2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Televisions:
38,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ht
Internet hosts:
7 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
1 million (2007)
TransportationHaiti
Airports:
14 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 9 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 4,160 km paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (2000)
Ports and terminals:
Cap-Haitien
MilitaryHaiti
Military branches:
no regular military forces - small Coast Guard; the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force - have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless they are constitutionally abolished (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,047,083 females age 16-49: 2,047,953 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,303,743 females age 16-49: 1,332,316 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 105,655 female: 104,376 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.4% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesHaiti
Disputes - international:
since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs:
Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial bulk cash smuggling activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption; significant consumer of cannabis
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Heard Island and McDonald Islands
IntroductionHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Background:
These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.
GeographyHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Location:
islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 412 sq km land: 412 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
101.9 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
antarctic
Terrain:
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being in 2005
PeopleHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Population:
uninhabited
GovernmentHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands abbreviation: HIMI
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Legal system:
the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
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
EconomyHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Economy - overview:
The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the AustralianGovernment allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.
CommunicationsHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Internet country code:
.hm
TransportationHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
MilitaryHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Transnational IssuesHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Disputes - international:
none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Holy See (Vatican City)
IntroductionHoly 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.
GeographyHoly See (Vatican City)
Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 0.44 sq km 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:
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change 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)
PeopleHoly See (Vatican City)
Population:
824 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.003% (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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%
GovernmentHoly 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:
Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005)
Constitution:
new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces 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 the State of Vatican City
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 Mary Ann GLENDON embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346
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
EconomyHoly See (Vatican City)
Economy - overview:
This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world; by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. 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):
Labor force:
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:
Budget:
revenues: $310 million expenditures: $307 million (2006)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Industries:
printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of 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
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
CommunicationsHoly See (Vatican City)
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,120 (2005)
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 4, FM 3, shortwave 2 (2004)
Radios:
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2005)
Televisions:
Internet country code:
.va
Internet hosts:
55 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Internet users:
93 (2000)
MilitaryHoly See (Vatican City)
Military branches:
Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) (2007)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard
Transnational IssuesHoly See (Vatican City)
Disputes - international:
none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Honduras
IntroductionHonduras
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.
GeographyHonduras
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:
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)
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
PeopleHonduras
Population:
7,639,327 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 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.7% (male 1,508,835/female 1,446,530) 15-64 years: 57.8% (male 2,210,187/female 2,203,620) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 121,839/female 148,316) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 20 years male: 19.7 years female: 20.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.024% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
26.93 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 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 (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.61 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.37 years male: 67.81 years female: 71.01 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.38 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
63,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2003 est.)
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 (2008)
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)
GovernmentHonduras
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, FranciscoMorazan, 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 Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27 January 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006); Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27 January 2006) 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 to the number of votes their party's presidential candidate receives 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]; DemocraticUnification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Liberal Party or PL [PatriciaRODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge AQUILARParedes]; 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 ofPopular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT;Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; NationalAssociation of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union ofCampesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation ofHonduran 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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UnionLatina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES BERMUDEZ chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, 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
EconomyHonduras
Economy - overview:
Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America and one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. 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. Honduras is the fastest growing remittance destination in the region with inflows representing over a quarter of GDP, equivalent to nearly three-quarters of exports. 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. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest trading partner, and on reduction of the high crime rate, as a means of attracting and maintaining investment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$32.26 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.28 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.4% industry: 28.1% services: 58.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.779 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 34% industry: 23% services: 43% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
27.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
50.7% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 42.2% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
53.8 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
30.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.344 billion expenditures: $2.631 billion; including capital expenditures of $106 million (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
24.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.61% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.573 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.266 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$6.298 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster; corn, African palm
Industries:
sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products
Industrial production growth rate:
4.4% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
5.753 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
4.233 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11.8 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 50.2% hydro: 49.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
46,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
417.9 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
44,040 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$1.225 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$5.594 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber
Exports - partners:
US 67.2%, El Salvador 4.9%, Guatemala 3.9% (2007)
Imports:
$8.556 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 52.4%, Guatemala 7.1%, El Salvador 5.2%, Mexico 4.5%, Costa Rica 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$680.8 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.546 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.411 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
lempira (HNL)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 18.9 (2007), 18.895 (2006), 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345 (2003)
CommunicationsHonduras
Telephones - main lines in use:
713,600 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.241 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate system domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage; fixed-line teledensity has increased to about 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone service has been increasing rapidly and subscribership in 2006 exceeded 30 per 100 persons 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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)
Radios:
2.45 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
570,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.hn
Internet hosts:
13,370 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)
Internet users:
344,100 (2006)
TransportationHonduras
Airports:
112 (2007)
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 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 100 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 83 (2007)
Railways:
total: 699 km narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 13,600 km paved: 2,775 km unpaved: 10,825 km (2000)
Waterways:
465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 123 by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 57, chemical tanker 6, container 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 42 (Bangladesh 1, Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 3, Greece 4, Hong Kong 1, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Singapore 12, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, Vietnam 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
MilitaryHonduras
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (FuerzaAerea 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: 1,868,940 females age 16-49: 1,825,770 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,359,406 females age 16-49: 1,371,418 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 90,876 female: 87,292 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational IssuesHonduras
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
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Hong Kong
IntroductionHong 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 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.
GeographyHong Kong
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 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
PeopleHong Kong
Population:
7,018,636 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 12.6% (male 463,300/female 422,945) 15-64 years: 74.4% (male 2,535,246/female 2,684,495) 65 years and over: 13% (male 425,500/female 487,150) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.7 years male: 41.4 years female: 42 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.532% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
7.37 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.93 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.77 years male: 79.07 years female: 84.69 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
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:
Chinese (Cantonese) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%,English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 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:
3.9% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentHong Kong