Country Overview

Honduras is considered to be a part of Central America, but geographically it is a part of the North American continent. Honduras borders the Caribbean Sea on the north coast and the Pacific Ocean on the south through the Gulf of Fonseca. It mostly lies between latitudes 13 and 17N (a small area lies south of 13, and the Swan Islands are north of 17), and longitudes 83 and 90W.

Country Overview Capital: Tegucigalpa Language: Spanish Currency: Lempira It became independent in 1821 Ethnic groups 90% Mestizo* mixture of European and American Indian. Area Total - 112,492 km (102nd) (BD 94th)

Country Overview
Population: 8,296,693 (July 2012 est.) [Bangladesh-161,083,804 (July 2012 est.)] Population growth rate: 1.838% (2012 est.) [Bangladesh-1.579% (2012 est.)] Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3% Density: 64/km2 (128th) Bangladesh- 1,033.5/km2 (9th) Literacy- total population: 80% male: 79.8% female: 80.2% (2001 census) [Bangladesh- total population: 56.8% male: 61.3% female: 52.2% (2010 est.)]

Government
Conventional long form: Republic of Honduras Government type: democratic constitutional republic. [Bangladesh-parliamentary democracy] Legal system: civil law system [Bangladesh-mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law]

Temperature
Honduras is hot and humid almost year-round. The average high temperature nationwide is 32C (90F). In Tegucigalpa, the capital, the climate remains dry from December to May and chilly between December and January around 23C (73F). The best season to visit the country is during the dry season, from December to May.

Economic Condition
Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income.

While the country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, it failed to meet the IMF's goals to liberalize its energy and telecommunications sectors. Growth remains dependent on the status of the U.S. economy.

Economic Condition contd.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $37.67 billion (2012 est.) [Bangladesh-$305.5 billion (2012 est.)] GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2012 est.) 2.8% (2010 est.) [Bangladesh-6.1% (2012 est.)] GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,600 (2012 est.)[Bangladesh-$2,000 (2012 est.)] Unemployment rate: 4.5% (2012 est.) [Bangladesh-5% (2012 est.)] Population below poverty line: 60% (2010 est.) [Bangladesh-31.51% (2010 est.)] Budget: revenues: $3.339 billion expenditures: $4.044 billion (2012 est.) [Bangladesh-revenues: $13.98 billion expenditures: $19.62 billion (2012 est.)]

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (2012 est.) [Bangladesh-8.8% (2012 est.)]
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar -19.51 (2012 est.) [Bangladesh-82.17 (2012 est.)]

Infrastructure
Four International Airports: Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula and Roatn Three Important Ports: Puerto Corts, La Ceiba, Tela, Roatn, in the Atlantic and Amapala in the Pacific Public Transportation: Taxis & Buses

The capital - Tegucigalpa

It is located on hilly terrain hemmed in by mountains, at an elevation of 3,200 feet (975 metres) above sea level. One of the few capitals in the world without a railroad, Tegucigalpa depends largely on the international airport at Toncontn. The Tegucigalpa side of the District can be divided into five sections: 1) Centro Histrico (Historic Downtown);2) Centro Contemporneo or Zona Viva (Contemporary Downtown or Vibrant Zone); 3) North Tegucigalpa; 4) South Tegucigalpa; and 5) East Tegucigalpa

How to get there? Visa & Route to Honduras

Visa from Singapore 2 Adults & 1 Child (6 years old) Minimum Time: 52 hours 4 minutes Cost: L 113,965.04; BDT 453,076.70 3 Airlines: Emirates 585, Emirates 211, United 1434
Emirates 585: Dhaka to Dubai (5 hour 35 mins) Stopover in Dubai: 8 hour 50 minutes Emirates 211: Dubai to Houston (16 hours 35 minutes) Stopover in Houston: 18 hours 15 minutes United 1434: Houston to Roatan (2 hours 49 minutes)

Accommodation
Dhaka Tegucigalpa
Rent Per Month

Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre Buy Apartment Price Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre

15,000.00 7,870.99 37,490.52 23,612.97

19,653.72 15,722.98 62,891.92 43,238.20

56,180.66

94,337.88

44,062.59

86,476.39

Food
"Plato tpico national dish Beef, marinated, diced, and barbecued on a skewer Pork sausage, Pork crackling Refried red kidney beans

White cheese (similar to Greek Feta cheese),Fried plantain slices, Rice, Salad, Sour cream, Cheese.
Breakfast - scrambled eggs, beans and tortillas Meal - rice, beans, tortillas, grilled chicken or beef, salad Dessert - Tres Leches Cake

Food

Telecommunications

CONATEL - National Commission for Telecommunications

4 mobile telephone operator Very limited in Rural Areas News in Spanish Twelve local TV stations

Transportation
Bus service is available to various cities. Taxi can be available in a hourly basis. Taxis are not metered. Sharing cabs with strangers is strongly discouraged. Rental car companies.

Transportation
Dhaka Tegucigalpa

Entertainment
Sight Seeing
Mayan Ruins at Copan Bay Islands Rainforests of the Mosquito Coast Dhaka Tegucigalpa

Utilities
Dhaka Tegucigalpa

Indexes Difference
Rent Prices in Tegucigalpa are 68.51% higher than in Dhaka Restaurant Prices in Tegucigalpa are 49.79% higher than in Dhaka Groceries Prices in Tegucigalpa are 3.84% higher than in Dhaka

Cost of Living

Business Opportunities
Reasons to invest in Honduras: 1. Strategic location- between North and South America. 2. Modern infrastructure-Free zones, privatization, deep water port- Puerto Corts 3. Investment friendly government-Laws that protect and promote foreign investment, provide export-oriented companies fiscal and legal incentives highly favorable to investment, permanent tax exemption in several categories

4. Tax rate-

Bangladesh
Income Tax Rate Corporate Tax Rate 25% 27.5%

Honduras
25% 25% 12%

Sales Tax / VAT Rate 15%

Business Opportunities Ease of doing business

Business Opportunities
Growing business sectors: 1)Textile and Apparel Industry
Honduras has become Central Americas apparel production center due to the many advantages it offers. Today, it is the third largest worldwide clothing supplier to the U.S. market, and number one in the region and the Caribbean.

Advantages: Competitive costs in labor and logistics, among the lowest in the region A flexible and highly skilled labor pool.

Business Opportunities
2. Agribusiness Some of the agricultural products include banana, coffee, sugar, cocoa and other variety of fruits and vegetables. Agribusiness and related sectors represent 40 percent of the countrys GDP. Advantages: Low cost land Competitive wage rates Skilled and trained work force Government support

Business Opportunities
3) Tourism Honduras has a growing tourism sector. Some investors are identifying business opportunities in Honduras which was not possible few years ago. Eligible projects include lodging and resort sites, recreational operators and facilities, car rental agencies, and tour operators. Advantages: Government incentives law eliminating income taxes and tariffs on new tourism projects

Business Opportunities
For Bangladeshi expatriates, working in all of these industries is possible because they have the necessary knowledge about the relevant industries. For establishing a business, Bangladeshis can go for tourism industry because it does not require that much of technical knowledge. They can also go for agribusiness for the production of cocoa. Investing in textile industry might not be a good investment because Bangladesh can produce clothes at much cheaper price.