ala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of
El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words
REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white
band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a
triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

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 area: 112,090 sq km
land area: 111,890 sq km
comparative area: 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

International disputes: land boundary dispute with El Salvador
mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice
(ICJ) decision; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo
de Fonseca, ICJ referred to an earlier agreement in this century and
advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras,
and Nicaragua likely would be required; maritime boundary dispute
with Nicaragua

Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
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

Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 30%
forest and woodland: 34%
other: 20%

Irrigated land: 900 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current 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 freshwater) with heavy metals as well as
several rivers and streams
natural hazards: