HONDURAS 



2825 



HONDURAS 



most unprogressive of all. Like its southern 

 neighbor, Nicaragua, it is a land of wonderful 

 resources lying idle for lack of enterprise, 

 transportation 

 facilities and 

 money. Bound- 

 ing it on the west 

 is Guatemala; on 

 the north is the 

 Caribbean Sea, 

 on the east and 

 southeast, Nica- 

 ragua, and on the 

 southwest, the 

 gulfs of Fonseca 

 and Salvador. It 

 covers an area of 

 44,275 



LOCATION MAP 



The illustration shows 



the 



milp nnrl position of Honduras with re- 

 u spect to its sister republics, 

 is almost as large and the proportion of Central 



.. America it occupies, 

 as the state of 



Pennsylvania. Its population, however, esti- 

 mated at 562,000 in 1914, was only one-four- 

 teenth that of the state named, and averaged 

 about fifteen persons to the square mile. The 

 name Honduras is Spanish for depths, and was 

 given to the country because early Spanish 

 explorers had difficulty in finding anchorage 

 off its shores. 



Climate, Land and Products. Honduras is 

 largely mountainous, and is rich in tropical 

 vegetation. Earthquakes are less frequent 

 there than in other Central American coun- 

 tries. 



The coast lands are low, those at the north 

 and east being excessively hot and not health- 

 ful for the white race. The rainfall through- 

 out the entire country is heavy, owing to the 

 trade winds. The climate of the interior is 

 healthful, being moderate in temperature and 

 not very damp. The country is well drained 

 by numerous rivers, most of them flowing into 

 the Caribbean Sea. Nearly all, however, are 

 obstructed by rapids. Of those which are navi- 

 gable the Ulua, flowing through the banana 

 lands, and the Segovia or Wanks, forming part 

 of the boundary with Nicaragua, are most im- 

 portant. 



The chief products of the republic, bananas 

 and cocoanuts, come from the hot Caribbean 

 coastal regions. Nearly 8,500,000 bunches of 

 bananas and 8,000,000 cocoanuts are exported 

 annually, and most of them, together with 

 other tropical fruits, find a market in the 

 United States. Rubber is also produced and 

 coffee is grown, but labor for harvesting the 

 crop is scarce. Tobacco is an important prod- 



uct, and that raised in the Department of 

 El Paraiso is known for its excellent quality. 

 Maize, the principal food crop, beans, wheat, 

 rice, sugar and plantains are raised for home 

 use. Stock raising is an important industry. 



The mineral resources of Honduras include 

 gold, platinum, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, 

 antimony and nickel; some minerals are found 

 in almost every part of the country. Among 

 Central American republics Honduras ranks 

 next to Nicaragua in mineral wealth, but min- 

 ing industries are only slightly developed. 

 Cigars and straw hats are the only home manu- 

 factures exported. 



Transportation and Commerce. There is no 

 communication by railroad between the Carib- 

 bean and Pacific coasts. Transportation is by 

 mule-train and ox-carts, and the distance of 

 less than two hundred miles, which by railway 

 could be traversed in a half day, now takes 

 three weeks. Very little is done in the mak- 

 ing or repairing of roads. The total length of 

 railway in 1913 was 150 miles and was used 

 principally to handle the banana crop. Rail- 

 roads are government property, and extensions 

 are contemplated. In April, 1914, there was 

 pending a proposal made by an American cor- 

 poration, the United Fruit Company, whereby 

 the company would pay the government of 

 Honduras $400,000 cash and $1,000,000 in forty 

 yearly instalments, for the control of the rail- 

 ways for ninety-nine years. 



The most southerly part of Honduras is the 

 island of Amapala, in the Gulf of Fonseca. It 

 is one of the best natural harbors on the 

 Pacific coast, and the opening of the Panama 

 Canal will probably increase commerce 

 through that port. On the Caribbean coast the 

 ports of Puerto Cortez, Cerba and Tela are vis- 

 ited by boats of three American companies. 

 Trujillo is also an important northern harbor. 

 Exports of Honduras are estimated at over 

 $8,000,000, and imports at more than $5,000,000 

 yearly. 



People and Government. Most of the people 

 are Indians or of Spanish-speaking castes, and 

 about 90,000 are but little civilized. There are 

 a few Europeans and Americans, who control 

 fruit exports .and mining concessions. The 

 natives are very unprogressive, and such eco- 

 nomic importance as the country has attained 

 is due not so much to their efforts as to the 

 natural resources of the land, and to foreign 

 money and enterprise. The largest town is 

 the capital, Tegucigalpa, situated on a south 

 central plateau. 



