Chapter 42

Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture, the most important sector of the economy, accounts for more than 25% of GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low. Industry, still in its early stages, employs nearly 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 nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the economy include rapid population growth, high unemployment, 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 President CALLEJAS in 1990 is beginning to take hold. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $5.5 billion (1992 est.) National product real growth rate: 3.6% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $1,090 (1992 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: 15% (30-40% underemployed) (1989) Budget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $511 million (1990 est.) Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, meat, lumber partners: US 65%, Germany 9%, Japan 8%, Belgium 7% Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f. 1991) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs partners: US 45%, Japan 9%, Netherlands 7%, Mexico 7%, Venezuela 6% External debt: $2.8 billion (1990) Industrial production: growth rate 0.8% (1990 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP Electricity: 575,000 kW capacity; 2,000 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for more than 25% of GDP, more than 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1 billion

*Honduras, Economy

Currency: 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1 - 5.4 (fixed rate); 5.70 parallel black-market rate (November 1990); the lempira was allowed to float in 1992; current rate about US$1 - 5.65 Fiscal year: calendar year

*Honduras, Communications

Railroads: 785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge Highways: 8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft Ports: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo Merchant marine: 252 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 819,100 GRT/1,195,276 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 162 cargo, 20 refrigerated cargo, 10 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 22 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 22 bulk, 3 passenger, 2 short-sea passenger; note - a flag of convenience registry; Russia owns 10 ships under the Honduran flag Airports: total: 165 usable: 137 with permanent-surface runways: 11 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 14 Telecommunications: inadequate system with only 7 telephones per 1,000 persons; international services provided by 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earch stations and the Central American microwave radio relay system; broadcast stations - 176 AM, no FM, 7 SW, 28 TV

*Honduras, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Public Security Forces (FUSEP) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,185,072; fit for military service 706,291; reach military age (18) annually 58,583 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $45 million, about 1% of GDP (1993 est.)

*Hong Kong, Header

Affiliation: (dependent territory of the UK)

*Hong Kong, Geography

Location: East Asia, on the southeast coast of China bordering the South China Sea Map references: Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 1,040 km2 land area: 990 km2 comparative area: slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: total 30 km, China 30 km Coastline: 733 km Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm territorial sea: 3 nm International disputes: none Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 12% other: 79% Irrigated land: 20 km2 (1989) Environment: more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons

*Hong Kong, People

Population: 5,552,965 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: -0.06% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 12.27 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: -7.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.99 years male: 76.55 years female: 83.64 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese Ethnic divisions: Chinese 98%, other 2% Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971) total population: 77% male: 90% female: 64% Labor force: 2.8 million (1990) by occupation: manufacturing 28.5%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 27.9%, services 17.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 9.2%, transport and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%, other 9.7% (1989)

*Hong Kong, Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Hong Kong Abbreviation: HK Digraph: HK Type: dependent territory of the UK scheduled to revert to China in 1997 Capital: Victoria Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK) Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK; the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle) Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997 Legal system: based on English common law National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945) Political parties and leaders: United Democrats of Hong Kong, Martin LEE, chairman; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Democratic Foundation Other political or pressure groups: Cooperative Resources Center, Allen LEE, chairman; Meeting Point, Anthony CHEUNG, chairman; Association of Democracy and People's Livelihood, Frederick FUNG Kin Kee, chairman; Liberal Democratic Federation, HEUNG Yee Kuk; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China); Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Confederation of Trade Unions (prodemocracy); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China Suffrage: direct election 21 years of age; universal as a permanent resident living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years indirect election limited to about 100,000 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies Elections: Legislative Council: indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections were held for the first time 15 September 1991 (next to be held in September 1995 when the number of directly-elected seats increases to 20); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total; 21 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 18 directly elected, 18 appointed by governor, 3 ex officio members); indirect elections - number of seats by functional constituency NA; direct elections - UDHK 12, Meeting Point 3, ADPL 1, other 2 Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the Executive Council Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council

*Hong Kong, Government

Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) Head of Government: Governor Chris PATTEN (since NA July 1992); Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987) Member of: APEC, AsDB, CCC, ESCAP (associate), GATT, ICFTU, IMO (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Consul General Richard L. WILLIAMS embassy: Consulate General at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 239-011 Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield

*Hong Kong, Economy

Overview: Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing accounts for about 18% of GDP, employs 28% of the labor force, and exports about 90% of its output. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88, slowed to 3.0% in 1989-90, and picked up to 4.2% in 1991 and 5.9% in 1992. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now about 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain bright so long as major trading partners continue to be reasonably prosperous. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $86 billion (1992 est.) National product real growth rate: 5.9% (1992) National product per capita: $14,600 (1992 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.4% (1992) Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.) Budget: revenues $17.4 billion; expenditures $14.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92) Exports: $118 billion, including reexports of $85.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys partners: US 29%, China 21%, Germany 8%, UK 6%, Japan 5% (1990) Imports: $120 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum partners: China 37%, Japan 16%, Taiwan 9%, US 8% (1990) External debt: $9.5 billion (December 1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 9,566,000 kW capacity; 29,400 million kWh produced, 4,980 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks Agriculture: minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water Illicit drugs: a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and major financial and money-laundering center Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $152 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $923 million Currency: 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

