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| Honduras Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Lizard Lizard Didier Tangelder Honduras is a small country in Central America. It borders El Salvador and Guatemala in the north and Nicaragua in the south. Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras looks like a really big town spread out between the hills and valleys of central Honduras because there are very few high rise buildings. It is a relaxed place and an excellent starting point for exploring the country because it has good airline and bus connections to the entire country, including the Bay Islands. Many sights can be visited within a day from Tegucigalpa. Be sure not to miss nearby Santa Lucia, Andorra la vella National Park, and Comayagua. Copan has some excellent Mayan ruins. The style differs a bit from those in Yucatan and Tikal. The many great carved stones or stelae are unique in their kind. The ruins are located in a tropical forest which makes the site even more attractive. San Pedro Sula is a good starting point for visiting Copan The Carribean Coast is worth a visit as well. Great beaches and completely different atmosphere with lots of Reggae and rum. Utila the smallest of the 3 major Bay Islands off the northern coast of Honduras is a 60 minute ferry journey from the mainland port of La Ceiba. Utila is a very popular destination with backpackers who plan to learn how to scuba dive. Utila is renowned as being one of the cheapest places in the world to learn how to scuba dive. ________History Edit This About 90% of the population is mestizo. There also are small minorities of European African Asian Arab and indigenous Indian descent. Most Hondurans are Roman Catholic but Protestant proselytization has resulted in significant numbers of converts. Spanish is the predominant language although some English is spoken along the northern coast and on the Caribbean Bay Islands. Indigenous Indian dialects and the Garifuna dialect also are spoken. The restored Mayan ruins near the Guatemalan border in Copan reflect the great Mayan culture that flourished there for hundreds of years until the early ninth century. Mayan artifacts also can be found at the National Museum in Tegucigalpa. Columbus landed at mainland Honduras (Trujillo) in 1502. He named it "Honduras" (meaning "depths") for the deep water off the coast. Spaniard Hernan Cortes arrived in 1524. The Spanish began founding settlements along the coast and Honduras came under the control of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. The cities of Comayagua and Tegucigalpa developed as early mining centers. Independence Honduras along with the other Central American provinces gained independence from Spain in 1821; it then briefly was annexed to the Mexican Empire. In 1823 Honduras joined the newly formed United Provinces of Central America. Before long social and economic differences between Honduras and its regional neighbors exacerbated harsh partisan strife among Central American leaders and brought on the federation's collapse in 1838. Gen. Francisco Morazan -- a Honduran national hero -- led unsuccessful efforts to maintain the federation and restoring Central American unity remained the chief aim of Honduran foreign policy until after World War I. Since independence Honduras has been plagued with nearly 300 internal rebellions civil wars and changes of government more than half occurring during this century. The country traditionally lacked both an economic infrastructure and social and political integration. Its agriculturally based economy came to be dominated in this century by U.S. companies that established vast banana plantations along the north coast. Foreign capital plantation life and conservative politics held sway in Honduras from the late 19th until the mid-20th century. During the relatively stable years of the Great Depression authoritarian Gen. Tiburcio Carias Andino controlled Honduras. His ties to dictators in neighboring countries and to U.S. banana companies helped him maintain power until 1948. By then provincial military leaders had begun to gain control of the two major parties the Nationalists and the Liberals. From Military to Civilian Rule In October 1955 -- after two authoritarian administrations and a general strike by banana workers on the north coast in 1954 -- young military reformists staged a palace coup that installed a provisional junta and paved the way for constituent assembly elections In 1957. This assembly appointed Dr. Ramon Villeda Morales as president and transformed itself into a national legislature with a 6-year term. The Liberal Party ruled during 1957-63. At the same time the military took its first steps to become a professional institution independent of leadership from any one political party and the newly created military academy graduated its first class in 1960. In October 1963 conservative military officers preempted constitutional elections and deposed Villeda in a bloody coup. These officers exiled Liberal Party members and took control of the national police. The armed forces led by Gen. Lopez Arellano governed until 1970. A civilian president -- Ramon Cruz of the National Party -- took power briefly in 1970 but proved unable to manage the government. Popular discontent had continued to rise after a 1969 border war with El Salvador; in December 1972 Gen. Lopez staged another coup. Lopez adopted more progressive policies including land reform but his regime was