Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 10.djvu/209

* HONDURAS. 181 HONDURAS. being the ruins of temples and other religious edifices. For fauna, see Neotropical Region. MixER.vi. Resources. The country is richer in minerals than any other Central American State excepting Nicaragua. They include gold, .silver, copper, zinc, iron, lignite, etc. Lack of capital and energ}', liowcver, has prevented the large development of these resources. The mining ac- tivities are practically confined to the washing of gold from the rivers and the production of some silver in the southern part of the country, these metals being the largest e.xports. Agriculture. The soil is very rich ; but in spite of its unusual fitness for agriculture, Hon- duras is the most backward State of Central America. The natural conditions are conducive to the cultivation of almost all the products of Central America, but the sparsity of population as well as the lack of transportation facilities stand in the way of agricultural development. Jfore attention is paid to stock-raising and to the cultivation of bananas and other fruits in the Atlantic coastal region than to any other branch of farming. Steamers carry a large quan- tity of bananas and cocoanuts to the United States. Tobacco, sugar, maize (the chief food staple), coffee, rice, etc., are all grown in quanti- ties sufficient to supply the local demand, and considerable coffee is sold abroad. The almost prohibitive export duties have brought about a cnnsiderable increase in the live stock of the coun- trj'. The exports of live cattle, however, as well as of hides, arc not unimportant. Sheep, goats, and swine are few in numlicr. Tr- sportation. With regard to transporta- tion facilities tile situation in Honduras is worse than in any other of the Central American States, although the natural obstacles in the way of a railway line from coast to coast are less than ill most of the other States. The construction of a narrow-gauge lino from Puerto Cortes on the Atlantic to the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pa- cific was liegun in ISCiS by an English company, which had secured from tlie Government a land grant of ten square miles per mile of road con- structed, and extensive mining and lumbering privileges, lionds to the amount of $30,000.00(1 were issued and sold, but the work was discon- tinued after about 00 miles, or one-fourth of the road, was constructed. Since then all efforts to resume construction have been unsuccessful, and the part completed, between Puerto Cortes and La Pimenta. has been operated with varying suc- cess by several eomjianies. A mule train is three weeks .in the roail between Puerto Cortes on the Atlantic and the Pacific port of Amapala, a journey that might be made in less than a day if this railroad were completed. Several conces- sions for shorter roads have been obtained by foreign companies from the Government. There are a number of tolerable wagon-roads, but most of the traffic is still carried by mules. The tele- graph lines of the country had 2730 miles of wire in 1899. Commerce. The commerce of Honduras is naturally insignificant in view of the general linckwardncss of the country. The imports in I'.IOO were estimated to amount to 1.074.0.50 pesos gold, of which over two-thirds came from the T'nitcd States. The exports were valued at over 2.fi3."),ri00 pesos gold, and consisted of precious metals, fruit, cattle. cofTce, cabinet woods, tobac- co, hides, and skins. The skins of the roebuck and the feathers of tropical birds are also im- portant ill trade. One-half of the exports of Hon- duras find their way to the United States, the remainder lieing principally divided between Ger- many and the other Central American States. The chief articles importi-d from the United States to Honduras are breadstufTs, cotton man- ufactures, iron and steel manufactures, and bev- erages, almost the entire import trade being usually with this country. (iovERNMENT. The Constitution of Honduras, as modified in 1894, provides for a republican form of government. The executive power is vested in the President, elected by popular vote for a term of four years. The Chamber of Depu- ties, which is intrusted with the exercise of the legislative power, is compo.sed of Deputies elected directly for four years, at the rate of one Deputy for every 10,000 inhabitants. The President is assisted in his duties by a Cabinet of Ministers. For administrative purposes the republic is di- vided into 15 departments, administered by gov- ernors appointed by the President. The admin- istration of justice is in the hands of a supreme court, situated at the capital, and a number of minor tribunals and ju.stices of the peace. The capital is Tegucigalpa. Finance. The chief sources of revenue are customs duties and the spirits, powder, and to- bacco monopolies. The revenue for 1900-01 was estimated at 2,423,000 pesos, and the expenditure at 2,410,824 pesos, of which about one-third was spent by the Department of War. The finances of the country are in a deplorable condition, owing to the expenditures incurred during the war with Salvador and Guatemala, and to tlie continuous civil strife as well as to general mismanagement. Thus the external debt of the country amounted in 1900 to $20,992,850. while the " arrears of interest at the same period amounted to $64.- 498,440, bringing up the foreign indebtedness of the countrv to .$91,491,290. The internal debt anuuiiited in 1900 to 1.800.812 pesos. Deken.se. Military ser'iee is obligatory upon every able-bodied citizen between the ages of eighteen ami fiu'ty. The active army is very small, being estimated at only about 500 men. The militia numbers over 40.000. PoiULATiON. The population of Honduras was 587.500 in 1900. exclusive of (uncivilized) In- dians. Most of the population are called abori- ginal 'Indians.' The number of persons of pure European descent is very small. Religious free- dom is provided for by the Constitution, and no religion is oflicially recognized by the State. The prevailing religion is Roman (^atholic. but there are also a number of Protestant churches. Education is supported by the State to a con- siderable degree, but the present facilities are far from adequate. In 1901 there were nearly 800 prinum' schools, of which 701) were na- tional, all attended by about 29.000 pupils. There are also a high school for girls, and a normal school, both situated at Tegucigalpa, besides six national colleges and seven other educational institutions that receive subventions from the Government. There is also a national industrial school. Most of the departments of the republic are provided with national eolleges, and there are also some institutions for higher education. As regards penal and charitable institutions, there