GEOGRAPHY
Honduras, in the north-central part of Central America, has a Caribbean as well
as a Pacific coastline. Guatemala is to the west, El Salvador to the south, and
Nicaragua to the east. The second-largest country in Central America, Honduras
is slightly larger than Tennessee. Generally mountainous, the country is marked
by fertile plateaus, river valleys, and narrow coastal plains. Tegucigalpa is
the capital and the chief commercial center.
GOVERNMENT
Honduras is governed under the constitution of 1982. A president, popularly elected for a four-year term, heads the executive branch. The unicameral legislature has 128 members, also elected for four years. The country is divided into 18 administrative departments.
Over 80% of the land is mountainous; ranges extend from east to west at altitudes of 5,000 to 9,000 ft (1,520–2,740 m) and limit heavy rainfall to the north. In the east are the swamps and forests of the Mosquito Coast. Two river systems, the Patuca and the Ulua, drain most of the north. The country's short stretch of southern coast on the Gulf of Fonseca is the sole Pacific outlet. Honduras has a tropical, rainy climate. The people, of whom about 90% are Mestizo, are Spanish-speaking (indigenous dialects are also spoken) and nearly all Roman Catholic.