Monday, July 20, 2009

What Does The Honduras Flag Means ?


The blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The five stars represent the five nations of the United States of Central America (Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala) and the hope that the nations may form a union again.

Honduras National Flower ( ORHID )



The rose was the National Flower during 1946-1969, but considering that roses were not native to Honduras, the Legislative Decree # 17 dated January 12, 1946 was replaced by the National Congress in Tegucigalpa on November 25, 1969.

Considering that the Orchid (Brassavola Digbiana) is a flower native to Honduras with exceptional beauty, vigor and distinctive characteristics, it was decreed to declare the National Flower of the Republic of Honduras as the orchid. Also at the same time, the government implemented pertinent measures to ensure its conservation and to the areas in which it grows, and to control its commercialization, cultivation and to teach scientific knowledge regarding orchids in local.

Honduras Coat of Arm

Honduras, like all other countries that were Spanish colonies, used the shields (coat-of-arms) of Spain, but once the country became independent, these shields were no longer necessary.

Dionisio de Herrera, as the Head of the State of Honduras, decreed the creation of a national shield on October 3, 1825. Through his initiative, Honduras acquired its own national shield, one which represents Honduran history and the rich variety of national resources that it possesses and which should be protected and conserved.

Pine - National Tree of Honduras

The government established the Pine tree as a national symbol through accord # 429 emitted in Tegucigalpa on May 14, 1926. This accord was designed to establish protective measures to conserve and improve the existing resources throughout the country. The pine tree (pinus oocarpa or pino ocote) exemplifies the national flora, and it is considered to be one of the resources known to Hondurans throughout the nation since it is abundant and its products are used in many ways. The protection given to natural resources in general and particularly to pine trees, represents a necessary conservation measure that will foster civic pride amongst all Hondurans.

Therefore, an accord was approved by the legislative decree # 48 dated February 4, 1927 to declare the Pine as the national tree of Honduras

Economy


El Banana Industry in Honduras

Bananas were introduced to Central America by Spanish missionaries in the first years of colonization but were cultivated only on a small scale for local consumption. Banana exports began in the 1860s when locally owned plantations on the north coast started selling their fruit to passing tramp freighters who in turn sold their loads in the United States and Europe . When growers and boat captains realized the moneymaking potential of the trade, more plantations sprang up along the coast. For the first few decades, Hondurans owned and worked the banana fields, meaning local growers could sell to the highest bidder and make significant profits. By the turn of the century, however, North American exporters realized they could boost their earnings by running their own plantations and set about gaining control of as much of the Honduran north coast as possible.

This conversion of the north coast into a virtual North American colony was led by three companies: United Fruit (now Chiquita), Cuyamel and Standard Fruit (now Dole). Some land was actually purchased by the companies, but much more was awarded to them by the government in massive concessions, in return for railroad construction and jobs. Additionally the companies had no compunctions about paying bribes and even fomenting the occasional revolution to keep government officials in line. By the second decade of the 20th century, the banana companies held almost one million acres of the countries most fertile lands, were making huge profits and unabashedly manipulated government officials to maintain the status quo.

Departments Of Honduras is divided in 18 departments


Departments

  1. Atlantida (Atlantica)
  2. Choluteca: Choluteca
  3. Colón
  4. Comayagua: Comayagua
  5. Copán
  6. Cortés: Sa Pedro Sula
  7. El Paraíso (The Paradise): Yuscaran
  8. Francisco Moraz n: Tegucigalpa
  9. Gracias a Dios (Thanks to God): Puerto Lempira
  10. Intibucá: La Espiranza (Hope)
  11. Islas de Bahia
  12. La Paz (The Peace): La Paz
  13. Lempira: ?Gracias
  14. Ocotepeque
  15. Olancho: Juticalpa
  16. Santa Barbara (St. Barbara): Santa Barbara
  17. Valle: Nacaome
  18. Yoro

Honduras History


This Photo Below Is A Small View Of Honduras

During the first millennium, Honduras was inhabited by the Maya. Columbus explored the country in 1502. Honduras, with four other Central American nations, declared its independence from Spain in 1821 to form a federation of Central American states. In 1838, Honduras left the federation and became independent. Political unrest rocked Honduras in the early 1900s, resulting in an occupation by U.S. Marines. Dictator Gen. Tiburcio Carias Andino established a strong government in 1932.

In 1969, El Salvador invaded Honduras after Honduran landowners deported several thousand Salvadorans. Five thousand people ultimately died in what is called "the football war," because it broke out during a soccer game between the two countries. By threatening economic sanctions and military intervention, the Organization of American States (OAS) induced El Salvador to withdraw. After a decade of military rule, parliamentary democracy returned with the election of Roberto Suazo Córdova as president in 1982. However, Honduras faced severe economic problems and tensions along its border with Nicaragua. "Contra" rebels, waging a guerrilla war against the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua, used Honduras as a training and staging area. The U.S. also used Honduras for military exercises and built bases to train Honduran and Salvadoran troops.

In 1997, Carlos Flores Facussé of the Liberal Party was elected president. He began to reform the economy and modernize the government. In recent years, Honduras has faced high unemployment, inflation, and economic over-dependence on coffee and bananas. In Oct. 1998, Hurricane Mitch killed some 13,000 Hondurans, left 2 million homeless, and caused more than $5 billion in damage.

In 2002, Ricardo Maduro became president, promising to lessen crime and corruption, but his hardline efforts, growing increasingly more repressive, have not improved these problems.