Honduras

By JJ King

Capital, Famous Cities, Languages

• Tegucigalpa is the Capital

• San Pedro Sula- second largest city

• Languages include: Ch’orti’ English, Garif, Spanish, Lenca, Mískito, Pech, Sumo Tawahka, Tol

Economy and Currency • Lempiras: It is subdivided into 100 centavos.• As of March 5th, 2010, the lempira was

quoted at 18.925 HNL to 1 USD. U.S. dollars are widely accepted as currency on the Bay Islands, but the mainland mainly deals in Lempiras.

• The economy of Honduras is based mostly on agriculture, which accounted for 22% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 1999.

• Leading export coffee ($340 million) accounted for 22% of total Honduran export revenues. Bananas, formerly the country's second-largest export until being virtually wiped out by 1998's Hurricane Mitch, recovered in 2000 to 57% of pre-Mitch levels. Cultivated shrimp are another important export sector.

Exports

• The country’s total exports have declined from $6.046 billion in 2008 to $5.25 billion in the year 2009.

• Although traditional agricultural commodities like coffee and banana are the main items exported, Honduras has a strong export processing industry which is primarily focused on assembling textile and apparel goods for re-export to the United States.

• Other items exported by Honduras include shrimp, wire harnessing, cigars, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobsters and lumber.

• El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico are the other trading partners of Honduras.

Imports

• Honduras imports have declined from $10.39 billion in 2008 to $7.57 billion in 2009. The major items imported by Honduras are machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels and foodstuff. The US, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Costa Rica are the country’s main import partners, which accounted for 49.8%, 7.6%, 6.1%, 4.7%, and 4.2%, respectively, of Honduras’ total imports in the year 2008.

Corporations

• Banco Atlantida- Bank

• Elcosa- Energy

• Telcel (Telefonica Celular)- Cell phones

Population and Employment

• 7.48 million people live in Honduras• Most normal jobs, doctor, lawyer, farmer, ect.

However, big focus on tourism. • Agriculture is still the main source of income

and about 75%

Political Conditions and President

• President--Porfirio LOBO Sosa• Political conditions seem to be fairly

stable• There is some corruptness, like in

most Central America governments

Culture and Business Today

• As for religious beliefs they are all Christians. Some are Catholics and Evangelistic.

• There is a lot of poverty and people are not able to afford to see a doctor so they have worse medications. As for more wealthier people they go to the gym and eat healthy

• If you are planning on visiting and being respectful then I would suggest you being humble because the country is somewhat poor, so don't mind that and be humble.

• Don't do things you wouldn't do in your country and you'll be alright in Honduras, as simple as that.

Current Events• Honduran President Porfirio Lobo says he is seeking a legal solution for the safe return of

ousted President Manuel Zelaya that would avoid Zelaya's detention. Honduras president wants ousted leader's return

• TORONTO -- The 24-year-old woman who witnessed her father's murder on his yacht returned home Monday to the loving embrace of her family. Survivor of attack in Honduras returns to family home on Manitoulin

• Robert Naiman: Wikileaks Honduras: State Dept. Busted on Support of Coup U.S. government was totally clear about the basic facts of what took place in Honduras on June 28, 2009. The U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa sent a cable to Washington with subject: "Open and Shut: The Case of the Honduran Coup," asserting that "there is no doubt" that the events of June 28 "constituted an illegal and unconstitutional coup." The Embassy listed arguments being made by supporters of the coup to claim its legality, and dismissed them thus: "none... has any substantive validity under the Honduran constitution." The Honduran military clearly had no legal authority to remove President Zelaya from office or from Honduras, the Embassy said, and their action -- the Embassy described it as an "abduction" and "kidnapping" -- was clearly unconstitutional.

• On Jan. 27, 2010, Porfirio Lobo, a longtime conservative politician, was inaugurated as president and Mr. Zelaya went into exile with his family in the Dominican Republic. Honduras News - Breaking World Honduras News - The New York Times

The End

• Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras

• http://honduras.com/• http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1922.htm• http://honduras.com/newspapers.htm