Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1042

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HONDURAS

Honduras is essentially a cattle producing country. The total number of farms was 3,658; of cattle ranches, 1,561. Cattle breeding is carried on extensively, and dairy farming on a small scale. In 1919 there were within the Republic 103,120 head of cattle, 12,701 horses, 2,813 mules, 331 donkeys, 23,054 pigs, 4 sheep, and 14 goats. About 150,400 acres are devoted to pasture.

The mineral resources of Honduras are — gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, antimony, some of them being found in almost every department. Gold, bar silver, some copper and lead, and various ores are exported. Deposits of brown and other coal have also been found. The chief requisites for the development of the mining industries are capital, and facilities for transport.

Straw hats and cigars are the only articles of home manufacture exported. A very good quality of Panama hat is manufactured in the Departments of Copan and Santa Barbara. There are in all 106 registered factories of all classes in the Republic, mostly for making aguardiente, soda water, cigars, sugar, soap, candles, shoes, and artificial ice, besides minor establish- ments.

Commerce.

Imports and exports for 5 years :-

-

1915-16

1916-17

1917-1P

1918-19

919-20

Imports Exports

£ 890,421 838,113

£

1,259,032 1,070,690

£ 1,435,334 1,376,079

£

2,070,412 1,799,322

£

3,S58,228 2,083,418

The principal exports from Honduras in 1919-20 were bananas (2,872,475 U.S. dollars), coconuts (550,588 dollars), coffee (216,918 dollars), hides (2,173,638 dollars), cattle (185,380 dollars), and sugar (2,313,064 dollars).

The United States takes practically all the exports of Honduras (95*9 per cent, in 1919-20), and furnishes practically all its imports.

In February, 1916, Congress agreed to the establishment of a free port, called Puerto Herrera, and built at the point where the Cruta River joins the Bay of Caratasca.

The treaty of Commerce and Navigation of 1915 provides for the ' most- favoured-nation' treatment between the United Kingdom and Honduras.

Total trade between Honduras and United Kingdom for 5 years was (according to Board of Trade returns) as follows : —

-

1910

1917

1918

1919

1920

Imports from llonriufM Exports to Ilonilni'ks

£

1,275

52,446

£

120 86,778

£ 64,359

£

540 72,278

£ It, 302

saejio



The transport of fruit, kc, to the United States is effected largely by steamships, some of them built for the purpose.