Honduras Geography 1997

Location Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaraguaand bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Geographic coordinates 15 00 N, 86 30 W

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
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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

Land use
arable land : 15%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 14%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 740 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floodsalong Caribbean coast

Environment - current issues urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and theclearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soilerosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practicessuch as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa(the country's largest source of freshwater) with heavy metals as well asseveral rivers and streams

Environment - international agreements
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Desertification

NOTE: The information regarding Honduras on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Honduras Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Honduras Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.