Location
Central America.

Area
112,492 sq km (43,433 sq miles).

Population
7.3 million (2006).

Population Density
64.9 per sq km.

Capital
Tegucigalpa.
Population: 1.2 million (2005).

Government
Republic.

Language
The official language is Spanish. English is widely spoken by the West Indian settlers in the north and on the Bay Islands off the Caribbean coast. Amerindian dialects are also spoken.

Religion
Roman Catholic majority, Protestant minority.

Time
GMT - 6.

Electricity
110/220 volts AC,  60Hz.

Head of State
President Roberto Micheletti is (interim president) since 2009.

Recent History
President Manuel Zelaya was sworn in on 28 January 2006. The previous president, communist Porfirio Lobo, led an offensive against Honduras' soaring crime rates. Despite his efforts, crime continued to rise with street gangs (known as maras) being blamed. Standing for the Liberal Party, President Manuel Zelaya has pledged to tackle the worsening crime problem by maintaining life sentences for the most serious offences and doubling police on the streets. He also vowed to tackle poverty in one of central America's poorest nations. Drug trafficking and gang violence are major problems in the country and the economy is struggling. Strikes and demonstrations are common.

Telephone
Country code: 504.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Coverage is generally good along the coasts and around major towns.

Internet
Internet cafes exist in major towns.

Media
The media is restricted by punitive defamation laws, which, in certain cases, require journalists to reveal their sources. Journalists tend to exercise self-censorship in order to avoid offending the political or economic interests of the media bigwigs, and cases of journalists accepting bribes from officials who wish to influence coverage are not unknown.

Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes between four and seven days.

Post office hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1400-1800.

Press
. Daily newspapers are in Spanish and privately owned.
. They include El Heraldo, La Prensa, El Tiempo and La Tribuna.
. The weekly Honduras This Week is published in English.

Radio
. Radio America and Radio HRN are both privately-owned national stations.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
14 Apr Day of the Americas.
9 Apr Maundy Thursday.
10-13 Apr Easter.
14 Apr Americas' Day.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Sep Independence Day.
3 Oct Soldiers' Day.
12 Oct Columbus Day.
21 Oct Armed Forces' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
14 Apr Day of the Americas.
1 Apr Maundy Thursday.
2-5 Apr Easter.
14 Apr Americas' Day.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Sep Independence Day.
3 Oct Soldiers' Day.
12 Oct Columbus Day.
21 Oct Armed Forces' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.
1 Jan New Year's Day.
14 Apr Day of the Americas.
1 Apr Maundy Thursday.
2 Apr
5 Apr Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Sep Independence Day.
3 Oct Soldiers' Day.
12 Oct Columbus Day.
21 Oct Armed Forces' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
1 Jan New Year's Day.
21 Apr Maundy Thursday.
25 Apr Easter.
14 Apr Day of the Americas.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Sep Independence Day.
3 Oct Soldiers' Day.
12 Oct Columbus Day.
21 Oct Armed Forces' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

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