Military rule, corruption, a huge wealth gap, crime and natural disasters have rendered Honduras one of the least developed and least secure countries in Central America.
Until the mid-1980s Honduras was dominated by the military, which enthusiastically supported US efforts to stem revolutionary movements in the region.
Since then, civilian leaders have sought to curb the power of the military - with varying degrees of success.
Some army officers have been charged with human rights abuses, but many have still to be prosecuted for violations committed in the 1980s.
Overview
Honduran society is rife with economic inequality. Malnutrition, poor housing and infant diseases are widespread.
The country has a youthful population; 50% of Hondurans are under the age of 19. But endemic poverty, chronic unemployment and the prospects offered by drug trafficking have contributed to a virulent crime wave conducted mainly by youth gangs known as "maras".
The maras are said to have tens of thousands of members and use threats and violence to control poorer districts in towns and cities.
Meanwhile, police officers have been implicated in high-profile crimes, and the police are thought to have been involved in the murders by death squads of youths and street children.
Honduras was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. At least 5,000 people were killed and 70% of the country's crops were destroyed. The damage was estimated at $3bn, setting development back by decades.
Thousands of Hondurans leave the country each year, most of them for the US. The money sent home by the overseas workers is an important source of income for many families.
Facts
- Full name: Republic of Honduras
- Population: 7.1 million (UN, 2007)
- Capital: Tegucigalpa
- Area: 112,492 sq km (43,433 sq miles)
- Major languages: Spanish, indigenous languages, English
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 74 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 lempira = 100 centavos
- Main exports: Coffee, bananas, shellfish, meat, timber, gold and other minerals
- GNI per capita: US$1,190 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .hn
- International dialling code: +504
Leaders
President: Manuel Zelaya Rosales
Manuel Zelaya: Promises to create jobs, fight crime
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Manuel Zelaya, from the Liberal Party, won a hotly-contested presidential election in November 2005 with a majority of 75,000 votes.
His main rival, the National Party's Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo Sosa, conceded defeat after 10 days of uncertainty over the count, which was beset by technical problems.
Mr Zelaya, who served in the government of former president Carlos Flores, proposed to double the number of police officers and to jail murderers and rapists for life.
On taking office he appointed a former general to lead the campaign against gang violence and announced plans to rehabilitate former gang members.
He has promised to tackle corruption in government and to create hundreds of thousands of badly-needed jobs. He backs a free trade deal with the US, signed by his predecessor.
Mr Zelaya, a landowner, was born in 1952. He is known for his trademark moustache and for sporting a Stetson hat and cowboy boots. He is married and has four children.
His predecessor, the National Party's Ricardo Maduro, implemented economic reforms in return for credit from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and changed the penal code to try to stem rampant crime and gang violence.
Media
Media freedom in Honduras is restricted by punitive defamation laws. These require journalists to reveal sources in certain cases.
Journalists tend to exercise self-censorship to avoid offending the political or economic interests of media owners and there have been cases of journalists accepting bribes from officials.
The level of violence against journalists is "alarmingly high", Reporters Without Borders said in 2007.
The press
Television
Radio
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