brought down in the mid 1970s by scandals. Gen. Lopez' successors continued armed forces modernization programs building army and security forces and concentrating on Honduran air force superiority over its neighbors. The regimes of Gen. Melgar Castro (1975-78) and Gen. Paz Garcia (I 978-83) largely built the current physical infrastructure and telecommunications system of Honduras. The country also enjoyed its most rapid economic growth during this period due to greater international demand for its products and the availability of foreign commercial lending. Following the overthrow of Anastasio Somoza in Nicaragua in 1979 and general instability in El Salvador at the time the Honduran military accelerated plans to return the country to civilian rule. A constituent assembly was popularly elected in April 1980 and general elections were held in November 1981. A new constitution was approved in 1982 and the Liberal Party government of President Roberto Suazo Cordoba assumed power. Suazo relied on U.S. support to help with a severe economic recession and with the threat posed by the revolutionary Sandinista Government in Nicaragua amid a brutal civil war in El Salvador. Close cooperation on political and military issues with the United States was complemented by ambitious social and economic development projects sponsored by USAID. Honduras became host to the largest Peace Corps mission in the world and non-governmental and international voluntary agencies proliferated. As the November 1985 election approached the Liberal Party had difficulty settling on a candidate and interpreted election law as permitting multiple presidential candidates from one party. The Liberal Party claimed victory when its presidential candidates collectively outpolled the National Party candidate Rafael Leonardo Callejas who received 42% of the vote. Jose Azcona Hoyo the candidate receiving the most votes (27%) among the Liberals assumed the presidency in January 1986. With strong endorsement and support from the Honduran militarv the Suazo Administration had ushered in the first peaceful transfer of power between civilian presidents in more than 30 years. Four years later Rafael Callejas won the presidential election taking office in January 1990. Callejas concentrated on economic reform reducing the deficit and taking steps to deal with an overvalued exchange rate and major structural barriers to investment. He began the movement to place the military under civilian control and laid the groundwork for the creation of the public ministry (Attorney General's office). Despite the Callejas Administration's economic reforms growing public dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living and with seemingly widespread government corruption led voters in 1993 to elect Liberal Party candidate Carlos Roberto Reina over National Party contender Oswaldo Ramos Soto with Reina winning 56% of the vote. President Reina elected on a platform calling for a "Moral Revolution actively prosecuted corruption and pursued those responsible for human rights abuses in the 1980s. He created a modern attorney general's office and an investigative police force, and reduced Honduras' historic and endemic corruption and elite impunity. As a result, a notable start has been made in institutionalizing the rule of law in Honduras. A hallmark of the Reina Administration was his successful efforts to increase civilian control over the armed forces, making his time in office a period of fundamental change in civil-military relations in Honduras. Important achievements -- including the abolition of the military draft and passage of legislation transferring the national police from military to civilian authority have brought civil-military relations closer to the kind of balance normal in a constitutional democracy. Additionally, President Reina in 1996 named his own defense minister, breaking the precedent of accepting the nominee of the armed forces leadership. Reina restored national fiscal health. After a rough start in 1994-95, the Reina Administration substantially increased Central Bank net international reserves, reduced inflation to 12.8% a year, restored a healthy pace of economic growth (about 5% in 1997), and, perhaps most important, held down spending to achieve a 1.1% non-financial public sector deficit in 1997. Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse took office on January 27, 1998 as Honduras' fifth democratically elected President since free elections were restored in 1981. Like three of his four predecessors, including his immediate predecessor, Flores is a member of the Liberal Party. He was elected with a 10% margin over his main opponent, National Party nominee, Nora de Melgar, in free, fair, and peaceful elections on November 30, 1997. These elections, probably the cleanest in Honduran history, reflected the maturing of Honduras' democratic institutions. Upon taking office on January 27, 1998, Flores inaugurated programs of reform and modernization of the Honduran government and economy, with emphasis on helping Honduras' poorest citizens while maintaining the country's fiscal health and improving international competitiveness. _______________Economy Edit This Economy—overview: 1994 the REINA administration inherited an economy in the grips of stagflation due to unprecedented energy crisis declining agricultural output and extravagant public expenditures. In the REINA administration cut the fiscal deficit and enacted a number of structural