GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala
and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El
Salvador and Nicaragua
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 86 30 W
Map references: Central
America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 112,090 sq km
land: 111,890 sq km
water: 200 sq km
Area—comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,520 km
border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km,
Nicaragua 922 km
Coastline: 820 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to
200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical
in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain: mostly mountains
in interior, narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
Natural resources:
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony,
coal, fish
Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 14%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 740
sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes
and floods along Caribbean coast
Environment—current
issues: urban population expanding; deforestation results
from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes;
further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled
development and improper land use practices such as farming of
marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the
country's largest source of fresh water) as well as several rivers
and streams with heavy metals; severe Hurricane Mitch damage
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
