Honduras

H

Transportation

In 1870 the government planned to build a railroad, but because of bad planning and mismanagement, only 142 km (88 mi) were finished. The banana companies later built some 600 km (370 mi) of railroads for their own use along the northern coast. The rest of Honduras was served only by mule trails until road building began in the late 1940s. The Inter-American Highway (160 km/100 mi in Honduras) runs along the Pacific coast and links Honduras with Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. A good road connects this highway with Tegucigalpa. Today, the total length of roads in Honduras is 13,600 km (8,451 mi).

The mountainous character of Honduras has made aviation an important means of transportation. Today, about 30 local airports, several international airports, and more than 100 small fields are in use. Puerto Cortés, on the Caribbean coast, is the country’s principal port. Other ports on the Caribbean include Tela, La Ceiba, and Puerto Castilla. Amapala and San Lorenzo are the main ports on the Pacific coast.

I

Communications

Journalists in Honduras generally practice self-censorship to avoid offending government authorities or powerful media owners. Honduras has 7 daily newspapers. The country also has 410 radio receivers and 101 televisions for every 1,000 residents; there are 4 main television stations. Honduras had 69 telephone mainlines for every 1,000 people in 2005.

J

Labor

The total labor force of Honduras numbers 3.13 million, of which 39 percent are engaged in agriculture.

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V

Government

Honduras was governed under the constitution of 1965 until 1972, when it was largely suspended after a coup d’état (for more information, see the History section of this article). A new constitution was adopted in 1982 and amended in 1995.

A

Executive

Executive power in Honduras is vested in a president, who is elected by direct and universal vote for a four-year term. The president appoints a cabinet that assists in governing. A president can serve only one term.

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