reforms including passage of a modern sector reform law in 1995 a central bank reform law in 1996. As a result Honduras finished 1997 with improved GDP growth and a decreasing rate of inflation. The newly elected administration faces pressure from the international financial community and the IMF to further decrease the fiscal deficit implement key reforms including the privatization of state enterprises such as Hondutel. Tegucigalpa will probably implement tighter fiscal and monetary policies to keep inflation low and meet commitments to the IMF. s slow GDP growth to 3.5% in 1998. Moreover wage increases for employees agreed to in 1997 make it difficult for FLORES to headway on the fiscal deficit and inflation. GDP: purchasing parity—$12.7 thousand (1997 est.) GDP—real rate: 4.5% (1997 est.) GDP—per capita: purchasing power—$2 200 (1997 est.) GDP—composition agriculture: 20% industry: 19% services: 61% ( Inflation rate—consumer price index: 15% ( total: 1.3 million (1997 est.) by occupation: agriculture 62% services 20% manufacturing 9% construction 3% other 6% (1985) Unemployment rate: 6.3% (1997); underemployed 30% (1997 est.) Budget: revenues: $655 million expenditures: $850 including capital expenditures of $150 million (1997 est.) Industries: sugar coffee textiles clothing wood products Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1992 est.) Electricity—capacity: 305 000 kW (1995) Electricity—production: 2.8 billion kWh (1995) Electricity—consumption per capita: 516 kWh (1995) Agriculture—products: bananas coffee citrus; beef; timber; shrimp; Exports: total value: $1.3 billion (f.o.b. 1996) commodities: bananas coffee shrimp lobster minerals meat lumber partners: US 54% Germany 7% Belgium 5% Japan 4% Spain 3% (1995) Imports: total value: (c.i.f. 1996) commodities: machinery and transport equipment industrial raw materials chemical products manufactured goods fuel and oil foodstuffs partners: US 43% Guatemala 5% Japan 5% Germany 4% Mexico 3% El Salvador 3% (1995) Debt—external: $4.1 billion (1995) Economic aid: recipient: ODA $NA Currency: 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1 (end of period)—13.1332 (January 1998) 13.0942 (1997) 12.8694 (1996) 10.3432 (1995) 9.4001 (1994) 7.2600 (1993) :::::::::Bay islands Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Roatan Roatan Tono Rodriguez The Bay Islands is a province of the Republic of Honduras and it is made up of three main islands: Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja. It has rapidly become a very important scuba diving destination in the Western Caribbean and it is blessed with the second largest barrier reef in the world. Roatan is the largest and most developed island of the three. There are direct flights from Houston, Miami and Milan, Italy. Your best bet is to fly to the Honduras mainland and from there you can reach the three islands either by inexpensive ferries or a 15 minute short flight from La Ceiba or San Pedro Sula. ________Cayos Cochinos Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Cayos Cochinos (Hog Islands), considered part of the Bay Islands of Honduras, is a separate small archipelago between the large island of Roatan and the northern coast of Honduras. Plantation Beach Resort is the only resort in Cayos Cochinos. These islands and cays are all privately owned. ___________Roatan Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Roatan Roatan Tono Rodriguez About 30 miles off the coast of Honduras, this small island offers some of the best scuba-diving in the world, and a laid-back island atmosphere. Go stay in West End. The hotels are nice. Go and find 'burks place', its a guy who rents rooms with shower and WC for a decent price on a palm tree hacienda. All taxi drivers get commisions for dropping you in a hotel of a 'friend' be carefull, they will tell you they don't know the places where they don't get a commission ... Things to do Edit This There are museums, submarine dives, scuba diving, snorkling, biking, sailing, motor cycles and motor scooters. You can fish, go trekking or just lay back and relax on the beach. [Add Activity] Coconut Tree Divers Edit This The most popular reason to come to Roatan is to go scuba-diving. Coconut Tree Divers can take you to four different dive sites a day to choose from for a total of 36 pristine dive spots. type: Diving World66 rating: [rate it] url: www.divingonroatan.com Roatan Things to do and see Edit This From lush mountains to stretches of white sandy beaches, Roatan offers lots to do and see. There are also exhibitions and museums, butterfly and bird parks. type: Going to the Beach World66 rating: [rate it] url: www.lawsonrock.com ::::::::::::Choluteca Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see We currently have no information about Choluteca. If you do know any general information about Choluteca, please [Edit this article]. If you know any hotels in Choluteca or restaurants in Choluteca, please [Add]. :::::::::::Corozal, Honduras Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see photo http://www.fallingrain.com/ An interesting Garifuna community on the beach, about 13 km east of la Ceiba, Corozal gives you an opportunity to get a glimpse of the Garifuna culture and enjoy the beach at the same time. :::::::La ceiba Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Sunset in La Ceiba Sunset in La Ceiba Mardukk Cool music, bright colors, amazing nature, tons of smiles-that's La Ceiba, the perfect amalgamate! Located 400 km north from