DRUGS

HONDURAS

Have you ever wanted to travel to a beautiful country far from where your
at now. To visit a land full of many different customs and where culture is put
into a whole new perspective. Well if this is what you have dreamed of take your
Spanish class and fly or drive down to a friendly neighbor Honduras! Now lets
learn about our travel.

"Size And Population"
About 90% of the population is mestizo (people of Spanish and Native
American ancestry); the remainder are Native Americans, blacks, and whites. The
population is about 60% rural. In 1995 the estimated population was 5,968,000.

"Physical Landscape And Location"
Except for two coastal strips, Honduras is a plateau, consisting of broad,
fertile plains broken by deep valleys, and traversed by mountain ranges in a
northwestern to southwestern direction. Most of the country's rivers drain to the
Atlantic Ocean. Forests cover about 31% of the land.

"Culture And Customs"
The Native American and Spanish strains in Honduran cultural history is
visible in the awesome architecture. Fine Arts in Comayagua, the old capital has
long been a custom to our southern neighbors. in northwestern Honduras is a
ceremonial center of the Old Empire of the Maya and one of the most important
archaeological sites in the entire western hemisphere.

"Type Of Government"
The constitution of Honduras was formed in 1982. Under the Constitution,
the people elect a president and the members of the legislature serve four-year
terms. Presidents can only serve one term. The cabinet is appointed by the
president. The military has allot of the influence in the government of Honduras.
Military leaders are completely responsible for its national security policies and
they can veto any of the presidents appointments to the cabinet. Military leaders
have often taken complete control of the government in the past.

"Education"
In this country education is free and compulsory for children between the
ages of 7 and 12. Although the literacy rate stands at 73% the government pledges
to raise it. The Pan American Agricultural School, financed by the United Brands
Company of the United States, is near the capital.

"Language"
Spanish is the official language and is spoken by nearly all the Honduran
people. English is spoken by some people in the north, and the Native Americans
have retained their languages.

"Religion"
About 85% of the people are Roman Catholic. Protestants constitute a
small minority.

"Type of Currency"
The unit of currency in Honduras is the lempira, which is divided into 100
centavos. 6.91 lempiras equal $1.00 to the US as of 1993. Government controlled
municipal Bank and national Agricultural development Bank provide credit for
developmental projects.

"Agriculture"
About 16% of the total land area of Honduras is arabel, most of it on the
coastal plains. The leading cash crop are coffee and bananas and plantains. Other
important crops include sugarcane and palm oil. The principle food crops are
corn, beans, and rice. Citrus fruit and pineapples also are grown.

"Medical Information"
In recent years public health services in Honduras have been made more
accessible through an increase in modern health units. Also through the
development of community participation in health programs. These programs
have resulted in malaria control, improved sewage, and increased medical
personnel. Unfortunately, malnutrition, inadequate housing, and infant diseases
are still a problem.

"Climate"
The climate of Honduras is Tropical but is tempered by the higher
elevations of the interior. Coastal regions are warmer and the humidity can
become high. This all added together gives the Honduras nation an average 80
degrees F. or 26.7 degrees C.





Well now that you have taken the time to learn a little bit of facts of the
Great Latin country of Honduras, I hope you will take some time to visit this rich
cultured country. I am confident that you will enjoy this awesome experience!