Honduras

I INTRODUCTION

Honduras, republic in Central America, bounded on the north and east by the Caribbean Sea, on the south by Nicaragua, on the south-west by the Pacific Ocean and El Salvador, and on the west by Guatemala. Honduras is one of the largest Central American republics, with an area of 112,492 sq km (43,433 sq mi). Its capital city is Tegucigalpa.

II LAND AND RESOURCES

Except for two coastal strips, one extending about 640 km (400 mi) along the Caribbean Sea and the other 64 km (40 mi) on the Pacific Ocean, Honduras is a plateau consisting of broad, fertile plains broken by deep valleys and traversed by mountain ranges. The mountains, which are volcanic in origin, rise to heights of more than 2,800 m (9,186 ft). The virtually uninhabited Mosquito Coast is found along the Caribbean shoreline. Most of the countrys rivers drain into the Caribbean Sea. Navigable rivers include the Ulúa, which drains approximately one third of the country, and the Coco. Forests cover about 34 per cent of the land, and yield valuable hardwoods and softwoods but concerns about deforestation are increasing. Fertile pasturelands provide the basis for increasingly productive dairy farming and livestock-raising. Valuable mineral deposits, such as lead, silver, and zinc, are also present.

A Climate

The climate of Honduras is tropical, but is tempered by the higher elevations of the interior. The mean annual temperature in the interior is about 21.1° C (70° F). The low-lying coastal regions, however, are warmer, and the humidity is oppressive; the mean annual temperature here averages 30° C (86° F). The dry season lasts from November to May; the average annual rainfall ranges from 1,016 mm (40 in) in some mountain valleys to 2,540 mm (100 in) along the northern coast.

B Plants and Animals

Forests of oak and pine cover the cooler highlands, and savannah grasses cover the drier parts of Honduras. Mangrove and palms are found in the coastal regions.

Honduras has a wide variety of wildlife. Bear, deer, monkey, wolf, and coyote are numerous. Members of the cat family found include jaguar, puma, ocelot, and lynx. A wide variety of reptiles also inhabit the area, and marine and bird life abound.

C Environmental Concerns

The lush, tropical forests of Honduras are dwindling rapidly. In 1995, 37 per cent of the country's total land area was forested, but 2.3 per cent (1990-1996) of the forested area disappears every yearone of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. The logging industry felled 6.92 million cubic m (244 million cubic ft) of timber in 1998. A high population growth rate of 2.1 per cent (2000), as well as an annual urban growth rate of 4.1 per cent (1995-2000), puts even greater pressure on the forests and the land. Increased population has led to the clearing of land for farming and the farming of marginal soils in rural areas, as well as to uncontrolled development in the fringes of urban areas. All of these factors contribute to deforestation, and consequently to soil erosion. A reforestation programme has been hampered by rudimentary timbering methods and poor transport facilities.

Water pollution is another environmental concern in Honduras. Heavy metals from mining activities pollute Lake Yojoa, the country's largest source of fresh water. Although almost all urban residents have access to safe water and sanitation, access is much lower for rural residents. The Honduran government has designated 9.9 per cent (1997) of the country's total land area protected. This includes the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1982. This site, about 500,000 hectares (about 1.2 million acres) in area, is among the last remaining tracts of humid tropical forest in Central America. However, even this reserve is threatened; in recent years it has suffered from illegal logging, agricultural intrusion, and commercial hunting.

The government has ratified international environmental agreements on biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, hazardous wastes, law of the sea, marine dumping, nuclear test ban, ozone layer protection, tropical timber, and wetlands. Honduras is subject to frequent, but usually mild, earthquakes. The Caribbean coast is periodically lashed by hurricanes. Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1998, causing floods and mudslides that killed thousands of people and ruined the nation's crops.

III POPULATION

About 90 per cent of the population is mestizo (people of Spanish and Native American ancestry); the remainder are Native Americans, blacks, and whites. About 47 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.

A Population Characteristics

Honduras has a population of 6,560,608 (2002 estimate). The overall population density is about 58 people per sq km (151 per sq mi), with most people living in the small towns and villages in the northern coastal and central areas.

