ation

standard gauge: 862 m 1.435-m gauge (1999)

Highways: none; all city streets

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: none

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

Holy See (Vatican City) Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal
Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide
security and protect the Pope

Holy See (Vatican City) Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

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@Honduras

Honduras Introduction

Background: Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras
became an independent nation in 1821. After two and one-half decades
of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came
to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for
anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government
and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting against leftist
guerrillas.

Honduras 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, hydropower

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