Honduras

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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. Hurricane Mitch devastated the country in 1998, killing about 5,600 people and causing approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded, despite COVID-19 and severe storm-related setbacks in 2020 and 2021.

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Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

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15 00 N, 86 30 W

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Central America and the Caribbean

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slightly larger than Tennessee

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823 km (Caribbean Sea 669 km; Gulf of Fonseca 163 km)

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subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

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mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

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timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

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900 sq km (2012)

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most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; Honduras is the only Central American nation with an urban population that is distributed between two large centers, the capital of Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the Rio Ulua valley in the north is the only densely populated lowland area

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frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

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has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

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Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and European) 90%, Indigenous 7%, African descent 2%, White 1%

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Evangelical 55%, Roman Catholic 33.4%, none 10.1%, unspecified 1.5% (2023 est.)

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1.28% (2025 est.)

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19.7 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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-2.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; Honduras is the only Central American nation with an urban population that is distributed between two large centers, the capital of Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the Rio Ulua valley in the north is the only densely populated lowland area

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1.568 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 982,000 San Pedro Sula (2023)

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20.3 years (2011/12 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49

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47 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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2.29 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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1.13 (2025 est.)

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0.49 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

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0.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

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21.4% (2016)

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7.1% (2019 est.)

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54.4% (2019 est.)

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deforestation from logging and agricultural clearing; land degradation and soil erosion from overdevelopment and improper land use practices; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water) and other rivers and streams

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subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

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19.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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92.164 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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presidential republic

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<strong>note:</strong> the Honduran constitution states that Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela jointly constitute the capital of Honduras, but virtually all governmental institutions are on the Tegucigalpa side

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18 departments (<em>departamentos</em>, singular - <em>departamento</em>); Atlántida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazán, Gracias a Dios, Intibucá, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

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civil law system

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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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<strong>note:</strong> the president is both chief of state and head of government

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<strong>note:</strong> the Supreme Court has both judicial and constitutional jurisdiction

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Anti-Corruption Party or PAC<br>Christian Democratic Party or DC<br>Democratic Liberation of Honduras or Liderh<br>Democratic Unification Party or UD<br>The Front or El Frente<br>Honduran Patriotic Alliance or AP<br>Innovation and Unity Party or PINU<br>Liberal Party or PL<br>Liberty and Refoundation Party or LIBRE<br>National Party of Honduras or PNH<br>New Route or NR<br>Opposition Alliance against the Dictatorship or Alianza de Oposicion contra la Dictadura (electoral coalition)<br>Savior Party of Honduras or PSH<br>Vamos or Let’s Go<br>We Are All Honduras (Todos Somos Honduras) or TSH

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ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNHRC, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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15 September 1821 (from Spain)

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Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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<strong>description:</strong> three equal horizontal bands of cerulean blue (top), white, and cerulean blue, with five five-pointed cerulean stars arranged in an "X" pattern and centered in the white band<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and white for the land and the people's peace and prosperity

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<strong>note:</strong> similar to the flag of El Salvador, which has a round emblem surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a triangle with the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA above and AMERICA CENTRAL below

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scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer

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blue, white

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second-fastest-growing Central American economy; COVID-19 and two hurricanes crippled activity; high poverty and inequality; declining-but-still-high violent crime disruption; systemic corruption; coffee and banana exporter; enormous remittances

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$37.094 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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sugarcane, oil palm fruit, maize, milk, bananas, coffee, cantaloupes/melons, oranges, chicken, beans (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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sugar processing, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars

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0.8% (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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4.296 million (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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64.1% (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

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<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

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<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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15.1% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

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<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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USA 49%, Nicaragua 8%, El Salvador 7%, Guatemala 5%, Mexico 5% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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garments, coffee, insulated wire, palm oil, shellfish (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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USA 36%, China 14%, Guatemala 8%, Mexico 6%, El Salvador 6% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, cotton yarn, garments, trucks, packaged medicine (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the state-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately owned radio stations (2019)

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.hn

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HR

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129 (2025)

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6 (2025)

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115 km 1.057-mm gauge<br>420 km 0.914-mm gauge

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Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army (Ejercito), Honduran Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Hondurena, FNH; includes marines), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH), Honduran Military Police of Public Order (Policía Militar del Orden Público or PMOP) (2025)

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<strong>note 1:</strong> the National Police of Honduras (Policía Nacional de Honduras, PNH) are under the Secretariat of Security and responsible for internal security; some larger cities have police forces that operate independently of the national police and report to municipal authorities <br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the PMOP supports the PNH against narcotics trafficking and organized crime; it is subordinate to the Secretariat of Defense/FFAA, but conducts operations sanctioned by civilian security officials as well as by military leaders <br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> the National Interinstitutional Security Force is an interagency command that coordinates the overlapping responsibilities of the HNP, PMOP, and other security organizations such as the National Intelligence Directorate and the Public Ministry (public prosecutor), but exercises coordination, command, and control responsibilities only during interagency operations involving those forces

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approximately 15,000 active Honduran Armed Forces (2025)

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the FFAA's inventory is comprised of a mix of older or secondhand and limited amounts of more modern equipment; its main supplier is the US; other suppliers include Colombia, Israel, the Netherlands, and the UK (2025)

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18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 24&ndash;36 month service obligation; no conscription (2026)

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the Honduran Armed Forces (FFAA) are responsible for maintaining the country’s territory, defending its sovereignty, providing emergency/humanitarian assistance, and supporting the National Police (PNH); the FFAA’s primary focus is internal and border security, and since 2011 a considerable portion of it has been deployed to support the PNH in combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime; military support to domestic security included the creation of the Military Police of Public Order (PMOP) in 2013 to provide security in areas controlled by street gangs to combat crime and make arrests; the FFAA, including the PMOP, cooperates with the militaries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua on border security<br><br>the FFAA has received military equipment, training, humanitarian, and technical assistance from the US military; the US military maintains a joint service task force co-located with the FFAA at Soto Cano Air Base (2025)

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La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)