HONDURAS

HISTORY

Columbus first set foot on the American mainland in Trujillo in 1502

Named the region Honduras (meaning great depth) for the deep water off the coast.

The Spaniards soon moved into the cooler highlands and were constantly battling with native tribes, including Chief Lemira's army of 30,000, who almost drove the Spanish out of the region until he was murdered while attending peace talks in 1537.

Comayagua (co-my-a-gwa) was declared the Spanish colonial capital a year later.

When gold and silver was discovered around Tegucigalpa in 1570, British and Dutch ships began attacking treasure galleons headed out of Trujillo.

Pirates settled the Caribbean coast and looted and burned Trujillo in 1643.

HISTORY (cont)

The British established a protectorate along the Caribbean coasts, ostensibly to keep the area free of pirates and protect the native Miskito tribes; but British fortunes were made from the mahogany forests of the region.

Honduras broke free from Spain in 1821 and first became part of an independent Mexico.

The Honduran Republic was established in 1838, and the British relinquished the Caribbean coastal region in 1859.

GEOGRAPHY/ENVIRONMENT

Honduras is located in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Terrain mostly mountains in interior and narrow coastal plains.

Natural hazards include: frequent but mild earthquakes and extremely high cases of hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Urban population expandingDeforestation results from logging and the

clearing of land for agricultural purposesFurther land degradation and soil erosion

hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands

Mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals

West Bay, Honduras

POLITICAL HISTORY

Honduran has had several military coups, rebellions, dictatorships, and chess-game politics ever since independence from Spain.

Banana power ruled until the 1960s. 1969 Football War Guerrilla warfare surrounds Honduras in the 1980s Rafael Callejas becomes president of Honduras in 1990;

refuses to continue a treaty with the United States allowing Honduras to be used as a military base, and the Contras left the country.

Without U.S. monetary and political support, most of Honduras' international trade shifted to countries in the European Union.

Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales becomes President Jan. 27, 2006

CANADA HONDURAS

US/THEM (2009)

Population: 33,487,208Life expectancy at birth:

-total population: 81.23years -male: 78.69 years -female: 83.91 years

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% - people living with

HIV/AIDS:73,000 (2007) -HIV/AIDS - deaths:fewer than 500 (2007)

Government: constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federationCapital City: Ottawa, pop: aprox 812 000Flag description:two vertical bands of red,with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square

Population: 7,792,854Life expectancy at birth:

-total population: 69.4 years -male: 67.86 years -female: 71.02 years

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% - people living with

HIV/AIDS:28 000 (2007) -HIV/AIDS - deaths:1900 (2007)

Government: democratic constitutional republicCapital City: Tegucigalpa, pop: aprox 1,324,000Flag description: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

CANADA HONDURAS

US/THEM (2009)

Economy:

GDP (purchasing power):$1.336 trillion (2008)Unemployment rate: 6.1% (2008) Budget: -revenues: $608.3 billion

-expenditures: $606 billion (2008)Debt – external: $758.6 billion (June 2007)Agriculture – products: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy

products; forest products; fish Industries:

transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas

Economy:

GDP (purchasing power) $28.48 billion (2008)Unemployment rate: 27.8% (2007) Budget: revenues: $2.628 billion

expenditures: $3.183 billionDebt – external: $3.602 billion (Dec 2008) Agriculture – products: bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster; corn, African palm Industries: -sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products 50.75% of population lives below poverty line as of 2004

TEGUCIGALPA

Did You Know??

Coastal lowlands are hot and humid with temperatures averaging from

30-38CBelize (British Honduras) is 75kms away across the Bay of HondurasLegal age is 18Independence Day: September 15, 1821Honduras was devestated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998

*winds up to 290km/hr *Honduras: 7000 dead, 8300 missing*25” of rain in the first 36 hrs, additional 10” in 6 hrs between

Oct 29-31National Currency is Lempira 15 L= $1 CDN

Did You Know??

Crime is one of Honduras’ major concern; street crimes including purse snatching, pickpocketing, assault and arm robberies are on the rise.Carjackings, kidnappings, muggings and sexual assaults are not uncommon. Poverty, gangs, low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to a high crime rate. Many men in Honduras carry firearms and machetes, and disputes are sometimes settled with violence. There are problems with the judicial system including an acute shortage of trained personnel, equipment, staff, financial resources and reports of corruptionUnmarked mine fields are located on both sides of the Honduras- Nicaragua border and in the area near the Atlantic Coast. Landslides and floods resulting from Hurricane Mitch have scattered many of the remaining mines, making the border area unsafe.

IT IS RECOMMENDED...

That you do not approach children or women since many people in Honduras fear that children are being kidnapped for adoption or for theft of vital organs!!

That you prepare your routes before setting out and avoid studying your map in the street as you will be broadcasting the fact that you don’t know where you are.

That you avoid clothing that declares your nationality or political beliefs

You carry money in small denominations at all times, so you have change for the taxi bill and don’t need a large note where you may not receive change.

That you do not take photographs of government or military installations, and antiques purchases are frequent cause of detention by local authorities.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INFORMATION: The World Fact Book Honduras-

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ho.html The World Fact Book Canada-

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html Travax En Compass-

http://www.travax.com/reportgen/report.asp Country of Honduras tourist board

www.honduras.com Online Information Guide to Honduras; Metrotel Express, Tegucigalpa, history of Honduras

http://www.honduras-information.hotelhonduras.com/Tegucigalpa.html http://www.honduras-information.hotelhonduras.com/Honduras-History.htm

PICTURES:South American Experience

http://www.southamericanexperience.co.uk/honduras/honduras_roatan.htmlDestination 360

http://www.destination360.com/central-america/honduras/airlines-to-honduras.phpBBC World Service

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1535_City_Secrets3/page5.html