All countries that start with H: Area, Population & GDP

Explore countries that start with H and learn about their area, population, and GDP. Discover fascinating insights into these nations beginning with the letter H with Emily E. Garrison!

Quick answer about countries that start with H

There are 10 all countries that start with H:

Country	Continent	Area	Population	GDP (nominal)
Haiti	Caribbean	27,750 km2	11,470,261	$2,125
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (territory of Australia)	Indian Ocean	368 km2	N/A	N/A
Honduras	Central America	112,492 km2	9,571,352	$3,245
Hong Kong (region of China)	N/A	2,754.97 km2	7,333,200	$51,168
Hungary	Central Europe	93,030 km2	9,678,000	$21,075
Hanover	N/A	204.01 km2	535,932	N/A
Hanseatic Republics	N/A	28,311 km2	1,455,271	N/A
Hawaii	N/A	21,114.73 km2	6,243,262	N/A
Hesse	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Holy See	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

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Detailed information about all countries that start with H

Explore a wealth of information on countries that start with H. From history and culture to geography and travel tips, our comprehensive guide has you covered. Discover the world of countries that start with H today!

Haiti

• Continent: Caribbean
• Capital: Port-au-Prince
• National language: French
• Religion: 87.0% Christianity, 10.7% No religion, 2.1% Folk religions, 0.2% Others
• Area: 27,750 km2
• Population: 11,470,261
• Currency: Gourde (G) (HTG)
• GDP (nominal): $2,125 Per capita

Haiti (/ˈheɪti/ ⓘ HAY-tee; French: Haïti [a.iti]; Haitian Creole: Ayiti [ajiti]), officially the Republic of Haiti (French: République d’Haïti; Haitian Creole: Repiblik d Ayiti), and formerly known as Hayti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

It occupies the western three-eighths of the island which it shares with the Dominican Republic. To its south-west lies the small Navassa Island, which is claimed by Haiti but is disputed as a United States territory under federal administration. Haiti is 27,750 km2 (10,714 sq mi) in size, the third largest country in the Caribbean by area, and has an estimated population of 11.4 million, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean. The capital is Port-au-Prince.

The island was originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people, who originated in South America. The first Europeans arrived on 5 December 1492 during the first voyage of Christopher Columbus. Columbus subsequently founded the first European settlement in the Americas, La Navidad, on what is now the northeastern coast of Haiti. The island was claimed by Spain and named La Española, forming part of the Spanish Empire until the early 17th century. 

However, competing claims and settlements by the French led to the western portion of the island being ceded to France in 1697, which was subsequently named Saint-Domingue. French colonists established lucrative sugarcane plantations, worked by vast numbers of slaves brought from Africa, which made the colony one of the richest in the world.

In the midst of the French Revolution (1789–99), slaves, maroons, and free people of color launched the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), led by a former slave and the first black general of the French Army, Toussaint Louverture. After 12 years of conflict, Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces were defeated by Louverture’s successor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines (later Emperor Jacques I), who declared Haiti’s sovereignty on 1 January 1804—the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the second republic in the Americas, the first country in the Americas to eliminate slavery, and the only state in history established by a successful slave revolt.

Apart from Alexandre Pétion, the first President of the Republic, all of Haiti’s first leaders were former slaves. After a brief period in which the country was split in two, President Jean-Pierre Boyer united the country and then attempted to expand Haitian influence over the eastern part of Hispaniola, which eventually led to the Haitian–Dominican Wars. Haiti recognized Dominican independence in 1867, following their declaration in 1844.

Heard Island and McDonald Islands (territory of Australia)

• Continent: Indian Ocean
• Capital: N/A
• National language: N/A
• Religion: N/A
• Area: 368 km2
• Population: N/A
• Currency: N/A
• GDP (nominal): N/A 

The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group’s overall area is 372 km2 (144 sq mi) and it has 101.9 km (63 mi) of coastline. 

