Head of state: Queen Beatrix Prime minister: Mark Rutte
Population
8,296,693
16,730,632
Life Expectancy
70.710 years
80.910 years
Capital City
Tegucigalpa
Amsterdam
Largest city
Tegucigalpa (population: 850,848)
Amsterdam (population: 741,636)
Human Development Index
0.714
0.958
GDP per capita
$4,400 US
$42,700 US
Literacy Rate
80%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
2.6
8.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
23.4%
37.8%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken ($4.6bn US)
Unemployment Rate
4.800%
4.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
democratic constitutional republic
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)
Religions
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
External Debt
$4,564,000,000 $
$2,655,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 18.983 (2008 est.), 18.9 (2007), 18.895 (2006), 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004)
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
1.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
16
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
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