the capital city, "Ceibita La Bella" is considered one of the most attractive destinations in the entire Central American region. Beloved by Hondurans, ex-pats and travelers alike, Ceiba is the spot for nightlife in Honduras. Each year at the end of May, hundreds of thousands flock to Ceiba for the local Carnaval, the largest in Central America. Parades, music, dancing in the streets... it's Mardi Gras with Latin American flavor. There are numerous day-trips around Ceiba, including whitewater rafting on the Rio Cangrejal, hiking in Pico Bonito National Park and visiting Garifuna villages on the coast. La Ceiba is also the jumping off point for the Bay Islands, with daily ferry service to Roatan and Utila. _________Getting There Edit This From Tegucigalpa: Christina - several direct buses leave every morning starting at 6am for the 7 hour ride, stopping for lunch along the way - L.227 (US$12) From Siguatepeque: Christina buses stop at a roadside restaurant in Siguatepeque for lunch and to pick up riders. Transportacion Kamaldy also has buses that leave from this point. From San Pedro Sula: Several companies run buses from San Pedro east along the north coast highway. The most reliable of these is Cotuc which goes all the way to Trujillo, but makes 2 stops in La Ceiba. 4 1/2 hours. From Trujillo: Cotuc and Cotraipbal direct buses leave from the terminal outside of town every hour and a half through mid-afternoon. L.79 (US$4) 2 1/2 hours. Cotuc buses are generally nicer (coach-style vs school bus), and have a better safety record. [Add Global transport mode] Hedman Alas Bus Company Edit This Travel from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba type: By Road World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 504-441-5347 ::::::::La tigra national park Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see This is a very cool (as in the climate-wise) place. It's one of the 'cloud forests', of which Honduras is famous for. If you wish, you may stay the night in this park-or, if you prefer (such as, you can't be away from your TV for more than 8 hours) then you can hike there in one afternoon. You may set up tents and observe the colorful wildlife in a lush, tropical setting... And, pardon me if this sounded much too... touristy. ::::::San pedro sula Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Avenida de Circunvalacion nor-oeste Avenida de Circunvalacion nor-oeste Jorge Escoto The fastest growing town in Honduras is still an important travel hub. San Pedro can serve as a base from which to visit many different destinations. While it is best to make arrangements for tours into the countryside before arriving in San Pedro Sula excellent local operators can be found through the major hotels. One favorite outing is to the Copan Ruins which are a three-hour drive away. Other possibilities include Lake Yojoa and Pulhapanzak Waterfalls (a scenic one-day trip); Cusuco Cloud Forest (a four-wheel-drive outing to see birds orchids bromeliads and sometimes tapirs and armadillos); Tela (including visits to a banana plantation a mahogany-wood-carving factory the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens a swim at the beach at Villas Telemar and a tour of a Garifuna village); and Omoa Fortress (a tour of a 1700s outpost combined with a trip to a beach resort). _______Getting There Edit This Several International Airlines Fly to SAP, Continental Airlines Flies non-stop from Houston and Newark. Taca International Airlines flies Non-stop from New York City, New Orleans, and Miami. American Airlines fly non-stop from Miami. Delta Airlines operates a daily flight from Atlanta. Iberia is studying the possibility of re-opening its SAP-Madrid flight and Air Madrid will soon be serving SAP via Madrid. There is a new daily service between San Pedro-San Jose-Panama operated by Copa Airlines. There is a daily scheduled service by bus from San Salvador, El Salvador to San Pedro (King Quality bus services), Guatemala City (Hedman Alas), and Managua/San Jose (Ticabus) __________Nightlife and Entertainment Edit This Discos: Confetis on Avenida Circunvalacion. Kawamas on Avenida Circunvalacion. Bamboo, Colonia Jardines del Valle, next to Nautilus Fitmess Center. Bars: Klein Bohemia next to Leonardo Martinez Hospital on 7th street. La Vela, located two blocks west of TGI Fridays Restaurant Beer Bar in City Mall, Avenida Circunvalacion next to the Hilton Hotel. Contributors August 30, 2006 change by miguel flores [Add Entertainment place] Beer Bar Edit This Located on the upper level of the newly opened City Mall, next to the Hilton San Pedro. They offer local and international beer, mainly from Central American and European countries. type: Pubs World66 rating: [rate it] address: City Mall Avenida Circunvalacion Copantl Edit This The Copantl hotel has a casino attached. The casino has traditional slot machine, and typical table games, blackjack, roullette, poker. The casino has to Hold em tables for private play in the back of the casino. It is normal though to have a crowd, as most people in honduras are not acustomed to seeing that kind of money played in a game. type: Casinos World66 rating: [rate it] MANAGE Edit This A popular night club, specially around friday, famous for it's open Bars. type: Concerts World66 rating: [rate it] address: Club Hondureño Arabe, Blv. Los Proceres :::::::::::Siguatepeque Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Siguatepeque, Honduras is a city along the highway about halfway