is the knee of Central America, bordered to the south by Nicaragua and El Salvador and to the west by Guatemala. It has a 644km long Caribbean coast and a 124km pipsqueak of a Pacific coast. The Caribbean Bay Islands and, further north-east, the distant Swan islands are both part of Honduran territory. Three-quarters of the country is composed of rugged hills and mountains, ranging from 300 to nearly 2850m in height. Lowlands are found only along the coasts and in major river valleys. Deforestation is occurring at a rate of 3000 sq km a year ....