B Principal Cities

The capital and largest city is Tegucigalpa, which has a population of 1,037,600 (2000 estimate), located in the south-central region. The principal city and commercial centre in the north is San Pedro Sula, 471,000 (2000 estimate). La Ceiba, 107,200 (2000 estimate), and Puerto Cortés, 35,600 (2000 estimate), are among the leading Caribbean ports.

C Religion

About 97 per cent of the people are Roman Catholics; Protestants form a small minority.

D Language

Spanish is the official language and is spoken by nearly all Hondurans. English is spoken by some people in the north, and the Native Americans have retained their languages.

E Education

Education in Honduras is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 12. The government has pledged to raise the literacy rate, which stood at about 84 per cent in 2001. In 1994 around 1.01 million pupils were enrolled in about 8,114 primary schools and some 184,589 students in about 661 secondary, technical, and teacher-training institutions.

The National Autonomous University of Honduras (1847), in Tegucigalpa, is the major institution of higher learning. Annual enrolment in higher education numbers about 54,000 students. In 1998 the government spent 4.1 per cent of gross national product (GNP) on education.

F Culture

The interaction of both Native American and Spanish strains in Honduran cultural history is clearly visible in the architecture. Many colonial buildings show strong Native American influences combined with Baroque, Renaissance, and Moorish styles imported by the Spanish.

With the exception of a few isolated Native American settlements where ancient languages and customs have been preserved, Honduras is primarily a Spanish culture today. The marimba is the most popular instrument and forms the core of many bands. Native folklore, folk music, and dances are limited, and artistic activity is concentrated around the School of Fine Arts in Comayagua, the old capital. In north-western Honduras lies Copán, a ceremonial centre of the Old Empire of the Maya and one of the most important archaeological sites in the western hemisphere.

IV ECONOMY

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and the government has encouraged diversification into high-earning produce such as flowers and fruit. The government also plans to promote and expand the manufacturing sector, improve transport facilities, and develop hydroelectric projects, although it faces the problems of high unemployment, foreign debt, which stood at US$3,712 million in 1994, and corruption. The important tourist industry, centred around the Mayan ruins and the beaches on the northern coast, brought in US$60 million in 1999 and 408,000 visitors. Annual electricity production in 1999 amounted to some 3.3 billion kWh, of which around 55 per cent was hydroelectric. The GNP was estimated to be US$5,517 million in 2000, giving a per capita income of about US$860 (World Bank figure), one of the lowest in the Western hemisphere.

A Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing

About 13 per cent of Honduras is arable land, mostly on the coastal plains. The leading cash crops (with annual production for the mid-1990s in tonnes) are coffee (160,000) and bananas (839,000). Another important crop is sugar cane (3.8 million). The principal food crops are maize (500,000), dry beans (38,000), and rice (7,000). Citrus fruit and pineapples are also grown.

Livestock in 2001 consisted of approximately 1.7 million cattle and 550,000 pigs. Chickens, about 18 million, are raised for local consumption.

Forestry is an important industry in Honduras; in 2000 annual roundwood production was 7.4 million cu m (261.8 million cu ft). A reforestation programme has been hampered by rudimentary timber-harvesting methods and poor transport facilities. Valuable woods cut include pine, mahogany, ebony, walnut, and rosewood. The fish catch of 23,585 tonnes (1997) was primarily shellfish.

B Mining

Deposits of silver, zinc, and lead are exploited in Honduras. In 2000 some 5,100 tonnes of lead, 41,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate, and 46 tonnes of silver were mined. Other resources, largely unworked, include iron ore, coal, copper, and antimony.

C Manufacturing

Since the mid-1950s Honduran industry has grown significantly, although it remains small-scale and local. Cement, cotton, food products (coffee, bananas, and shellfish), and wood products are produced in quantities large enough for export. Textiles, petroleum, detergents, chemicals, and other food products, particularly beverages, are manufactured primarily for local consumption. The chief industrial areas are near the capital and the cities of San Pedro Sula and the free port of Puerto Cortés.

