Land and People:'Over 80% of the land is mountainous; ranges extend from east to west at altitudes of 5,000 to 9,000 ft (1,520–2,740 m) and limit heavy rainfall to the north. In the east are the swamps and forests of the Mosquito Coast. Two river systems, the
Patuca and the
Ulúa, drain most of the north. The country's short stretch of southern coast on the Gulf of
Fonseca, with San Lorenzo and the port of
Henecán, is the sole Pacific outlet. Honduras has a tropical, rainy climate. The people, of whom about 90% are mestizo, are Spanish-speaking (indigenous dialects are also spoken) and nearly all Roman Catholic'.
Economy and Government:
'Honduras is one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere and remains dependent on international economic assistance. The economy is based on agriculture; bananas and coffee are the most important exports. The vast banana plantations, established by U.S. companies, are mainly along the northern coast; the United Fruit Company and the Standard Fruit Company and their successor companies, fiercely resented by many as
exploitative monopolies, have had much social and political influence in Honduras. Seafood, gold and other minerals, palm oil, fruit, lumber, and beef are also exported. Other important food crops include corn, beans, rice, and citrus.
Honduras has rich forest resources and deposits of silver, lead, zinc, iron, gold, antimony, and copper, but exploitation is hampered by inadequate road and rail systems, and the country remains underdeveloped. Its only railroads link the banana plantations in the north to San Pedro Sula and the principal ports, La
Ceiba,
Puerto Cortés, and
Tela; they do not penetrate more than 75 mi (121 km) inland. Air transportation, however, has opened up remote areas. Industry, concentrated chiefly in San Pedro Sula, is small and consumer-oriented, including the production of processed food (mainly sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, and wood products. Machinery, transportation equipment, raw materials, chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs are imported. The United States is by far the largest trading partner, followed by Guatemala and El Salvador.
Honduras is governed under the constitution of 1982 as amended. The president, who is both head of state and head of government, is popularly elected for a four-year term. The unicameral legislature, the National Congress, has 128 members, also elected for four years. Administratively, the country is divided into 18 departments'.
Tegucigalpa:'Tegucigalpa (1997 est. pop. 897,000), capital and largest city of Honduras, in a small valley in the mountains of South Central Honduras. The city has diverse light industry, including the production of textiles, sugar, and cigarettes. Old Tegucigalpa, built on a steep hill, retains many quaint colonial aspects, with narrow streets and sidewalks, overhanging balconies, and stair-stepped streets. Across the
Choluteca River lies
Comayagüela, the more modern but less affluent section; the city's population has expanded greatly there in the last few decades. Founded late in the 16
th cent., Tegucigalpa was a colonial center of silver and gold mining. With independence from Spain (1821), it became the stronghold of the liberals under Francisco
Morazan. The city vied with
Comayagua as the republic's capital, not securing the title permanently until 1880. Its university was founded in 1847. There is an international airport, but the city is not served by a railroad. Tegucigalpa was significantly damaged by a hurricane in 1998, which they are still recovering from today.'
From the moment we got engaged we knew we wanted to celebrate our marriage in a unique way. Aside from each other, our family and friends are what's most important to us, and we wanted to find a way to bring everyone together in a special way. For many of you a Honduran wedding seems out of the ordinary, while there are those of you who can't imagine it being held anywhere else. When we thought about what we wanted our day to mean, Honduras is what seemed to fit. I have always imagined a wedding in Tegucigalpa, and because Kyle knows the impact the country has had on my life, he too wants for us to celebrate our lives together in a place that is sacred.
