Honduras, in the north-central part of Central America, has a Caribbean as well as a Pacific coastline. Guatemala is to the west, El Salvador to the south, and Nicaragua to the east. The second-largest country in Central America, Honduras is slightly larger than Tennessee. Generally mountainous, the country is marked by fertile plateaus, river valleys, and narrow coastal plains.
Population
7,326,496 (growth rate: 2.2%); birth rate: 28.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 25.8/1000; life expectancy: 69.3; density per sq mi: 170
Land Area
43,201 sq mi (111,891 sq km); total area: 43,278 sq mi (112,090 sq km)
Monetary unit
Lempira Language
Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects; English widely spoken in business
Ethnicity mestizo 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
Religion Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
Transportation Railways: total: 699 km (2004). Highways: total: 13,603 km; paved: 2,775 km; unpaved: 10,828 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2004). Ports and harbors: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela. Airports: 115 (2004 est.).
La Ceiba