D Currency and Banking

The monetary unit of Honduras is the lempira of 100 centavos (16.73 lempiras equalled US$1; early 2002). The bank of issue is the Banco Central de Honduras. The government-controlled land bank and the agricultural development bank provide credit for developmental projects.

E Commerce and Trade

Bananas, coffee, and shellfish are the most valuable Honduran exports. Other important exports include frozen meat, wood and timber, silver, lead, zinc, and citrus fruits. The total yearly value of exports in 2000 was US$1,322 million. Since the mid-1970s imports have risen rapidly, reaching an annual value of about US$2.88 billion in 2000. The chief imports are machinery, appliances and electrical equipment, chemicals, mineral fuels, and transport equipment. The United States is the principal trading partner; other major trading partners are Japan, Germany, Guatemala, Belgium, and El Salvador.

F Transport

Honduran railways, employed principally in the transport of fruit, extend for about 988 km (614 mi) along the northern coast. The mountainous character of the country has made aviation an important means of transport. About 30 local airports, 4 international airports, and more than 100 small airfields are in use. The total length of roads is about 13,603 km (8,453 mi), of which 20 per cent are paved. The Inter-American Highway (160 km/100 mi in Honduras) links the country with Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. There is a ratio of 62 motor vehicles for every 1,000 people. Lake Yojoa and a number of rivers are navigable.

G Communications

Honduras has 7 daily newspapers, about 250 radio stations, and 6 main television stations. There are about 2.5 million radios, 570,000 television sets, and about 131,000 telephones in use.

H Labour

The total labour force of Honduras numbers some 2.4 million workers, of whom about 44 per cent are engaged in agriculture, 21 per cent in service industries, and 12 per cent in manufacturing. Trade union membership exceeds 345,000.

V GOVERNMENT

Honduras was governed under the constitution of 1965 until December 1972, when it was largely suspended after a coup détat. A new constitution was promulgated in January 1982.

A Executive and Legislature

Executive power in Honduras is vested in a president, who is elected by direct and universal vote for a four-year term. The president appoints a Cabinet that assists in governing.

Legislative power in Honduras is vested in the unicameral National Congress, the 128 members of which are elected by proportional representation for terms of four years.

B Political Parties

The two strongest parties are the rightist National Party (PN) and the Liberal Party (PLH), which is divided into bitterly opposed factions. Smaller groups include the centrist National Innovation and Unity Party (PINU), the Christian Democratic Party (PDCH) and the Democratic Unification Party (PUD).

C Local Government

Honduras is divided into 18 departments, which are subdivided into municipalities, and a central district (Tegucigalpa). Each department is administered by a governor appointed by the president. Municipalities are governed by elected councils.

D Judiciary

The supreme court is composed of nine judges elected by the National Congress for four-year terms. The judiciary also includes courts of appeal, courts of first instance, and local judges.

E Health and Welfare

In recent years public health services in Honduras have been made more accessible through an increase in mobile health units and through the development of community participation in health programmes. Effective programmes have resulted in malaria control, improved sewerage, and increasing numbers of medical personnel. Malnutrition, inadequate housing, and infant diseases are still widespread. In 2002 the infant mortality rate was 30.5 deaths per 1,000 live births and there were 1,850 people to every doctor(1999). Life expectancy at birth is 67.1 years for men and 70.5 years for women (2002). Some 4.54 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) was spent on health by the government in 1990.

The constitution provides social security programmes for workers and their families. Funds are collected from employers, employees, and the government. However, only a small part of the workforce participates in the programme.

F Defence

Conscription was abolished in 1995. The armed forces comprise an army (with a strength of 5,500 in 2001), a navy (1,000), and an air force (1,800), amounting to a combined membership of about 8,300.

G International Organizations

Honduras is a member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS).

VI HISTORY

Western Honduras was at the south-eastern edge of the great Maya civilization during the 1st millennium ad, and the ruins at Copán attest to the advanced stage of development of the countrys population. The Maya, however, were already in decline by the time Christopher Columbus reached their shores on his fourth voyage in 1502. Several non-Maya tribes also inhabited the Caribbean coastal region. The native population was decimated by the Spanish conquest and by the European diseases introduced, but the number of Spanish settlers was small and included few women. Race mixture followed rapidly therefore, and mestizos became Hondurass dominant ethnic group.

