Economic overview: Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, enjoys trade privileges and debt relief assistance through the Indebted Poor Countries Relief Program (HIPC). Although the recovery from Hurricane Mitch in 199.8 is advancing and the country has achieved most of its macroeconomic goals, it has failed to liberalize the energy and telecommunications sectors agreed with the IMF. Economic growth has recovered from the storm and should continue in 2001. See cheeroutdoor.com to know more about Honduras Business. GDP: Purchasing Power Parity $17 billion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 5% (1999 est.). GDP per capita: at purchasing power parity – $2,700 (2000 est.). The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 16.2%; industry: 31.9%; services: 51.9% (1999 est.). Proportion of population below the poverty line: 53% (1993 est.). Percentage distribution of family income or consumption: 10% of the poorest families account for: 1.2%; 10% of the wealthiest families account for: 42.1% (1996). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 11% (2000 est.). Labor force: 2.3 million people (1997 est.). Employment structure: agriculture 29%, industry 21%, services 50% (1998 est.). Unemployment rate: 28% (2000 est.). Budget: revenues: $607 million; expenditures: $411.9 billion, including capital investments – $106 million (1999 est.). Spheres of economy: production of sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, forestry and woodworking. Growth in industrial production: 4% (1999 est.). Electricity generation: 3.319 billion kWh (1998) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 44.71%; hydropower: 55.29%; nuclear fuel: 0%; others: 0% (1998). Electricity consumption: 3.232 billion kWh (1999). Electricity export: 0 million kWh (1999). Electricity import: 145 million kWh (1999). Agricultural products: bananas, coffee, citrus fruits; beef; wood; shrimps. Exports: $2 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Export articles: coffee, bananas, shrimp, lobster, meat; zinc, wood. Export partners: USA 35.4%, Germany 7.5%, El Salvador 6.4%, Guatemala 5.8%, Nicaragua 4.8% (1999). Imports: $2.8 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Imports: machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs. Import partners: USA 47.1%, Guatemala 7.4%, El Salvador 5.9%, Mexico 4.8%, Japan 4.7% (1999). External debt: $5.4 billion (2000) Economic aid recipient: $557.8 million (1999) Economic aid donor: Currency: lempira. Currency code: HNL. Exchange rate: HNL/USD – 15.1407 (December 2000), 15.1407 (2000), 14.5039 (1999), 13.8076 (1998), 13.0942 (1997), 12.8694 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 234,000 (1997). Mobile Cell Phones: 14,427 (1997). Telephone system: unsatisfactory; internal: no data; international: satellite earth stations 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave Communication System. Broadcast stations: AM – 241, FM – 53, shortwave – 12 (1998). Radio receivers: 2.45 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 11 (and 17 repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 570,000 (1997). Internet Country Code: hn Internet Service Providers: 8 (2000). Number of users: 20,000 (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: total: 595 km; narrow gauge: 349 km (1.067 m gauge); 246 km (0.914 m gauge) (1999). Roads: total: 15,400 km; coated: 3,126 km; unpaved: 12,274 km (1999 est.) Waterways: 465 km navigable for small craft. Ports and harbors: La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, Puerto Lempira, San Lorenzo, Tela. Merchant navy: total: 313 ships (displacement 1,000 tons or more) with a total displacement of 760,819 gross register tons / 820,582 long tons of carrying capacity; ships of various types: bulk carriers – 21, cargo ships – 187, chemical tankers – 7, container ships – 4, livestock ships – 2, passenger ships – 2, cargo-passenger ships – 4, oil tankers – 52, refrigerated ships – 17, ferries for the carriage of loaded vehicles – 8, coastal passenger ships – 5, specialized tankers – 2, cargo ships for the transport of vehicles – 2; note: including foreign vessels registered here for ‘flag of convenience’ reasons: Russia 4, Singapore 2, Vietnam 1 (2000 est.). Airports: 119 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 12; from 2438 to 3047 m:3; from 1524 to 2437 m:2; from 914 to 1523 m:4; less than 914 m: 3 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 107; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2; from 914 to 1523 m:21; less than 914 m: 84 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the Armed Forces: Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force. Enlistment age: 18 years old. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 1,515,101 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: males 15 to 49 pets: 902,220 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: male: 72,335 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $35 million (1999) Military spending as part of GDP: 0.6% (1999).
International Issues
International problems International disputes: regarding the maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, the International Court of Justice, having considered the issue of the boundary line established in 1900 by the mixed Honduran-Nicara-Guan frontier commission, found it necessary to take a tripartite decision by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua; maritime boundary dispute with Nicaragua in the Caribbean referred to the International Court of Justice. Illicit drugs: drug transit point; the illegal production of hemp, grown on small plots and used mainly for local consumption; corruption is a big problem; opportunities for money laundering.