between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula (about 30-45 minutes north of Comayagua). It is often overlooked as a truck stop along the highway, but is a fun little city. The population is around 75,000. The 21st of August Street ("Veinte-uno" as the locals call it) is the main street that runs through the whole city. There are a variety of tasty comedors and shops along the street and it runs right down into El Centro (downtown area). There are a few churches and markets (including a GREAT Sunday market that always has fresh fruit, vegetables, & meats) downtown as well as lots of restaurants, street vendors, souvenir shops and internet cafes. There are also a few Banco Occidentes, post offices, and quite a few small medical facilities if you need to take care of any business. The weather is a little cooler than Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula as Siguatepeque is in the mountains, and so it receives more rain than the other cities. San Pablo (Saint Paul) is the patron saint of Siguatepeque, so there is a San Pablo Market, church, and various fairs throughout the year in his honor. Hotels: There are various hotels downtown and a few more along 21st street as you head back towards the highway, including Hotel Palacio Real, a few miles outside of el centro and along the main road. Schools: Siguatepeque is home to a variety of bilingual schools (like Escuela El Alba) as well as public schools. The public schools start in February and have their "summer break" in December and January. The bilingual schools usually run on an American school year. Getting There: It is easiest to fly into either San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa and then take the bus. Since it is along the same highway, there are busses that go directly there from both cities. Once in the city, the "Urbano" buses are frequent, fast, and everywhere, providing for easy travel through the whole city, although walking is easiest downtown. There are also taxis driving around at all times of the day. :::::::::Tegucigalpa Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Grasshopper hostel mixed dorm view , safe place across the airport Grasshopper hostel mixed dorm view , safe place across the airport Nicolas Nazar Tegucigalpa is the largest city and capital of Honduras. Hurricane Mitch destroyed much of Tegucigalpa in 1998, especially the poorer and more dangerous sector known as Comayaguela. The city provided such heartbreaking images during the mega storm that brought endless rain - resulting in flooding and mudslides. Tegucigalpa has a new face now - new buildings, new roads, and new commerce. It's safer and cleaner than 5 years ago. The city is a good central gateway and transportation hub (bus terminals and airport) with easy connections all over Honduras incl. the Bay Islands, Copan Ruins, and other Central and South American cities, as well as the USA. Tegucigalpa is definitely worth a visit on your way into or out of Honduras - by plane or bus. While you are in the capital, make sure you visit the quaint mountain towns nearby like Santa Lucia, Valle de Angeles, and Yuscaran (where they make the famous local alcohol) or Danli (where the export-quality puros or cubano cigars are produced). Tegucigalpa is just on the doorsteep of the beautiful "La Tigra" National Park.. (great for day and overnight hikes). _________Sights Edit This Christo del Picacho Christo del Picacho C. Morgan [Add Sight] Los Dolores Church Edit This Beautiful facade. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Christo del Picacho Edit This Christo del Picacho Christo del Picacho photo by: C. Morgan Huge statue of Christ overlooking the city. A zoo is located in the same area. type: Parks, Gardens and Zoos World66 rating: [rate it] The Republic Museum Edit This Housed in the Moorish-looking former Presidential Palace. The building is better than the museum. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] The National Palace of Congress Edit This Nice old building on a beautiful plaza. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Historic district Edit This At night it can be dangerous, but at daytime a walk through the narrow winding streets of the historic district is quite nice. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] ___________Getting There Edit This TGU - Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport TGU - Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport (C) 2005 Tegu Airport Backpackers Here are a few suggestions on how to reach Tegucigalpa. Contributors March 14, 2005 new by giorgio [Add Global transport mode] TGU - Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport Edit This TGU - Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport TGU - Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport photo by: (C) 2005 Tegu Airport Backpackers Tegucigalpa airport is located about 7 Km from the city center on the south side of Tegucigalpa. Incoming passengers don't pay departure tax unless their connections are more than 8 hours apart. The airport has been upgraded in recent years, and pilots flying in on commercial airlines have been especially trained for special landings. TGU is at about 980 meters above sealevel and sourounded by mountains; it is amazing how pilots handle the landings so smoothly and safely. Larger aircraft (737-700's and 757s) come in high over the more.. type: By Air World66 rating: [rate it] ___________Day Trips Edit This Santa Lucia's church Santa Lucia's church Claudine Paz [Add Day Trip] {La Tigra National Park} Edit This Amazing wildlife, plants and beautiful tropical cloud forest. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] San Antonio de Oriente Edit This Great scenery on the way to this small mountain town. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Santa Lucia Edit This Santa Lucia Santa Lucia photo by: Claudine Paz Quaint colonial coblestoned mountain side village nearby Tegucigalpa. The church is famous for a Christ figure donated by King Philip II of Spain. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] El Zamorano Edit This Small college town. The Agriculture college has good gardens type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Valle de Angeles Edit This Sunday is when the mountain town comes alive. Lots of great local food, artwork and handicrafts at great prices. Also known for its leather goods. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] :::::::::::Trujillo Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Less touristy than Tela and with better beaches than La Ceiba, Trujillo is a laid-back town with a great vibe. The mix of Latin and Garifuna culture here makes for great food (try the sopa de caracol) and fun. The mountains rising up in the background also make for a dramatic and beautiful setting. Trujillo is best to visit when the annual festival is going on in June. You might be able to see where Columbus first set foot on land. The beaches in town are not the best, but if you head just outside of town they are pristine and the water is warm and calm. :::::::::::Utila Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see x Relaxing at Water Cay Adam Laverty Utila is just 11 km long and 4 km at its widest and surrounded by vast coral reefs with prolific undersea life. The smallest of the major islands in The Bay Islands group, Utila is renowned as being one of the least expensive and most beautiful places in the world for scuba diving. From the Mayan Indians, through the years spent as a British Colony, to the present day as part of Honduras, Utila provides a rich and diverse cultural experience with it's unique blend of British, American and Spanish heritages making Utila a Caribbean Island which is still a largely undiscovered and unspoiled paradise. With over 50 different dive sites to choose from including caves and numerous wrecks (such as the famous Halliburton) scuba diving around Utila Island is always interesting and never crowded. Utila is also famous for divers encountering the Whale Shark migrating through the waters of Utila. The Whale Shark is the world's largest fish. The slow moving Whale Shark is a harmless zooplankton, snapper egg and shrimp eating fish which grows up to 12-18 meters in length. |
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Questo articolo è rilasciato sotto i termini della
GNU Free Documentation License Esso utilizza materiale tratto da http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras Cronologia/Autori: http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Honduras&action=history HondurasDa Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
L'Honduras (nome ufficiale del paese Repùblica de Honduras) è una nazione di (112.090 km², 6.560.608 abitanti, con capitale Tegucigalpa) dell'America centrale istmica. È il secondo paese più povero delle Americhe. Confina a
L'Honduras è una repubblica presidenziale. La lingua ufficiale è quella spagnola, ma nelle Islas de la Bahía prevale la lingua inglese. All'interno si parlano anche lingue indie (miskito, sumu paya,lenca e garifuna).
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EtimologiaIl nome venne dato alla nuova terra da Cristoforo Colombo approdato sulle coste caraibiche del paese nel 1502. Il termine "Honduras", sta a significare in spagnolo profondità delle acque. Ci sono molte teorie circa l'origine del nome dell'Honduras. Il nome Honduras compare in testi ufficiali a partire dall'anno 1607. Molti testi inoltre parlano di altri nomi, come Guaymuras, Waymas, Fondura, Ternura.
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BandieraLa bandiera è stata issata per la prima volta il 9 Gennaio 1866. Le strisce orizzontali blu alle estremità rappresentano i mari che bagnano l'Honduras, il bianco della fascia centrale il paese cicondato dalle acque; mentre le cinque stelle ricordano la breve unione con il Guatemala, il Nicaragua, El Salvador e Costa Rica.
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StoriaL'Honduras era abitato dai
Chorotega e dai
Maya.
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Geografia
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Geografia fisicaIl paese si affaccia sul
Mar dei Caraibi per un tratto di 644 km e nell'
Oceano Pacifico con un un tratto di costa nella
Golfo di Fonseca di 153 km. Le
Islas de la Bahía ( Isole della Baia ):Guanaja,Utila
e
Roatan;è più a Nord, le lontane
Swan Islands appartengono tutte all'Honduras. Il territorio dell'Honduras
è formato pricipalmente da montagne (80%), ma ci sono pianure strette lungo i
litorali, una grande regione pianeggiante
La Mosquitia nel nordest densamente popolata. La valle di
San Pedro Sula nel Nord-Ovest. I rilievi montuosi sono disposti in catene
parallele con direzione Ovest-Est. La parte meridionale del paese è formata da
una spessa copertura vulcanica, che l'opera atmosferica ha trasformato in
rilievi allungati parallelamente ai corsi d'acqua. Confini del Paese Totale: 1.520 km.