A The Colonial Period

The conquest of Honduras began in 1524 and was characterized by bitter struggles among rivals representing Spanish power centres in Mexico, Panama, and Hispaniola. Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, went to Honduras in 1525 to establish a firm claim, but the discovery of gold in the country made it a centre of intrigue and conflict for several years. Cortéss lieutenant in Guatemala, Pedro de Alvarado, finally overcame all challengers in 1539. Comayagua, established in 1540, served as the capital during most of the colonial period, although an early mining boom around Gracias gave the town such importance that in 1544 it became the capital of the Audiencia de las Confines, which encompassed all of Central America from Tabasco, in Mexico, to Panama. The gold and silver deposits were more limited than originally believed, however, and Honduras lost its early importance; the Audiencia capital was restored to Guatemala in 1549.

Flurries of mining activity around Tegucigalpa encouraged that town also to challenge Comayagua, especially in the late colonial period, creating a rivalry that would grow in intensity after independence. For the most part, however, colonial Honduras was a sparsely populated province of the kingdom of Guatemala (in the viceroyalty of New Spain), with most of its population dedicated to subsistence agriculture or ranching. By the end of the colonial period Honduras was an important supplier of foodstuffs and livestock to the indigo-exporting regions of El Salvador and Guatemala.

B Development After Independence

Following independence from Spain in 1821 and from Mexico in 1823, Honduras joined the United Provinces of Central America. A Honduran, Francisco Morazán, led liberal forces to victory in a bloody civil war between 1827 and 1829 and was president of the federation for its last ten years. Two years before his downfall in 1840, Honduras declared its independence; however, stronger neighbours, especially Guatemala, exercised great influence in Honduran politics throughout the 19th century. From 1840 to the 1870s the republic was frequently ruled by conservative dictatorships, notably those of Francisco Ferrera, Juan Lindo, and Santos Guardiola. Elections meant little, and revolutions were frequent.

Liberal dictators, beginning with Marcos A. Soto in 1876, dominated the state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and they began to emphasize modernization and the need to increase exports. The transfer of the capital from conservative Comayagua to liberal Tegucigalpa reflected both the triumph of the liberals and the renewed emphasis on mining, which the government stimulated by attracting foreign investment. American mining companies played a major role in late 19th-century Honduran economic growth, although Honduras remained the least developed state in Central America.

In the 20th century American fruit companiesUnited, Standard, and Cuyamelrapidly made bananas the principal export of the country, as they competed ruthlessly for favourable concessions from the liberal governments. United Fruit purchased Cuyamel in 1929, but the fiercely competitive founder of Cuyamel, Samuel Zemurray, soon emerged as the head of the giant United. The fruit companies gave Honduras a major export commodity, developed its Caribbean ports, and contributed indirectly to the growth of San Pedro Sula as the major population centre on the entire Central American Caribbean plain, even though they contributed little to the general development of the country. Most of Honduras remained backward, illiterate, and underpopulated.

C Honduras in Modern Central America

The relatively benign dictatorship (1932-1948) of Tiburcio Carías ended the political disorder that had long characterized Honduran politics. After 1948 the military and landholding elite came to dominate the country, resisting modernization of political, social, or economic structures. Then a liberal, Ramón Villeda Morales, was elected by a constituent assembly in 1957; he led the country into the Central American Common Market (CACM) and initiated programmes for agrarian reform and education. His policies, combined with apprehension over the rise of communism in Cuba, brought about a coup led by Colonel Osvaldo López Arellano in 1963.

López held the reins of government for 11 of the next 12 years. The fragile Honduran economy was further weakened during his regime by a brief but costly war with El Salvador in 1969 over heavy immigration from that densely populated nation. The final blow for Lopez was the exposure in 1974 of a US$250,000 bribe paid to government officials by United Brands (successor to United Fruit). The armed forces helped Colonel Juan Alberto Melgar Castro take power in 1975, but three years later he was ousted in another coup, led by General Policarpo Paz García.

