Honduras

For other uses, see Honduras (disambiguation).

Republic of Honduras
República de Honduras (Spanish)
Motto: Libre, Soberana e Independiente
"Free, Sovereign and Independent"
Anthem: Himno Nacional de Honduras
"National Anthem of Honduras"
Location of Honduras
Capital
and largest city
Tegucigalpa
14°6′N 87°13′W / 14.100°N 87.217°W / 14.100; -87.217
Official languagesSpanish
Ethnic groups
(2016)[1]
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic
• President
Xiomara Castro
Salvador Nasralla
Doris Gutiérrez
Renato Florentino
Luis Redondo
LegislatureNational Congress
Independence
• Declaredb from Spain
15 September 1821
• Declared from the
First Mexican Empire
1 July 1823
• Declared, as Honduras, from the Federal Republic of Central America
5 November 1838
Area
• Total
112,492 km2 (43,433 sq mi) (101st)
Population
• 2023 estimate
9,571,352[2] (95th)
• Density
85/km2 (220.1/sq mi) (128th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $75.030 billion[3] (108th)
• Per capita
Increase $7,162[3] (134th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $33.992 billion[3] (106th)
• Per capita
Increase $3,245[3] (135th)
Gini (2018)Negative increase 52.1[4]
high inequality
HDI (2021)Decrease 0.621[5]
medium (137th)
CurrencyLempira (HNL)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
Drives onright
Calling code+504
ISO 3166 codeHN
Internet TLD.hn
  1. Mixture of European and American Indian.
  2. As part of the Federal Republic of Central America.
Population estimates explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected, as of July 2007.

Honduras,[a] officially the Republic of Honduras,[b] is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Tegucigalpa.

Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, before Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century. The Spanish introduced Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. Honduras became independent in 1821 and has since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability, and remains one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, the northern part of what was the Mosquito Coast was transferred from Nicaragua to Honduras by the International Court of Justice.[7]

The nation's economy is primarily agricultural, making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998.[8] The lower class is primarily agriculturally based while wealth is concentrated in the country's urban centers.[9] Honduras has a Human Development Index of 0.625, classifying it as a nation with medium development.[10] When adjusted for income inequality, its Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index is 0.443.[10]

Honduran society is predominantly Mestizo; however, there are also significant Indigenous, black, and white communities in Honduras.[11] The nation had a relatively high political stability until a 2009 military coup and controversy arising from claims of electoral fraud in the 2017 presidential election.[12]

Honduras spans about 112,492 km2 (43,433 sq mi) and has a population exceeding 10 million.[13][14] Its northern portions are part of the western Caribbean zone, as reflected in the area's demographics and culture. Honduras is known for its rich natural resources, including minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, and sugar cane, as well as for its growing textiles industry, which serves the international market.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference cia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Honduras". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Honduras)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Gini Index coefficient". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 8 September 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180
  7. ^ "Mosquito Coast". Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2007.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference LOC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference cia.gov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Ruhl, J. Mark (1984). "Agrarian Structure and Political Stability in Honduras". Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs. 26 (1): 33–68. doi:10.2307/165506. ISSN 0022-1937. JSTOR 165506. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019 – via JSTOR.
  13. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  14. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.


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