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Geography of 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
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)
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

Honduras Quickstats

  • Population: 7,483,763
  • Area: 112,090 sq km
  • Density: 64 /km² (128th)
  • GDP (total): $21.74 billion (107th)
  • GDP (per capita): $3,009 (124th)
  • Literacy: 80%

Languages of Honduras

Useful to know

  • Currency: Lempira (HNL)
  • Dial code: +504

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