The central problem for Honduras in the late 1970s and the 1980s was political instability in neighbouring countries. In 1980 General Paz signed a peace treaty with El Salvador, and there was progress towards constitutional government. In elections held in November 1981, the Liberal Party candidate, Roberto Suazo Córdova, won the presidency, but the military retained considerable influence. Honduras became a base for thousands of guerrillas fighting the Nicaraguan government, and the United States began holding regular military exercises in an effort to put additional pressure on the Sandinista government. In 1985 José Azcona Hoyo, a civilian, was elected president; he was succeeded by Rafael Leonardo Callejas, the winner of the 1989 presidential election. His administration was beset by strikes as it struggled with a desperate economic situation.

Carlos Roberto Reina, a long-time human rights and political activist, won the November 1993 elections over Callejas. Reina has initiated far-reaching economic reforms and attempted to exert civilian control over the army and investigate past violations of human rights. In September 1995 the main political parties established a new political forum, known as the National Council of Convergence, which was designed to promote consensus on the social, economic, and political problems facing Honduras. In August 1997 the former archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Oscar Andres Marachiaga, was appointed, with Vatican approval, the head of the national police force during the police forces transition from military to civilian control. The Liberal Party was returned to power in the presidential and congressional elections in November 1997. The new president, Carlos Roberto Flores, had been a minister in the former government cabinet and a wealthy businessman.

Honduras was one of the countries hardest hit by Hurricane Mitch. Mitch, which struck the eastern coast of Central America on October 26, 1998, killed over 5,000 people in Honduras and left many thousands homeless. The map of the country is being redrawn as the hurricane changed the course of rivers and the location of a large number of roads, railways, towns, and villages. Ranked as the fourth strongest Atlantic hurricane of the 20th century, Mitchs winds at times exceeded 250 km/h (155 mph), making it a category five stormthe strongest classification.

Rumours of an attempted coup in August 1999 were denied by the government, but several leading military figures were replaced. Tropical storms from September to November resulted in widespread flooding, especially in the north of the country and in the capital, Tegucigalpa; the devastation was magnified by the residual effects of Hurricane Mitch, and subsequent damage to the infrastructure. In September, rich oil fields were discovered off the Caribbean coast, while at the end of the year, Nicaragua refused to accept the ratification of a maritime border treaty between Honduras and Colombia; tensions were somewhat eased with the signing of an agreement with Nicaragua in February 2000.

Severe drought in the south of the country in the summer of 2000 compounded the still lingering effects of Hurricane Mitch. In June 2000 Honduras, along with Guatemala and El Salvador, signed a free trade agreement with Mexico, as a measure to stimulate the economy. Continuing drought conditions led the government to declare a state of emergency in eight provinces in July 2001. At the end of the year the ruling Liberal Party government was defeated in the presidential election, with the National Partys Ricardo Maduro taking office after securing nearly 53 per cent of the vote. Maduro was inaugurated in January 2002.


Ciao,

Rastus

You know Rastus, I was almost going to read all that to better understand the plight of illegals but then I took a look at the clock!

Jesus Christ will you look at the time!

Aw well, perhaps we can send them all to Australia where they stay a few years on your "Christmas Island", at YOUR expense? That sounds like an excellent idea to me, have your people call my people ASAP!

I was just pulling your chain Rastus!

I been taking it in chunks at a time, but I still feel Christmas Island would be a much better destination for them. You might not be in the OAS, but you are a member of the UN!

Does sound like a neat place to live. But I'll stay here.

Corruption...And illegal manipulation of governments, not just in the Hondura's, but neighboring countries too...

It seems they want to try & "cut the head off the snake", & make for Washington D.C.

Shawnee_B wrote:

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That corruption stuff is what kept me from becoming an ex-pat several times. Late-mid 90's Bolivia had nice farmland $50 an acre, wanted farmers, thought about it. Many times thought of old Mexico, especially the Baja but Expats can't own land there. Then there is the corruption!

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Got to love how Mexico keeps us Americans from buying up land in their prime areas, yet we are considered unfair?

This happens in many other countries too... We give them all kinds of money, protection and ease of access to our country and they block us off from encroaching on theirs!? Hypocrisy at its finest right there!

