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| Location: |
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua
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| Geographic coordinates: |
15 00 N, 86 30 W
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| Map references: |
Central America and the Caribbean
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| Area: |
total:
112,090 sq km
land:
111,890 sq km
water:
200 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than Tennessee
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
1,520 km
border countries:
Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
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| 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
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| Climate: |
subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
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| Terrain: |
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
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| Natural resources: |
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower
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| Land use: |
arable land:
15%
permanent crops:
3%
permanent pastures:
14%
forests and woodland:
54%
other:
14% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
740 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast
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| 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 fresh water) as well as several rivers and streams with heavy metals; severe Hurricane Mitch damage
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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