Geography of Honduras
Location
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Geographic Coordinates
15 00 N, 86 30 W
Geographical Area
Land
111,890 Sq Km.
Water
200 Sq Km.
Land Boundary
1,520 Km.
Border Countries
Guatemala
256 Km.
El Salvador
342 Km.
Nicaragua
922 Km.
Length of Coastline
820 Km.
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, hydropower
Land Use
Arable Land
10%
Permanent Crops
3%
Other
87%
Irrigated Land
800 Sq Km.
Natural Hazards
Frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
Environmental 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.