Coste del Paese
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MorfologiaGeologicamente il paese poggia su un imbasamento di rocce cristalline che affiora ampiamente nella sezione settentrionale. Piegato nell'era paleozoica e successivamente spianato dalla lenta erosione, questo zoccolo fu violentemente interessato da moti orogenetici del Cenozoico, propri dell'intera area istmica, che provocarono numerose fratture con conseguente fuoriuscita di magma. Gli espandimenti lavici e gli apparati vulcanici sono presenti nella parte meridionale, collegando all'allineamento di vulcani che corre lungo tutta l'America centrale. Al di sopra dello zoccolo si trovano strati sedimentari mesozoici e cenozoici. Una copertura di sedimenti post-pliocenici caratterizza la Mosquitia e la pianura costiera nord-orientale. L'orografia è complessa, sovrastata da brevi catene in più punti superiori ai 2.000 m, culminanti con il Cerro de Las Minas (2.849 m). Da questo nucleo di alte terre partono verso nord una serie di dorsali con andamento sudovest-nordest (Cerros de Cangreja 2.435 m, Montaña La Esperanza, Sierra de Agualda 2.590 m, Montaña de Colón) che talvolta raggiungono il litorale caraibico, determinando tratti di costa alta e rocciosa. come quella che fronteggia l'arcipelago delle Islas de Bahia. La costa atlantica è orlata da lagune (Los Micos, Guaimoreto, Ibans Ébano, Brus, Caratasca, ecc.); qui si estendono le maggiori pianure dello stato.
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IdrografiaLa regione montuosa è divisa in due parti ineguali dal solco vallivo dei fiumi Ulua, Humuya e Goascoràn. Fiumi dell'Honduras
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ClimaIl clima è tropicale, con caldo-umido, ampiamente influenzato dalla
marittimità caraibica e, nell'interno, dall'altitudine.
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Temperatura e precipitazioni
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Demografia
La popolazione dell'Honduras,discende principalmente da
Mestizo e dalla fede
cattolica,
ma lungo il litorale nordico ci sono parecchie chiese evangeliche. Sono le
Comunità degli anglofoni che hanno mantenuto la loro cultura da quando
l'Honduras faceva parte dell'impero
britannico. I gruppi dei
Garífuna, vivono lungo il litorale settemtrionale, in cui vi sono inoltre
molti Afro-Latini Americani . Nel ventesimo secolo,i Garífuna sono diventati
parte integrante dell'identità dell'Honduras; con le rappresentazioni teatrali
quale Louvavagu per contribuire ad amplificare il turismo.
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PopolazioneL'Honduras conta circa 6.2 milione abitanti. Circa il 90% della popolazione
è
meticcia.
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EtnieMeticci 90%, neri 5%, amerindi 4%, bianchi 1%. Etnie dell'Honduras:
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ReligioneCattolici 97%, protestanti 3% (soprattutto sulle coste caraibiche).
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Politica
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Assetto IstituzionaleL'Honduras è una
repubblica presidenziale in base alla
Costituzione del
1982. Presidenti dal 1982 (Ritorno alla democrazia).
Parlamento.
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PartitiL'Honduras ha un sistema bipartitico, che significa che ci sono due partiti politici dominanti; PLH e PNH . È estremamente difficile che qualcuno realizzi il successo elettorale sotto la bandiera di qualunque altro partito.
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Partiti presenti in parlamento
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Partiti precedenti
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Sistema GiudiziarioL'ordinamento giudiziario include una Corte Suprema di Giustizia , le Corti d'Appello e parecchie corti con specifica giurisdizione - quali lavoro, la tassa e le corti criminali. I giudici della Corte Suprema di Giustizia o Corte Suprema de Justicia, sono scelti per un mandato si quattro anni dal congresso nazionale.
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Suddivisione amministrativaL'Honduras attualmente è diviso in 18 dipartimenti e 298 municipalità(departamentos). Ogni dipartimento ha un proprio governatore, che è nominato dal presidente della repubblica dell'Honduras. Dipartimenti dell'Honduras
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Politica InternaAlle ultime elezioni presidenziale e generali tenute il 27 novembre 2005.
Manuel Zelaya del partito liberale dell'Honduras (Partido de liberale
Honduras: PLH) ha vinto contro
Porfirio Pepe Lobo del partito nazionale dell'Honduras (Partido Nacional
de Honduras: PNH) piazzatosi come secondo. L'Honduras ha cinque partiti politici registrati: PNH, PLH, social
Democratici (Partido Innovación Nacional y Demócrata sociale: Pinu-SD),
Cristiano Sociali (Partido Demócrata-Cristiano:CD) ed unificazione Democratica
(Partido Unificación Democrática: UD). I PNH ed i PLH hanno governato il paese
per decenni. Nel 1990, Callejas ha vinto l'elezione sotto lo slogan "Llegó el momento
del Cambio," (il momento del cambiamento è qui), fu aspramenta criticata;
perché assomigliava alla campagna politica dell'"ARENA" di
El
Salvador. Nel 2004, sono stati usate schede elettorali separate per l'elezione dei
sindaci, del congresso e del presidente. Molti altri candidati sono stati
registrati per l'elezione 2005. I partiti nazionalista e liberale sono partiti
politici distinti con una loro propria solida base elettorale, ma essi hanno
precisato che i loro interessi e obiettivi politici durante i 23 anni di
democrazia ininterrotta sono stati molto simili. Sono visti spesso soprattutto
al servizio degli interessi dei loro propri membri, che ricevono i lavori
quando il loro partito va al poter e li perdono ancora quando l'altro
partitova al potere.