Discovered in the mid-19th century, the islands lie on the Kerguelen Plateau in the Indian Ocean and have been an Australian territory since 1947. They contain Australia’s only two active volcanoes. The summit of one, Mawson Peak, is higher than any mountain in all other Australian states or territories, except Dome Argus, Mount McClintock and Mount Menzies in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The islands are among the most remote places on Earth: They are located about 4,100 kilometres (2,200 nautical miles) southwest of Perth, 3,850 km (2,080 nmi) southwest of Cape Leeuwin, Australia, 4,200 km (2,300 nmi) southeast of South Africa, 3,830 km (2,070 nmi) southeast of Madagascar, 1,630 km (880 nmi) north of Antarctica, and 450 km (240 nmi) southeast of the Kerguelen Islands (part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands). The islands, which are uninhabited, can only be reached by sea, which from Australia takes two weeks in the vessels normally used to access them.

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Honduras

• Continent: Central America
• Capital: Tegucigalpa
• National language: Spanish
• Religion: 75.7% Christianity, 16.2% no religion, 8.1% other
• Area: 112,492 km2
• Population: 9,571,352
• Currency: Lempira (HNL)
• GDP (nominal): $3,245 Per capita

Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Tegucigalpa.

Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, before the Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century. The Spanish introduced Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. 

Honduras became independent in 1821 and has since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability, and remains one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, the northern part of what was the Mosquito Coast was transferred from Nicaragua to Honduras by the International Court of Justice.

The nation’s economy is primarily agricultural, making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The lower class is primarily agriculturally based while wealth is concentrated in the country’s urban centers. Honduras has a Human Development Index of 0.625, classifying it as a nation with medium development. When adjusted for income inequality, its Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index is 0.443.

Honduran society is predominantly Mestizo; however, there are also significant Indigenous Americans, black and white communities in Honduras. The nation had a relatively high political stability until its 2009 coup and again with the 2017 presidential election.

Honduras spans about 112,492 km2 (43,433 sq mi) and has a population exceeding 10 million. Its northern portions are part of the western Caribbean zone, as reflected in the area’s demographics and culture. Honduras is known for its rich natural resources, including minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, and sugar cane, as well as for its growing textiles industry, which serves the international market.

Hong Kong (region of China)

• National language: Chinese
• Area: 2,754.97 km2
• Population: 7,333,200
• Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HK$) (HKD)
• GDP (nominal): $51,168 Per capita

Hong Kong (US: /ˈhɒŋkɒŋ/ or UK: /hɒŋˈkɒŋ/; Chinese: 香港; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2, Cantonese: [hœ́ːŋ.kɔ̌ːŋ] ⓘ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and a special administrative region in China. With 7.4 million residents of various nationalities[e] in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated territories in the world.

Hong Kong was established as a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island in 1841–1842. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and was further extended when the United Kingdom obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. 

Hong Kong was briefly occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II. The whole territory was transferred from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of “one country, two systems”.

Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, the territory is now one of the world’s most significant financial centres and commercial ports. Hong Kong is the world’s fourth-ranked global financial centre, ninth-largest exporter, and eighth-largest importer. Its currency, the Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world. 

Home to the second-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world, Hong Kong has the largest concentration of ultra high-net-worth individuals. Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, severe income inequality exists among the population. Despite having the largest number of skyscrapers of any city in the world, housing in Hong Kong has been well-documented to experience a chronic persistent shortage.

Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.952, ranking fourth in the world. The city has the highest life expectancy in the world, and a public transport rate exceeding 90%.

Hungary

• Continent: Central Europe
• Capital: Budapest
• National language: Hungarian
• Religion: 42.5% Christianity, 16.1% no religion, 1.3% other religion, 40.1% unanswered
• Area: 93,030 km2
• Population: 9,678,000
• Currency: Forint (HUF)
• GDP (nominal): $21,075 Per capita

Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ⓘ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning 93,030 square kilometres (35,920 sq mi) of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and Slovenia to the southwest, and Austria to the west. Hungary has a population of 9.7 million, mostly ethnic Hungarians and a significant Romani minority. 

Hungarian, the official language, is the world’s most widely spoken Uralic language and among the few non-Indo-European languages widely spoken in Europe. Budapest is the country’s capital and largest city; other major urban areas include Debrecen, Szeged, Miskolc, Pécs, and Győr.

The territory of present-day Hungary was historically a crossroad for various peoples, including Celts, Romans, Huns, Germanic tribes, Avars, and West Slavs. The foundation of the Hungarian state was established in the late 9th century by the conquest of the Carpathian Basin by Hungarian Grand Prince Álmos and his son Árpád. His great-grandson King Stephen I ascended the throne in 1000, converting his realm to a Christian kingdom. 