*Hong Kong, Economy

Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1992), 7.771 (1991), 7.790 (1990), 7.800 (1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985 Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

*Hong Kong, Communications

Railroads: 35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned Highways: 1,100 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth Ports: Hong Kong Merchant marine: 176 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 5,870,007 GRT/10,006,390 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 29 container, 15 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 6 combination ore/oil, 5 liquefied gas, 88 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag, and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere Airports: total: 2 useable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0 Telecommunications: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; 3,000,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) repeater station and 1 British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

*Hong Kong, Defense Forces

Branches: Headquarters of British Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,635,516; fit for military service 1,256,057; reach military age (18) annually 43,128 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder being paid by the UK Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

*Howland Island, Header

Affiliation: (territory of the US)

*Howland Island, Geography

Location: in the North Pacific Ocean, 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia Map references: Oceania Area: total area: 1.6 km2 land area: 1.6 km2 comparative area: about 2.7 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 6.4 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m or the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s) Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 5% other: 95% Irrigated land: 0 km2 Environment: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats

*Howland Island, People

Population: uninhabited; note - American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators

*Howland Island, Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Howland Island Digraph: HQ Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System Capital: none; administered from Washington, DC

*Howland Island, Economy

Overview: no economic activity

*Howland Island, Communications

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan - they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable Note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart

*Howland Island, Defense Forces

defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard

*Hungary, Geography

Location: Eastern Europe, between Slovakia and Romania Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe Area: total area: 93,030 km2 land area: 92,340 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana Land boundaries: total 1,952 km, Austria 366 km, Croatia 292 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km (all with Serbia), Slovakia 515 km, Slovenia 82 km, Ukraine 103 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Slovakia; Vojvodina taken from Hungary and awarded to the former Yugoslavia by treaty of Trianon in 1920 Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils Land use: arable land: 50.7% permanent crops: 6.1% meadows and pastures: 12.6% forest and woodland: 18.3% other: 12.3% Irrigated land: 1,750 km2 (1989) Environment: levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year Note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin

*Hungary, People

Population: 10,324,018 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: -0.07% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 12.33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 13.02 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.86 years male: 66.81 years female: 75.12 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian Ethnic divisions: Hungarian 89.9%, Gypsy 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%, Romanian 0.7% Religions: Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other 7.5% Languages: Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8% Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 99% male: 99% female: 98% Labor force: 5.4 million by occupation: services, trade, government, and other 44.8%, industry 29.7%, agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)

*Hungary, Government

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Hungary conventional short form: Hungary local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag Digraph: HU Type: republic Capital: Budapest Administrative divisions: 38 counties (megyek, singular - megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros);, Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Bekescsaba, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*,, Csongrad, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Fejer, Gyor, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Hodmezovasarhely, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Komarom-Esztergom, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nograd, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Pest, Somogy, Sopron, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala, Zalaegerszeg Independence: 1001 (unification by King Stephen I) Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight Legal system: in process of revision, moving toward rule of law based on Western model National holiday: October 23 (1956) (commemorates the Hungarian uprising) Political parties and leaders: Democratic Forum, Jozsef ANTALL, chairman, Dr. Lajos FUR, executive chairman; Independent Smallholders (FKGP), Jozsef TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), Gyula HORN, chairman; Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), Dr. Lazlo SURJAN, president; Federation of Young Democrats (FIDESZ), Viktor ORBAN, chairman; Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), Ivan PETO, chairman note: the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in October 1989; there is still a small (fringe) MSZMP Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 3 August 1990 (next to be held NA 1995); results - President GONCZ elected by parliamentary vote; note - President GONCZ was elected by the National Assembly with a total of 295 votes out of 304 as interim President from 2 May 1990 until elected President National Assembly: last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April 1990); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (386 total) Democratic Forum 162, Free Democrats 90, Independent Smallholders 45, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 22, Christian Democrats 21, independents or jointly sponsored candidates 13

*Hungary, Government

Executive branch: president, prime minister Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules) Judicial branch: Constitutional Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim president from 2 May 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 21 May 1990) Member of: Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pal TAR chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20008 telephone: (202) 362-6730 FAX: (202) 966-8135 consulate general: New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles H. THOMAS embassy: V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest mailing address: Am Embassy, Unit 25402, APO AE 09213-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 112-6450 FAX: [36] (1) 132-8934 Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green

*Hungary, Economy