Essay/Term paper: Honduras

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Political Science

Honduras


Have you ever wanted to travel to a beautiful country far from where
your at now. To visit a land full of many different customs and where culture
is put into a whole new perspective. Well if this is what you have dreamed of
take your Spanish class and fly or drive down to a friendly neighbor Honduras!
Now lets learn about our travel.

"Size And Population"
About 90% of the population is mestizo (people of Spanish and Native
American ancestry); the remainder are Native Americans, blacks, and whites. The
population is about 60% rural. In 1995 the estimated population was 5,968,000.

"Physical Landscape And Location"
Except for two coastal strips, Honduras is a plateau, consisting of
broad, fertile plains broken by deep valleys, and traversed by mountain ranges
in a northwestern to southwestern direction. Most of the country's rivers drain
to the Atlantic Ocean. Forests cover about 31% of the land.

"Culture And Customs"
The Native American and Spanish strains in Honduran cultural history is
visible in the awesome architecture. Fine Arts in Comayagua, the old capital
has long been a custom to our southern neighbors. in northwestern Honduras is a
ceremonial center of the Old Empire of the Maya and one of the most important
archaeological sites in the entire western hemisphere.

"Type Of Government"
The constitution of Honduras was formed in 1982. Under the Constitution,
the people elect a president and the members of the legislature serve four-year
terms. Presidents can only serve one term. The cabinet is appointed by the
president. The military has allot of the influence in the government of
Honduras. Military leaders are completely responsible for its national security
policies and they can veto any of the presidents appointments to the cabinet.
Military leaders have often taken complete control of the government in the past.


"Education"
In this country education is free and compulsory for children between
the ages of 7 and 12. Although the literacy rate stands at 73% the government
pledges to raise it. The Pan American Agricultural School, financed by the
United Brands Company of the United States, is near the capital.

"Language"
Spanish is the official language and is spoken by nearly all the
Honduran people. English is spoken by some people in the north, and the Native
Americans have retained their languages.

"Religion"
About 85% of the people are Roman Catholic. Protestants constitute a
small minority.

"Type of Currency"
The unit of currency in Honduras is the lempira, which is divided into
100 centavos. 6.91 lempiras equal $1.00 to the US as of 1993. Government
controlled municipal Bank and national Agricultural development Bank provide
credit for developmental projects.

"Agriculture"
About 16% of the total land area of Honduras is arabel, most of it on
the coastal plains. The leading cash crop are coffee and bananas and plantains.
Other important crops include sugarcane and palm oil. The principle food crops
are corn, beans, and rice. Citrus fruit and pineapples also are grown.
"Medical Information"
In recent years public health services in Honduras have been made more
accessible through an increase in modern health units. Also through the
development of community participation in health programs. These programs have
resulted in malaria control, improved sewage, and increased medical personnel.
Unfortunately, malnutrition, inadequate housing, and infant diseases are still a
problem.

"Climate"
The climate of Honduras is Tropical but is tempered by the higher
elevations of the interior. Coastal regions are warmer and the humidity can
become high. This all added together gives the Honduras nation an average 80
degrees F. or 26.7 degrees C.

Well now that you have taken the time to learn a little bit of facts of
the Great Latin country of Honduras, I hope you will take some time to visit
this rich cultured country. I am confident that you will enjoy this awesome
experience!