Honduras

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a republic of Central America; bounded by Nicaragua, Guatemala, the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean; area, 46,250 square miles; pop. about 610,000; capital, Tegucigalpa. Topography. The country is generally mountainous, and is traversed by the Cordilleras, connecting the Andes on the S. with the Sierra Madre on the N. The rivers are numerous though small, the principal ones being the Ulna, Aguan, Choluteca, and Chamelican. The republic has nearly 500 miles of sea coast with numerous fine harbors. Climate and Productions. The climate is mild in the higher regions and semitropical in the lowlands. Agriculture is the principal occupation of the people. The mineral resources are great; gold, platinum, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, antimony, nickel and cobalt being found in nearly every department. Commerce. The chief agricultural product is bananas, which are grown mainly on the Caribbean coast. That man region also produces cocoanuts. The Other agristaple food product is corn. cultural products are rubber, coffee, to- The bacco, beans, rice, and sugar cane. total imports in 1919 amounted to about $5,000,000 and the exports to about $7,000,000. Practically all the exports are taken by the United States, which also furnished nearly all the imports. Communications. -In recent years the main roads of the country have been improved so that they are passable by The railroad from Puerto motor cars. Cortez to Potrerillos, about 70 miles in length, was taken over by the Government in 1912, and has been completely overhauled and repaired. In 1918 a line was completed from the Port of Tela to El Progreso. There are in all about 365 miles of railway. There were in 1919 about 630 miles of telephone lines and 4,500 miles of telegraph lines. is derived Finance. The revenue chiefly from customs, and from spirit explosive, and tobacco mononoli 976 and the total expenditure amounted to $7,770,585. The internal debt for 1919-1920 was $3,555,982. The revenue of the country is mainly derived from tobacco and spirits. Government. The legislature is vested in a C Congress s of of Deputies, consisting of 42 members elected directly for four years. The executive is a President, elected by popular vote for four years. pope He acts through a Council of five, who ministers of Foreign Relations, are Government and Justice, War, Treasury and Public Credit, Public Works and Instruction. Religion and Education. -The prevailing religion is the Roman Catholic, but freedom is guaranteed to all creeds. Instruction is free and compulsory. about 1,000 schools, with There are about 1,200 teachers. There are about 95,000 children of school age, of whom about 35,000 attend school. The expenditure for education in 1919 was 384,980 pesos. There is a university at Tegucigalpa, where there is also maintained a central institution for secondary instruction. History. Honduras was discovered by Columbus in 1502, conquered by Cortez 1523, joined the Republic of Central in in America in 1821 and became an independent State in 1839. There have been several small civil wars and conflicts with adjoining States. In 1894 the present constitution was adopted and in 1897 Honduras became a part of the Greater Republic of Central America, which soon dissolved. In July, 1906, there was a short war between Honduras and Salvador on one side, and Guatemala on the other. There was a revolt against the Government in 1910, headed by General Valladeras. In the following year, the former president, Bonilla, instigated a revolt. The United States Government intervened to adjust the difficulties. Disturbed conditions continued throughout the several years following, and in 1913 United States marines were landed to protect American property. In 1916 an arbitration treaty was negotiated between Honduras and the United States. A revolution against the rule of President Bertrand broke out in 1919, largely as a result of the anti- German attitude of the executive. In September, President Bertrand resigned. There was another revolution in February, 1920, which resulted from the election of General Gutierrez to the dency, in October, 1919 pressed with