Honduras

People

Ninety percent of the country's population is mestizo (a term used to describe people of mixed Spanish and Amerindian origin). Most people speak Spanish, but in traditional communities indigenous dialects are spoken, and English and Garifuna (Carib) are commonly spoken along the Caribbean coast. Although Roman Catholicism is by far the main religion, there has been growth in Protestant churches in recent years.

History

Before Columbus' time, the Maya flourished in what is now Honduras. Copan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the west of the country, was the site of a Mayan kingdom from the 5th to the 9th centuries. The Spanish conquered the country in the early 16th century. Honduras declared independence from Spain in 1821. The military maintained a hold on power in Honduras from the 1950s until the I980s, interrupted by numerous coups and rebellions.
In 1982, international pressure to return to democratic rule motivated the country to inaugurate a civilian government.

Geography

The country is mostly mountainous, with the interior highlands taking up more than three quarters of the land. The highest point is Cerros de las Minas at 2,8S0m. A small area of lowlands is found along the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines.
The climate is tropical in the lowlands and more temperate in the mountains. For most of the country the rainy season is between May and October while on the Caribbean coast it rains year round.

Economy

Through the first half of the 20th century. Honduras' economy was dominated by American companies that established vast banana plantations along the north coast. The United States is still Honduras' main trading partner.
The biggest contributor is the Honduran maquila industry, which imports yarn and textiles from the United States and exports finished articles of clothing. Because Honduras relies heavily on a narrow range of exports, notably bananas and coffee, it is vulnerable to natural disasters and shifts in commodity prices. However, investments in the maquila and non-traditional export sectors are slowly diversifying the economy.

Agriculture

Despite the country's mountainous terrain and the vast stretches of land taken up by banana plantations, agriculture has always been Honduras' main source of income. A third of the labour force is employed in agricultural activities. Important export crops other than bananas include coffee beans, cotton, tobacco and sugarcane.
Around half the Honduran population live in rural areas, and subsistence farming is still common. People grow corn, sorghum and beans for their own use.

Education

While school enrolment is almost universal at primary level, particularly in urban areas. Access to education is more difficult in rural areas. And only one third of Honduran students make it through secondary education; however; literacy is vastly improving: it has risen from 68 per cent in the early nineties to 80 per cent in recent years.

Health

Roughly 30 per cent of the population receive no health care and 83 percent are uninsured. Most doctors and hospitals are located in the cities, and treatment and travel costs make seeking professional medical help too expensive for many families.

Malnutrition, tuberculosis, diarrhoea. typhoid, malaria, Chagas disease, dengue fever and acute respiratory infections are common. HIV and AIDS are becoming more prevalent - there are an estimated 63,000 people living with HIV in Honduras. Social problems such as drug addiction, alcoholism and domestic violence place added strain on health services.