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Geographical History of Honduras
Honduras holds the regrettable distinction of being the poorest of the Central American countries. Honduras is the second largest country in Central America occupying 43,277 square miles. It shares common borders with Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador. It is a mountainous country and the climate is tropical with the mean temperature being 80 degrees. Honduras was once part of the great empire of the Maya, who built a civilization that flourished and then declined centuries before the Europeans arrived. Honduras is one of the leading producers of bananas, which is its most important export. Honduras also exports coffee, shrimp, lobster, lumber, meat, sugar and petroleum products. Major imports include machinery, vehicles, chemicals, fuels and manufactured goods and food. Tegucigalpa is the capital of Honduras while San Pedro Sula is considered to be the industrial capital. Total population is an estimated 5.6 million people. Hispanic peoples comprise most of the population with the primary language being Spanish.
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Political History of Honduras
Honduras was governed by Spain for a large part of its history. In 1821 Honduras declared its independence from Spain and for a few months joined with Mexico. In 1824, all of Central America broke away from Mexico and formed a union known as the United Provinces of Central America. Due to political rivalries, the United Provinces fell apart and on November 5, 1838 Honduras became a separate republic. The new nation was torn by conflict. During most of the 19th and early 20th century the rulers were mostly dictators with little concern for the mass of Honduran people. The army often dictated who would hold office in Honduras. Between 1957 and 1982 the country had only two civilian presidents and both were forced out of office by the military. An assembly amended the constitution in 1982. The country is now a republic headed by a president, who is elected directly by the people for a 4-year term. This president may serve only one term.
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