- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which
features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL
SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also
similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled
by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the
bottom, centered in the white band

@Honduras:Economy

Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western
Hemisphere. Agriculture, the most important sector of the economy,
accounts for 28% of GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces
two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low. Manufacturing, still
in its early stages, employs 9% of the labor force, accounts for 15%
of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including
public administration, account for 50% of GDP and employ 20% of the
labor force. Many basic problems face the economy, including rapid
population growth, high unemployment, inflation, a lack of basic
services, a large and inefficient public sector, and the dependence of
the export sector mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to
sharp price fluctuations. A far-reaching reform program, initiated by
former President CALLEJAS in 1990 and scaled back by President REINA,
is beginning to take hold.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1994
est.)

National product real growth rate: -1.9% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $1,820 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10%; underemployed 30%-40% (1992)

Budget:
revenues: $527 million
expenditures: $668 million, including capital expenditures of $166
million (1993 est.)

Exports: $850 million (f.o.b., 1993 est)
commodities: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, meat, lumber
partners: US 53%, Germany 11%, Belgium 8%, UK 5%

Imports: $990 million (c.i.f. 1994 est)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemical products,
manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs
partners: US 50%, Mexico 8%, Guatemala 6%

External debt: $4 billion (1994 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1992 est.); accounts for 22%
of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 290,000 kW
production: 2.3 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 445 kWh (1993)

Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles,
cloth