The government of the Republic of Honduras is based on the democratic system and divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judiciary.
The country is divided into 18 departments or states, and every four years, a new president, legislators from the different states and municipal authorities are elected through a multi-party system. There are two dominant parties, the conservative “Nationalista” party and the Liberal party. The current president of Honduras is Manual Rosales Zelaya, a liberal party leader who took office in January 2006.
Honduras office structure:
| Pres. | Manuel ZELAYA Rosales |
| Vice Pres. | Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez |
| Min. of Agriculture & Livestock | Hector HERNANDEZ |
| Min. of Culture, Arts, & Sports | Rodolfo PASTOR |
| Min. of Defense | Aristides MEJIA |
| Min. of Education | Rafael PINEDA PONCE |
| Min. of Finance | Rebeca SANTOS Rivera |
| Min. of Foreign Relations | Milton JIMENEZ Puerto |
| Min. of Industry & Commerce | Elizabeth AZCONA Bobock |
| Min. of Govt. & Justice | Jorge Arturo REINA |
| Min. of Labor | Ricci MONCADA |
| Min. of Natural Resources & Environment | Mayra MEJIA del Cid |
| Min. of the Presidency | Yani ROSENTHAL |
|
Min. of Public Employees' Retirement & Pension (INJUPEMP) |
Lucio IZAGUIRRE |
| Min. of Public Health | Orison VELASQUEZ |
|
Min. of Public Works, Transportation, & Housing |
Jose Rosario BONANO |
| Min. of Public Security | Alvaro Antonio ROMERO Salgado |
| Min. of Science & Technology | Miriam MEJIA |
| Min. of Tourism | Ricardo MARTINEZ |
| Min. Without Portfolio (Housing Sector) | Hector BRICENO |
| Pres., Central Bank | Gabriella NUNEZ de Reyes |
| Ambassador to the US | Norman GARCIA Paz |
|
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York |
Ivan ROMERO-MARTINEZ |
Take from the CIA World Fact Book
- Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras - Digraph:
HO
- Type:
republic
- Capital:
Tegucigalpa
-
Administrative divisions:
18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro - Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
- National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
- Constitution:
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
- Legal system:
Rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law;
some influence of English common law;
accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations - Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
- Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (since 27 January 1994); election last held 28 November 1993 (next to be held November 1997); results - Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (PLH) 53%, Oswaldo RAMOS Soto (PNH) 41%, other 6
cabinet: Cabinet - Legislative branch:
unicamera
National Congress (Congreso Nacional):
elections last held on 27 November 1993 (next to be held November 1997);
results - PNH 53%, PLH 41%, PDCH 1.0%, PINU-SD 2.5%, other 2.5%;
seats - (134 total) PNH 55, PLH 77, PINU-SD 2 - Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
- Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party (PLH), Rafael PINEDA Ponce, president;
National Party of Honduras (PNH), Oswaldo RAMOS Soto, president;
National Innovation and Unity Party (PINU), Olban VALLADARES, president;
Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Efrain DIAZ Arrivillaga, president - Other political or pressure groups:
National Association of Honduran Campesinos (ANACH);
Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP);
Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH);
National Union of Campesinos (UNC);
General Workers Confederation (CGT);
United Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH);
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH);
Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP) - Member of:
BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermudez
chancery:
3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 966-7702, 2604, 5008, 4596
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-9751
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s):
Boston, Detroit, and Jacksonville - US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador William T. PRYCE
embassy:
Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No 3453, Tegucigalpa
mailing address:
American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa
telephone:
[504] 36-9320, 38-5114
FAX:
[504] 36-9037 - Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band;
the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 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