Geography

Area

Climate

subtropical in the low-lying regions, temperate in the mountainous areas

Terrain

predominantly mountainous in the central region, with narrow coastal plains

Land use

Location

Located in Central America, it is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east, lies between Guatemala and Nicaragua, and borders the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean) to the south, situated between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Coastline

823 km (Caribbean Sea 669 km; Gulf of Fonseca 163 km)

Elevation

Irrigated land

900 sq km (2012)

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

earthquakes occur frequently, typically of mild intensity; highly vulnerable to destructive hurricanes and floods, especially along the Caribbean coastline

Geography - note

features a brief Pacific coastline yet boasts an extensive Caribbean coast, which includes the largely uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Natural resources

resources include timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, and hydropower

Area - comparative

marginally larger than the state of Tennessee

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Population distribution

the majority of the population resides in the mountainous western section; Honduras stands out as the sole Central American country with an urban demographic spread across two major urban centers, namely the capital Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the northern Rio Ulua valley represents the only area of dense population in lowland regions

Major lakes (area sq km)