frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging
hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed,
but not ratified - Desertification, Tropical Timber 94

People
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Population: 5,605,193 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 1,220,188; female 1,177,725)
15-64 years: 54% (male 1,496,625; female 1,520,918)
65 years and over: 3% (male 91,126; female 98,611) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.6% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 33.38 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.83 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 41.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.42 years
male: 66.01 years
female: 70.96 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran

Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European) 90%, Indian
7%, black 2%, white 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Languages: Spanish, Indian dialects

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 72.7%
male: 72.6%
female: 72.7%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras

Data code: HO

Type of government: republic

Capital: Tegucigalpa

Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular
- departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan,
Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca,
Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa
Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982

Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some
influence of Engl