5.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2009)
NA% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.16% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
17.94% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$1.296 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 129
$1.564 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$7.618 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
$7.064 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.581 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$7.029 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp,
tilapia, lobster
Industries:
sugar, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars
Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Electricity - production:
6.58 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Electricity - consumption:
6.54 billion kWh
country comparison to the world: 102
note: approximately 1.5 billion kWh in transmission and distribution
losses (2009 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11.8 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Oil - consumption:
56,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Oil - imports:
46,130 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
Current account balance:
-$1.048 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
-$1.327 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$5.879 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$5.09 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
apparel, coffee, shrimp, wire harnessing, cigars, bananas, gold,
palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber
Exports - partners:
US 59.6%, El Salvador 5.61%, Guatemala 5.28%, Mexico 4.19%, Germany
4.04% (2009)
Imports:
$8.878 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
$5.924 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials,
chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 46.81%, Guatemala 8.92%, El Salvador 7.13%, Mexico 5.54%, Costa
Rica 4.91% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.302 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
$2.127 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.54 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
$3.311 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 18.9 (2010), 18.895 (2009), 18.983
(2008), 18.9 (2007), 18.895 (2006)
Communications ::Honduras
Telephones - main lines in use:
830,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 84
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.714 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 75
Telephone system:
general assessment: the number of fixed-line connections are
increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers
of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in
the number of subscribers
domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to
provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage
contributing to an increase in fixed-line teledensity to roughly 10
per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 100 per 100
persons in 2009
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
Broadcast media:
multiple privately-owned terrestrial television 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 hosts:
16,075 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 115
Internet users:
731,700 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 108
Transportation ::Honduras
Airports:
104 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 56
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 92
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 74 (2010)
Railways:
total: 75 km
country comparison to the world: 128
narrow gauge: 75 km 1.067-m gauge (2009)
Roadways:
total: 14,239 km
country comparison to the world: 123
paved: 3,159 km
unpaved: 11,080 km (1,420 km summer only) (2009)
Waterways:
465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 86
Merchant marine:
total: 104
country comparison to the world: 49
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 50, carrier 2, chemical tanker 7,
container 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 22,
refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 49 (Bahrain 5, Canada 1, China 2, Egypt 2, Greece 4,
Hong Kong 1, Israel 1, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Montenegro 2,
Panama 1, Singapore 12, South Korea 6, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, UK 1,
Vietnam 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
Military ::Honduras
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,989,556
females age 16-49: 1,939,462 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,483,292
females age 16-49: 1,502,788 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 94,501
female: 90,757 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Transnational Issues ::Honduras
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 (OAS) 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; memorials and countermemorials were
filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings
against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary
and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea - final public
hearings are scheduled for 2007
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
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Hong Kong (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Hong Kong
Background:
Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China
the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the
19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on
19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1
July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one
country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system
would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a
high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense
affairs for the next 50 years.
Geography ::Hong Kong
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
22 15 N, 114 10 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,104 sq km
country comparison to the world: 183
land: 1,054 sq km
water: 50 sq km
Area - comparative:
six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 30 km
regional border: China 30 km
Coastline:
733 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate:
subtropical 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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Natural resources:
outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use:
arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01%
other: 93.94% (2001)
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution
(associate member)
Geography - note:
more than 200 islands
People ::Hong Kong
Population:
7,089,705 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Age structure:
0-14 years: 12.2% (male 450,833/female 411,997)
15-64 years: 74.6% (male 2,551,256/female 2,713,532)
65 years and over: 13.1% (male 434,090/female 493,363) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.8 years
male: 42.4 years
female: 43.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.476% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
Birth rate:
7.45 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 221
Death rate:
6.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
Net migration rate:
4.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.076 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.91 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 218
male: 3.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.96 years
country comparison to the world: 8
male: 79.24 years
female: 84.88 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.04 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 223
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,600 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Nationality:
noun: Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 95%, Filipino 1.6%, Indonesian 1.3%, other 2.1% (2006 census)
Religions:
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages:
Cantonese 90.8% (official), English 2.8% (official), Putonghua
(Mandarin) 0.9%, other Chinese dialects 4.4%, other 1.1% (2006
census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5%
male: 96.9%
female: 89.6% (2002)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 13 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 137
Government ::Hong Kong
Country name:
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
local short form: Xianggang
abbreviation: HK
Dependency status:
special administrative region of China
Government type:
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of China)
Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday:
National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic
of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's
Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
direct election - 18 years of age for half the legislature and a
majority of seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent
residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven
years
indirect election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional
constituencies for the other half of the legislature and an
800-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from
broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, and municipal
organizations
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 24
June 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo consists of 15 official members
and 14 non-official members
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: chief executive elected for five-year term by 800-member
electoral committee; election last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be
held in 2012)
note: the LegCo voted in June 2010 to expand the electoral committee
to 1,200 seats for the next election
election results: Donald TSANG elected chief executive receiving
84.1% of the vote of the election committee; Alan LEONG Kah-kit
received 15.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (60 seats; 30 members
indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by
popular vote; members serve four-year terms)