Sneak Preview

Honduras – a land not frequented by the tourist for reasons of its tumultuous political upheavals as also the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 – is slowly limping back to normal. The lush rainforests, the alpine ridges and charming little coastal towns all beckon the traveller to come and explore this land. Its rich cultural heritage found in the spectacular Mayan ruins of Copan are second only to Chichen Itza in Mexico.

The Banana Republic of yesterday, today attracts a large amount of foreign investment but unfortunately this hasn’t made a substantial difference to the average Honduran. Honduras still is the poorest country in Central America, but for the intrepid traveller, this is uncharted territory waiting to be mapped.

Honduras grows and exports a lot of bananas…. Guess this is the reason that it has got its nickname ‘Banana Republic’!

Ever heard of Lluvia de Peces (Rain of Fishes) in Honduras? A unique phenomenon for centuries in which hundreds of living fish are found on the ground after heavy rains for 2 to 3 hours accompanied with lightning, thunder and strong winds. The fish are not sea water fish, have eyes, are not dead and are not found anywhere else in the area. Isn’t it strange?

Historically Speaking

Much before any European ‘discovered’ Central America, it housed one of the greatest ancient civilizations of the world - the Maya civilization. The realm of the Mayas was scattered all over Central America – from the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico to the western highlands of Honduras. Though the Mayas were never united under one political head, their distinct culture, beliefs, architecture, complex calendar system and societal stratification makes them different from any other groups that lived during that period. The Mayan realm reached all the way into the western Highlands of present day Honduras. Copan was a major centre of the Mayas and it houses numerous ruins and a cultural legacy that any town would be proud to have. The longest hieroglyphic text has been unearthed in the ruins of Copan. But like other Mayan cities, Copan was mysteriously abandoned around 900 AD.

By the time the Europeans arrived on the scene, the strong political organisation of the Mayas had disappeared and what remained was a few warring tribes. A number of non – Maya indigenous tribes occupied the region along with remaining fragments of the Mayan civilization. The Miskito, Sumo and Rama tribes occupied the Mosquito Coast of Honduras. Though they never attained the strong political or social organisation or the monumental culture that characterised the Mayan civilisation, their culture was vivid and rich and survives till date.

In 1502, on this fourth voyage to the Americas Columbus set foot on what is today known as the Guanaja Island, one of the Bay islands. From here, Columbus proceeded to the mainland of Central America and landed in Trujillo. Acknowledging the deep water of the Caribbean Sea, the region was named ‘Cabo de Honduras’ or Cape of the Deep Waters.

The Lenca Indians who occupied the region during that time strongly opposed the Spanish intrusion and almost drove the colonisers off the mainland. But the Spanish managed to gain control after they deceitfully lured Lempira, the leader of the tribe, into a murder trap. Attracted by the cooler interiors, they shifted their base to Comayagua in 1537 and concentrated in that region especially after the discovery of silver in Tegucigalpa in 1570. Comayagua.

Tempted by the mahogany timber along the Caribbean coast, the British and Dutch buccaneers transported Africans settled in Jamaica and other islands for deforestation. Piracy flourished, as the shallow reefs around the Bay Islands were prefect for avoiding the deep – raft Spanish ships. Legends of buried treasure still abound the area. The pirates raided many settlements along the coast including Trujillo in 1643. The Indians along the Mosquito Coast appealed to the British and the coastal region extending from Honduras into Nicaragua was declared as a British protectorate.

In 1821, Honduras along with some other Central American countries was granted independence from Spain. A short and unsuccessful political affiliation with Mexico followed. In 1823, the United Provinces of Central America consisting of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica was formed with Guatemala City as its capital. But the federation soon dissolved because of factionalism and in 1838, Honduras declared itself as a separate Union.

Poorer than its neighbours, and under constant threat of floods and droughts as well as political and military intrusions from Britain and US, Honduras found itself tottering on its toes. The political history of Honduras has been rampant with coups, rebellions, periods of military rule and short affairs with democracy. In a matter of just 10 years Honduras witnessed 20 rulers. The Liberal President, Marco Aurelio Soto tried to reconcile the various fractions and stabilise the economy but the lack of an industrial base made this impossible.

The beginning of the 19th century witnessed the entry of foreign companies into the Honduran economy and later into the political sphere. United Fruit was one such company. By 1918, United Fruit, an American company had firmly entrenched itself in Honduras controlling the political and economic structure, with backing from the US government. Politics in the first half of the 20th century revolved around rivalries between the three major US fruit companies – United Fruit Company, Cuyamel Fruit and Standard Fruit. It was during this period that Honduras was nick named ‘the Banana Republic’.

In 1932, General Tiburcio Carias Andino assumed dictatorial powers and remained in power till 1948 when he was replaced by Juan Manuel Galvez. Several reforms were introduced under his rule. In 1954 the Banana strike took place, and this marked the beginning of the Honduras labour movement.

Tensions between El Salvador and Honduras mounted during the rule of Colonel Oswaldo who assumed political control with the backing of the fruit companies. 1969 witnessed the five – day Soccer War between El Salvador and Honduras.

In 1981, a civilian government was elected but political unrest in neighbouring countries especially Nicaragua posed serious challenges to the smooth functioning of the government. US military troops used Honduras as their base for de-stabilising Nicaragua. Anti-American demonstrations by the locals led to reconsideration of the military agreement with the US. Finally in 1990, the US troops left the country. The last decade of the 20th century has witnessed a relatively quiet political sphere with concentration on growth of economic activities. However, Hurricane Mitch that blew over the country in 1998 has rampaged much of Honduras’ unstable economy.

Habitat

Located in Central America, Honduras shares borders with three countries – El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua – and has a long Caribbean Coast in the north as well as a small coastline in the south west that is washed over by the Pacific Ocean.

Situated on a landmass beneath which four tectonic plates converge, its no surprise that the terrain of Honduras is exceedingly uneven covered with craggy mountains. Not steamy by nature, these highlands are covered by pine forests in the lower altitudes, the vegetation changing to cloud forest and short trees as you move higher up.

Though narrow, the coastal areas are heavily cultivated especially the Caribbean coast where most of the land is used for banana plantations. East along the Caribbean coast is the Mosquito Coast where tangled jungles form the largest rainforest in Central America. The islands off the Caribbean coast, the Bay Islands and the Swan Islands, are a part of Honduran territory. The remnants of the coral reef system that extends all the way from Belize along the Caribbean coast surround the Bay Islands.

Honduras is home to an amazing variety of bird and animal life. Jaguars, armadillos, wild pigs, monkeys, alligators, toucans, herons and kingfishers inhabit the country. Large-scale deforestation, however, is adversely affecting the fauna as it results in the loss of their natural habitat.