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Politica EsteraL'Honduras è un membro delle Nazioni Unite, dell'Organizzazione mondiale del commercio (WTO), dell' Organizzazione degli Stati Americani (OSA o OAS), del Parlamento dell'America centrale (PARLACEN), del sistema centro americano di integrazione (SICA), la Commissione centro americana di sicurezza (CASQ),l' Associazione di Stati dei Caraibi (AEC-ACS) e del Mercato Comune Centroamericano (MCCA o Mercomune). Durante il 1995-96, l'Honduras, membro fondatore delle Nazioni Unite, per la prima volta sedette da membro non permanente del Consiglio di sicurezza dell'ONU. L'Honduras e il Nicaragua hanno avuto rapporti molto tesi durante il 2000 e nel 2001 dovuti ha una disputa sui confini esterni della costa atlantica. Il Nicaragua ha imposto una tariffa del 35% contro l'Honduras dovuta alla disputa e la materia attualmente sta attendendo una decisione dalla Corte Internazionale di Giustizia (ICJ). Al diciassettesimo Summit dell'America centrale nel 1995, ospitato dall'Honduras nella città settentrionale di San Pedro Sula, i sei paesi della regione (ad'esclusione del Belize) hanno firmato dei trattati che istituiscono misure comuni sulla sicurezza e sullo scambio di informazioni riservate per combattere il contrabbando delle automobili rubate nel istmo. Nei successivi Summit (che si tengono ogni 6 mesi), l'Honduras ha continuato a lavorare nell'interesse generale con gli altri paesi centro americani sulle spese L'Honduras mantiene rapporti diplomatici ufficiali con la Repubblica di Cina (Taiwan) anziché con la Repubblica popolare cinese.
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EconomiaL'Honduras è ancora oggi uno dei paesi meno sviluppati e industrializzati
dell'America centrale. Prodotto Nazionale Lordo: 740$ pro capite (113° posto
della classifica mondiale).
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RisorseProduzione di energia elettrica: 305.000 kw.
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EsportazioniUSA 74%, Giappone 4%, Germania 3%, El Salvador 2%, Regno Unito 2%. altri 1%.
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ImportazioniUSA 59%, Guatemala 5%, Messico 4%, Antille olandesi 3%, El Salvador 3%, altri 23%.
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Turismo1 visitatore l'anno ogni 24 abitanti. Provenienza: USA 39%, El Salvador 14%, Nicaragua 9%, altri 38%.
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Trasporti
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StradeGuida a destra. Rete stradale: 2.543 km.
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Rete ferroviariaTotale: 996 km.
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Trasporti navaliRete fluviale.
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Trasporti AereiAeroporti internazionali: Toncontin di Tegucigalpa e San Pedro Sula.
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CulturaIl Santo patrone dell'Honduras è la
Vergine di Suyapa. L'Honduras tiene varie culture. Essendo il secondo paese più grande del Centro America (dopo il Nicaragua),ha quattro distinte aree geografiche: montagne nel interno, la costa Caraibica, la Costa della Mosquitia,le pianure del Golfo de Fonseca e la costa Pacifica dell'Honduras. C'è un arcipelago nel Mar dei Caraibi denominati le isole della baia, con una cultura differente da quella del resto del paese Un Honduregno può essere chiamato un Catracho o un Catracha. La parola è
derivata dall'ultimo nome del Generale honduregno
Florencio Xatruch, che guido nel
1857 le forze
armate dell'Honduras in difesa dei territori honduregni contro un tentativo
d'invasione condotta dal corsaro Nord-americano il filibustiere
William Walker. Il soprannome è considerato complementare, non
derogatorio. Honduras This Week è il più importante giornale in lingua inglese che è stato pubblicato per 17 anni a Tegucigalpa. Adesso dal 1997 è in versione on line.
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FesteIn Honduras si festeggiano tutte le ricorrenze religiose cristiane
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Scrittori
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IstruzioneObbligo scolastico fino a 9 anni.
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AlfabetizzazioneTasso di alfabetizzazione: 71%.
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SanitàNon esiste un sistema sanitario pubblico. L'epidemia di AIDS tocca molta gente.
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AmbienteUso della terra
Il 10% del territorio nazionale è protetto.
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Voci correlate
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Collegamenti esterni
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