The medieval Kingdom of Hungary was a regional power, reaching its cultural and political height in the 15th century. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, it was partially occupied by the Ottoman Empire (1541–1699). Hungary came under Habsburg rule at the turn of the 18th century, later joining with the Austrian Empire to form Austria-Hungary in 1867, a major power into the early 20th century.

Austria-Hungary collapsed after World War I, and the subsequent Treaty of Trianon established Hungary’s current borders, resulting in the loss of 71% of its territory, 58% of its population, and 32% of ethnic Hungarians. Following the tumultuous interwar period, Hungary joined the Axis powers in World War II, suffering significant damage and casualties. Postwar Hungary became a satellite state of the Soviet Union, leading to the establishment of the Hungarian People’s Republic. 

Following the failed 1956 revolution, Hungary became a comparatively freer, though still repressed, member of the Eastern Bloc. The removal of Hungary’s border fence with Austria accelerated the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and subsequently the Soviet Union. On 23 October 1989, Hungary again became a democratic parliamentary republic. Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 and has been part of the Schengen Area since 2007.

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Hanover

• Area: 204.01 km2
• Population: 535,932

Hanover (/ˈhænoʊvər, -nəv-/ HAN-oh-vər, HAN-ə-vər; German: Hannover [haˈnoːfɐ] ⓘ; Low German: Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany after Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen. Hanover’s urban area comprises the towns of Garbsen, Langenhagen and Laatzen and has a population of about 791,000 (2018). The Hanover Region has approximately 1.16 million inhabitants (2019).

The city lies at the confluence of the River Leine and its tributary the Ihme, in the south of the North German Plain, and is the largest city in the Hannover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region. It is the fifth-largest city in the Low German dialect area after Hamburg, Dortmund, Essen and Bremen.

Before it became the capital of Lower Saxony in 1946, Hannover was the capital of the Principality of Calenberg (1636–1692), the Electorate of Hanover (1692–1814), the Kingdom of Hanover (1814–1866), the Province of Hannover of the Kingdom of Prussia (1868–1918), the Province of Hannover of the Free State of Prussia (1918–1946) and of the State of Hanover (1946). 

From 1714 to 1837 Hannover was by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, under their title of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later described as the Elector of Hanover).

The city is a major crossing point of railway lines and motorways (Autobahnen), connecting European main lines in both the east–west (Berlin–Ruhr area/Düsseldorf/Cologne) and north–south (Hamburg–Frankfurt/Stuttgart/Munich) directions. Hannover Airport lies north of the city, in Langenhagen, and is Germany’s ninth-busiest airport. 

The city’s most notable institutes of higher education are the Hannover Medical School (Medizinische Hochschule Hannover), one of Germany’s leading medical schools, with its university hospital Klinikum der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover, and the Leibniz University Hannover. The city is also home to International Neuroscience Institute.

Hanseatic Republics

Relations between the Free Cities of Bremen, Lübeck, and Hamburg and the United States date back to 1790s when Hamburg became the first of the republics to recognized the U.S. on June 17, 1790. Bremen followed suit on March 28, 1794. Diplomatic relations were formally established in October 1853 when the U.S. received Rudolph Schleiden as Minister Resident of the Hanseatic Legation in Washington, D.C. Relations ended in 1868 as the republics would join North German Confederation.

Hawaii

• Capital: Honolulu
• Area: 28,311 km2
• Population: 1,455,271

Hawaii (/həˈwaɪi/ ⓘ hə-WY-ee; Hawaiian: Hawaiʻi [həˈvɐjʔi, həˈwɐjʔi]) is an island state in the Western United States, about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the U.S. mainland in the Pacific Ocean. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only one that is an archipelago, and the only one in the tropics.

Hawaii consists of 137 volcanic islands that comprise almost the entire Hawaiian archipelago (the exception, which is outside the state, is Midway Atoll). Spanning 1,500 miles (2,400 km), the state is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. Hawaii’s ocean coastline is consequently the fourth-longest in the U.S., at about 750 miles (1,210 km). 

The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, after which the state is named; the latter is often called the “Big Island” or “Hawaii Island” to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands make up most of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the largest protected area in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world.

Of the 50 U.S. states, Hawaii is the eighth-smallest in land area and the 11th-least populous; but with 1.4 million residents, it ranks 13th in population density. Two-thirds of Hawaiians live on O’ahu, home to the state’s capital and largest city, Honolulu. Hawaii is among the country’s most diverse states, owing to its central location in the Pacific and over two centuries of migration. 

