In 2003, Honduras was a developing country with a population of approximately 6 million people. Most of the population were located in the central region of the country, which included the capital city Tegucigalpa. The economy was largely dependent on exports of coffee, bananas and other agricultural products. The infrastructure in Honduras was relatively poor and there were significant issues with poverty and inequality. Education levels were low and health care access was limited. Crime rates were high and there were frequent reports of political violence. According to computergees, the government at the time was dominated by two main political parties that had been in power since 1982 and had implemented a number of neoliberal economic policies which had resulted in an increase in poverty levels as well as rising inequality. Despite these issues, Honduras still maintained strong cultural ties to its native heritage, including its Mayan history, as well as its African roots. Many Hondurans also remained committed to Catholicism which held great influence in the country’s politics and culture.
Yearbook 2003
Honduras. “March for Dignity,” the biggest protest since President Ricardo Maduro took office in January 2002, gathered on August 27, 10,000 participants and degenerated into riots and clashes with police.
According to Countryaah.com, Honduras Independence Day is September 15. The protests, organized by Catholic priests and more than a hundred trade unions and grassroots organizations, pertained to the government’s plans for a $ 1 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The terms of the loan included privatization of municipal water companies and “flexibility” of the labor market. included salary cuts for government employees. The president has also faced criticism for the police’s methods of dealing with the growing crime.
HISTORY
At the beginning of the 2000s, most of the problems that the governments supported by the military during the eighties of the 20th century still remained unsolved. they had bequeathed to the country: poverty, crime and corruption. The administrations led by the liberals (1994-2001), engaged in the difficult task of institutionally limiting the power of the armed forces, had had to face numerous natural disasters that had seriously compromised an already fragile economy, still mostly linked to agriculture. The policy of privatization and reduction of the public deficit had brought little results, worsening the already extremely difficult conditions of the population, which had seen a decrease in the prospects of employment in the public sector and the services offered by the state. Penalized by the choices of the executive, the Partido Liberal (PL) lost the majority of consensus in the legislative elections of November 2001, in which it obtained only 55 seats against 61 in the Partido Nacional (PN), whose candidate, R. Maduro, was elected president of the Republic.
The new administration placed among its priorities the fight against urban crime and the reduction of the state deficit within the parameters set by the International Monetary Fund, from which it hoped to obtain new funding. However, the results obtained in both these sectors were conflicting. The massive use of the army to guarantee public order and the tightening of penalties increased to some extent the capacity of the state to intervene, but did not reduce the crime rate that during 2003 continued to rise. In the economic field, the tight tax on state spending brought a slight improvement to the conditions of public finances, but the increase in taxes and the freeze on wages caused an intensification of social protest and a wave of strikes in almost all sectors of the public sector.. Indigenous communities also mobilized against the government-sanctioned wild logging policy. In August 2003 a massive protest organized by the Coordinadora Nacional de Resistencia Popular (CNRP), which brought together trade unions and civic groups, crossed the capital to demand the resignation of Maduro, the abandonment of the parameters of the IMF and the privatization policy. The president, however, despite the growing loss of popularity, continued on the path he had taken, and in February 2004 he obtained from the IMF the disbursement of new loans. All this failed to relaunch the image of the executive that was defeated in the general elections of November 2005: the PL won the largest number of seats (62) and its candidate, JM Zelaya Rosales, was elected president with 49.9 % of votes.
In foreign policy, Honduras he re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2002 (interrupted in 1959), while relations with Nicaragua remained tense due to the unresolved dispute over belonging to a maritime border area, considered likely to be the site of oil fields.
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras; 1. 1 million residents (2015). Located 100 km from the Pacific coast, Tegucigalpa is Honduras political and cultural center and has a national university and cathedral dating from the 18th century. A main road goes north to the industrial district of San Pedro Sula; otherwise, Tegucigalpa is heavily dependent on Toncontín International Airport for its communications. The city has food, textile, paper and cement industries, among others. On the outskirts of the city there are also composition factories called maquiladoras, which produce household appliances, among other things.
Tegucigalpa was founded in 1578 as a central location for the area’s mining operations. Since 1880 it has been the nation’s capital; during the period 1824–80 Tegucigalpa and Comayagua alternated.
Republic of Honduras Brief Guide
According to AbbreviationFinder, Honduras is a state in Central America with a population of about seven million. Its border neighbors are Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Honduras has a sea connection to both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
The currency of Honduras is Lempira (HNL). € 1 = about 28.7 HNL. In many places, the US dollar is also used as a means of payment.
Security
We stay in our areas in safe areas, but pickpocketing is possible, especially in cities, and moving around at night in certain areas can be unsafe. However, general caution within common sense is desirable throughout the journey. Current security warnings for all countries can be found on the Foreign Ministry’s website
Food & beverage
Hondurans eat a lot of fish and seafood, they are served along the coast as well as in tourist centers. The most famous Honduran meal is Lobster. Honduran cuisine is colorful and delicious. Usually meals include different types of beans, corn, rice, tortillas, fruit, and seafood. All water and beverages must be industrially bottled. Salads and vegetables should also be rinsed with bottled water. The food should be heated or cooked. Reheated foods should be avoided.