Well if local business was able to keep up with demand then these US corporations, guilty of only feeding people, wouldn't be able to stay in business..

Just sayn'

You whine and cry about everything Rastus, except how your own shortcomings affect others.

Yo Mate, I don't eat that shit. I eat local! Spose I'd be eatin lots of good assed latino food! And beer. My buddies momma made the BEST Puerto Rican beans I ever had, ate them years. Always asked her to show me how. NOPE. Only person ever, I could never get a recipe out of! I have tried, even with internet search just can't come close. I believe it has something to do with the "annato" seed which is cooked in oil then oil used, sposed seeds bad for you. Then she used small beans, I'd say navy beans, small northerns or something but come out red.

SELLC wrote:

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Rastus wrote:

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SELLC wrote:

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Well if local business was able to keep up with demand then these US corporations, guilty of only feeding people, wouldn't be able to stay in business..

Just sayn'

You whine and cry about everything Rastus, except how your own shortcomings affect others.

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 LOL !!!

The issue lays with these corporations that can afford to run-at-a-loss, so that they do put local business's out-of-business...

This does not MAGA, or give you as a US-of-A citizen a better quality of life...It only makes a certain elite few more powerful & wealthy.

The issue lays often with the distribution-of-wealth, & what gets done with the profit...

By raising local US-of-A taxes for these Corporations, you're reinvesting in the US-of-A, & not witnessing a Corporate Global take-over of the free-world.

This means better quality of life  for US-of-A citizens, more jobs, & an industrial future that may make you world leaders again, instead of sell-outs to the highest bidder, where everyone suffers.

Nancy, 2020 !

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Pure Bullox, Rastus!

If you are going to compare a sit-down "restaurant" with fast food then I'd say whatever sit-down that can't compete deserves to be shut down!

There is a big difference between a nice steak dinner, and Burger King, there is a big difference between a fish-and-chips restaurant and a McDonalds filet of fish, and there is a big difference between an authentic Mexican restaurant and Taco Bell!

No business can afford to operate at a loss for long (unless you're a Government run by socialist liberals), and most all will blitz a new area with deals as part of a grand opening! 

Grow up Rastus!

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 LOL,

These were just typical examples. What about supermarkets ?...Coles & Safeway for example. Do you have these fellows ?...

They've been putting-out Australian businesses for decades. Now instead of a street full of private merchants trying to make a living in Australia, you have over-seas market-bullies putting them out-of-business, & taking the money back to the US-of-A, or some off-shore bank, where taxes will be paid in due course, once the best country with the best return is decided upon.

This is what our governments are meant to regulate, but instead, the Corporations place their puppets ( Mr.Trump ) in positions of political power, so they remain free to do as they wish.

It's time for Nancy to put the Trump-Train back on track again folks...

Nancy, 2020 !

SELLC wrote:

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I think that heatwave down there has gotten to your head! lol

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It has been really, really nice down this way, that's for sure. Temps in the 90-100 range in your scale. ( Even over 120 on the mainland )...

Anyhow, there's been zero cloud cover anywhere, & some scientists are obviously blaming the ionizing radiation from the  Fukushima holocaust, & I tend to agree with that idea....- The radiation simply eating the clouds away !

The world is getting more extreme lower temperatures, as well as higher ones, & this equates to more severe storm activity etc etc.

Anyhow, more likely radionuclide damage for myself lol, from riding every day in extreme sunshine...When I first moved here to Tasmania over 12-years ago now, I couldn't believe how big, fat, & full-of-rain the clouds were when compared to the mainland. Now they're all gone.

Most summers I've been here, you'd get 5-days maximum off sunshine & then 2-days rain,-guaranteed.

We haven't had any rain since 2-weeks before Christmas, but some is due toward the end of next week.

And according to Radmon ( a world-wide radiation monitoring site ) we have the the most counts-per-minute at 80-90, than anywhere else in the world at the moment...

-- Edited by Rastus on Friday 25th of January 2019 06:30:16 PM

-- Edited by Rastus on Friday 25th of January 2019 06:31:18 PM