As one of only six majority-minority states, it has the only Asian American plurality, the largest Buddhist community, and largest proportion of multiracial people in the U.S. Consequently, Hawaii is a unique melting pot of North American and East Asian cultures, in addition to its indigenous Hawaiian heritage.

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Hesse

• Capital: Wiesbaden
• Area: 21,114.73 km2
• Population: 6,243,262

Hesse (/hɛs/, US also /ˈhɛsə, ˈhɛsi/, Hessian dialect: [ˈhɛzə]) or Hessia (UK: /ˈhɛsiə/, US: /ˈhɛʃə/; German: Hessen [ˈhɛsn̩] ⓘ), officially the State of Hesse (German: Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country’s principal financial centre. 

Two other major historic cities are Darmstadt and Kassel. With an area of 21,114.73 square kilometers and a population of over six million, it ranks seventh and fifth, respectively, among the sixteen German states. Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Germany’s second-largest metropolitan area (after Rhine-Ruhr), is mainly located in Hesse.

As a cultural region, Hesse also includes the area known as Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen) in the neighbouring state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Holy See

• Capital: Vatican City
• National language: Latin
• Religion: Catholic Church

The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, Ecclesiastical Latin: [ˈsaŋkta ˈsedes]; Italian: Santa Sede [ˈsanta ˈsɛːde]), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See, Apostolic See, and Government of Vatican City, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome and sovereign of Vatican City. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome, which has ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Catholic Church, and sovereignty and governance over the city-state known as Vatican City.

According to Catholic tradition, it was founded in the first century by Saints Peter and Paul and, by virtue of the doctrines of Petrine and papal primacy, is the focal point of full communion for Catholic Christians around the world. As a sovereign entity, the Holy See is headquartered in, operates from, and exercises “exclusive dominion” over the independent Vatican City State enclave in Rome, of which the pope is sovereign.

The Holy See is administered by the Roman Curia (Latin for “Roman Court”), which is the central government of the Catholic Church. The Roman Curia includes various dicasteries, comparable to ministries and executive departments, with the Cardinal Secretary of State as its chief administrator. Papal elections are carried out by part of the College of Cardinals.

Although the Holy See is sometimes metonymically referred to as the “Vatican”, the Vatican City State was distinctively established with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, between the Holy See and Italy, to ensure the temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence of the papacy. 

As such, papal nuncios, who are papal diplomats to states and international organizations, are recognized as representing the Holy See and not the Vatican City State, as prescribed in the Canon law of the Catholic Church. The Holy See is thus viewed as the central government of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church, in turn, is the largest non-government provider of education and health care in the world.

The Holy See maintains bilateral diplomatic relations with 183 sovereign states, signs concordats and treaties, and performs multilateral diplomacy with multiple intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations and its agencies, the Council of Europe, the European Communities, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Organization of American States.

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FAQs about countries that start with H

Got questions about countries that start with H? Find answers to all your FAQs in our dedicated resource. Get insights on everything from population and languages to popular tourist destinations in countries that start with H.

Which country starts with the letter H has the largest area?

When considering countries that start with H, one noteworthy standout in terms of land area is the breathtaking archipelago of Hawaii. Situated in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii encompasses a landmass of approximately 21,114.73 square kilometers. 

Which country starts with the letter H has the largest population?

Haiti stands out as the most populous country among all the nations whose names commence with the letter ‘H’. With a population of approximately 11,470,261 people, this Caribbean nation boasts a rich and diverse demographic landscape. This remarkable figure not only underscores the country’s significance within its regional context but also highlights the unique social and cultural dynamics that shape the lives of its citizens.

Which country starts with the letter H has the largest GDP (nominal)?

When we look at the group of countries whose names start with the letter ‘H’, Hong Kong stands out as an economic powerhouse. With a nominal GDP of $51,168, it surpasses all other ‘H’ countries in terms of economic output. Hong Kong’s impressive economic status can be attributed to its unique position as a Special Administrative Region of China and a major global financial hub. 

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In this comprehensive overview, we’ve delved into countries that start with H, providing valuable insights into their geographical expanse, population figures, and economic strength. These nations have their unique stories, making them a captivating subject of study.