Honduras
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 churches
are growing in number. While Spanish is the predominant language,
some English is spoken along the northern coast and is prevalent on
the Caribbean Bay Islands. Several indigenous Indian languages and
GarÃfuna (a mixture of Afro-indigenous languages) are also 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 9th century. Columbus landed at mainland Honduras
(Trujillo) in 1502, and named the area "Honduras" (meaning "depths")
for the deep water off the coast. Spaniard Hernan Cortes arrived in
1524. |
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Honduras was originally inhabited by indigenous tribes, the most
powerful of which were the Mayans. The western-central part of
Honduras was inhabited by the Lencas. These autonomous groups had
their conflicts but maintained their commercial relationships with
each other and with other populations as distant as Panama and
Mexico.
On July 30, 1502, Christopher Columbus first saw Honduran soil and
he claimed the territory in the name of his sovereigns, Ferdinand of
Aragon and Isabella of Castile. He named the area "Honduras"
(meaning "depths") for the deep water off the coast.
In 1523 the first expeditionary forces arrived under the command of
Gil Gonzales de Avila, who hoped to rule the new territory. In 1524,
Cristobal de Olid arrived with the same intent on behalf of Hernan
Cortes. Olid founded the colony Triunfo de la Cruz and tried to
establish an independent government. When Cortes learned of this, he
decided to reestablish his own authority by sending a new
expedition, headed by Francisco de las Casas. Olid, who managed to
capture his rivals, was betrayed by his men and assassinated. Cortes
then new-world-traveled to Honduras to firmly establish his government in the
city of Trujillo before returning to Mexico in 1526. Honduras formed
part of the colonial era Captaincy General of Guatemala. The cities
of Comayagua and Tegucigalpa developed as early mining centers.
By October 1537, the Lenca chief, Lempira, a warrior of great
renown, had managed to unify more than two hundred native tribes in
order to offer an organized resistance against penetration by the
Spanish conquerors. After a long battle, Governor Montejo gained the
Valley of Comayagua, established Comayagua city in another location,
and vanquished the indigenous peoples in Tenampua, Guaxeregui, and
Ojuera.
Independence
Honduras gained independence from Spain in 1821. The country was
then briefly annexed to the Mexican Empire. In 1823, Honduras joined
the newly formed United Provinces of Central America federation,
which collapsed in 1838. Gen. Francisco Morazan--a Honduran national
hero--led unsuccessful efforts to maintain the federation. Honduras'
agriculture-based economy was dominated in the 1900s 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 century until the mid-20th
century. |
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