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Honduras is a small Central American country of approximately 7 million people. It is about the size of Louisiana with mountainous terrain and tropical temperatures. The natural beauty of Honduras—from Caribbean beaches to cloud forests—coexists with the extreme poverty of most of the population. In many ways, Honduras is typical of a banana republic, with a long history of foreign control and intervention. In 1998 Honduras suffered the brunt of Hurricane Mitch, one of the most severe hurricanes of the century. Though most of the primary infrastructure in the country has been repaired, there are still many people who lost homes and businesses who have not yet recovered.

Nevertheless, this is a time of great hope for Honduras. The political turmoil of the 80's is over, the destruction of Mitch is slipping further into the past, and the Honduran people have more of a say in the governance of their country than ever before. Now is a time when real reform and healing is possible, when the determination and work of the people might very well be rewarded by a brighter future.

Economy
With a per capita GDP of $920 in 2000, Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. The UN reports that 49% of Hondurans live in extreme poverty, with 2 million (or nearly 1 out of every 3 persons) suffering from critical hunger.

Honduras suffered a prolonged period of economic recession during the 1980s. Gradual economic growth in the 1990s, tied to economic reforms and the booming U.S. economy, was waylaid by the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. By 2000 the economy was again growing at 4.7%. One good economic effect of the hurricane was substantial debt relief from the U.S. and international monetary institutions.

The economy is largely based on agriculture. Coffee, bananas and cultivated shrimp are important exports. The maquiladora (garment factories) sector is the second largest in the world and an important source of employment. Honduras has rich resources in forests, marine areas and minerals, though these are often poorly utilized and threatened by extensive deforestation.

Unemployment is thought to be somewhere around 24%, and underemployment is pervasive. About 45% of Hondurans work in the service sector, 34% in agriculture, and 15% in manufacturing. Many Hondurans make their living in the informal sector-selling tortillas on the street, running neighborhood convenience stores from their home, repairing shoes door-to-door, etc.

People and Culture

Ethnicity
The vast majority of Hondurans are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European), but Hondurans are also of Amerindian, European, Arab, African, or Asian ancestry.

Language
Spanish is the main language of the country, though English is spoken on the Bay Islands in the Caribbean and indigenous groups have their own languages.

Religion
Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, but other Christian denominations and sects are growing (Pentacostal, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Assemblies of God, Church of Latter Day Saints, etc.). Indigenous groups still practice native faiths, often incorporating elements of Christianity or African religious beliefs.

Health
The life expectancy here is 68 years and the infant mortality rate is 42 per 1000 births. Honduran women have on average just over 4 children.

Education
Nearly 80% of Honduran adults are literate, though less than 16% attend school through Junior High.

Food
The Honduran diet is based on beans, rice, tortillas, fried plantains, meat, potatoes, cream, and cheese.

Arts
There are beautiful artisan crafts native to Honduras, including wood carving, basketry, embroidery, leatherwork, and ceramics.

Government
Honduras has been a constitutional democracy since 1982. The national government operates with a President, a unicameral National Congress, a Supreme Court, and several lower courts. The two most powerful political parties are both centrist—the National Party (slightly to the right) and the Liberal Party (slightly to the left). The three other registered parties—the Christian Democratic Party, the Innovation and National Unity Party, and the Democratic Unification Party—have built support in recent years.

Human rights and civil liberties are relatively well protected, at least in comparison to other Central American countries. The press is officially independent and human rights organizations are permitted. Civil participation in the government is relatively limited. Recent reforms have given Hondurans the opportunity to vote for the President and the Congress separately and have granted the Supreme Court a measure of political independence from the President.

See AJS page on 2009 coup and political crisis

History
Honduras, home to many indigenous cultures, including the Mayans, was a Spanish colony until 1821. Columbus landed on the northern coast in 1502, naming the land Honduras (from the Spanish word meaning "depths") for the deep waters off the coast. Spanish rule was fiercely resisted by indigenous groups in Honduras. Most famous is the movement by the Lenca leader, Lempira (for whom the Honduran currency is named). However, Lempira was murdered during peace talks and the resistance was crushed. Spain established the cities of Comayagua and Tegucigalpa (now the Honduran capital) as mining centers in the 1800s. Honduras was also home during the colonial period to Dutch and English pirates, lured by the promise of gold, and English lumber companies lured by coastal forests of mahogany.

When Honduras won independence from Spain in 1821, it first became part of Mexico, and then joined the short-lived Central American Federation. Honduras finally became its own independent country in 1838. Since its independence, Honduras has suffered close to 300 internal rebellions, civil wars, and changes of government. Honduras's political stability was not helped by the U.S. fruit companies (Standard Fruit, Cuyamel Fruit and United Fruit) who, by the early 1900s wielded enough economic power in Honduras to manipulate political factions as a part of their business rivalry.

In the 1980s Honduras became more important for its location than its bananas. The decade was marked by violent political turmoil in much of Central America, especially Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, which all share borders with Honduras. U.S. pressure removed the latest military dictatorship and put into place the democratic government that became the key U.S. ally in the region. The U.S. was able to use Honduras as a military base for supporting the Contras in Nicaragua and for training the Salvadoran army in anti-insurgency warfare. U.S. military involvement and economic aid waned in Honduras after 1990 when Nicaragua's revolutionary party lost the presidential election and the Contras left Honduras.

Since then, Honduras's government has remained stable, with regular, clean elections--with the notable exception of the 2009 political crisis. The country has continued to struggle with deep poverty. Hurricane Mitch devastated the country in 1998 and though much of the infrastructure has since been repaired, signs of the hurricane remain, especially in the shantytowns of those made homeless by the storm.

Links:

US State Dept. Honduras page
lonelyplanet.com's Honduras page
The World Bank's Honduras page
UN Development Programme's Honduras page
CIA World Factbook - Honduras
www.hondurasinfo.hn
www.letsgohonduras.com
www.honduras.com
Honduras This Week (English weekly newspaper)/
www.americas.org Honduras page

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Deciphering Honduras by Hemisphere Initiatives
A series of articles regarding the situation of Honduras following Hurricane Mitch.

Maquiladores: Exploitation or Emancipation? An Overview of the Situation of Maquiladora Workers in Honduras by Kurt Ver Beek

Treating Systems, Not Symptoms by Rachel Medema of Sojourners Magazine

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