HONDURAS

AREA, TOPOGRAPHY, AND CLIMATE

Honduras, with an area of about 46,000 square miles, or about that of the State of Pennsylvania, is surpassed in size in Central America only by Nicaragua and Guatemala. This Republic, lying southeast of Guatemala, northeast of El Salvador, and northwest of Nicaragua, has a northern coast line of about 350 miles on the Caribbean Sea and a short Pacific seaboard of about 50 miles.

Topography. The topography of Honduras is somewhat diversified. The interior is mountainous, interspersed with large, fertile plateaus and valleys. Along the north shore-and to a smaller extent, on the Pacific side-spread extensive areas of flat, alluvial lands, suitable for the growing of bananas. Between these coastal plains and the mountains of the interior are scattered foothills of varying heights. The country is well watered by many streams, which, in general, flow northeast to empty into the Caribbean, or southwest to the Gulf of Fonseca.

Climate. The temperature varies according to the elevation, being hot and humid in the coastal plains and mild and pleasant in the mountain regions and on the elevated plateaus. The change in temperature is very noticeable in traveling from the coast to the capital of the country, which is situated at an elevation of 3,500 feet. There are two seasons, the wet and dry. Although they are not very plainly marked, the former may be said to extend for the country as a whole from May to December, and the latter from January to April. Rainfall varies with the locality, but is greater along the Atlantic than along the Pacific coast. In the capital area the annual precipitation is about 65 inches, and the rainy season lasts from about June to October.

POPULATION AND PURCHASING POWER

The population of the Republic was 962,000, according to the census of 1935. The population of the cities is relatively small, that of the capital, Tegucigalpa, being 35,000; of San Pedro Sula, 17,500; and of La Ceiba, 10,800.

The purchasing power of the people averages less than one hundred dollars per capita per annum. Wages for laborers ranges from 25 to 85 cents, United States currency, per day; women and children are paid less. Wages in the cities, among the educated

classes, are also low, ranging from $25 to $100 per month. Owing to the high cost of transportation and the limited purchasing power, most products which would be considered staple in the United States are regarded as luxuries in Honduras.

CHIEF ECONOMIC ACTIVTIES

The chief sources of wealth in Honduras are bananas, gold, and silver. These constitute 90 percent of the total value of exports.

Agriculture.-Agricultural activities, aside from banana growing, consist largely of coffee and tobacco cultivation and cattle raising, although sugarcane, beans, corn, and other crops are raised for local consumption. When crops are sufficiently large, the excess is exported to neighboring Central American Republics. Coconuts are exported in fairly large quantities.

Forest Products.-Large quantities of mahogany and other valuable hardwoods are found in the northeast, and smaller quantities in the interior valleys and near the southern coast. Only a small amount of mahogany and unimportant quantities of other woods are exported.

Mining. Honduras has a large variety of mineral deposits, few of which except gold and silver have been worked on a commercial basis. Gold mining has become active since 1932, gold exports in the fiscal year 1937-38 amounting to approximately 26 percent of total exports.

Manufacturing. There has been practically no industrial development of importance. Local industries in the various cities consist of the manufacture (on a small scale) of tiles, soap, shoes, candles, alcoholic drinks, cigars, and matches. Most of the larger towns have an electric light plant.

Principal Exports.-The principal exports in the fiscal year 1936-37, with their percentage relation to total exports shown in parentheses, were: Bananas (65); gold, silver, and mineral tailings (26); coffee (4); leaf tobacco and cigars (1).

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION

Steamship Service. The United Fruit Co. provides a weekly steamship service from New York to Puerto Cortes, a fortnightly service from New York to Tela, and a fortnightly service from New Orleans to Puerto Cortes and Tela on the north shore. The Standard Fruit & Steamship Co. provides a weekly service from the same ports in the United States to La Ceiba, also on the north shore. The Grace Line provides a service at irregular intervals between San Francisco and Los Angeles and Amapala on the Pacific coast. The Pacific Steam Navigation

Co. has passenger steamers operating fortnightly between the Panama Canal port of Cristobal and Amapala. Other foreign lines occasionally call there. Almost all imports of freight for southern Honduras come in through this latter port, and should be thus routed unless the importer indicates differently. Freight is lightered from Amapala, on Tigre Island (in the Bay of Fonseca) to San Lorenzo, on the mainland.

Air Service.-Pan American Airways maintains a service of three planes south-bound and three north-bound each week between Brownsville, Tex., and Panama, which stop at Tegucigalpa. Local Transportation. From the Caribbean coast it is possible to reach Tegucigalpa by rail and bus. There is a daily train service from Puerto Cortes to Potrerillos, a distance of 60 miles, where the railroad ends. From that point to Tegucigalpa there is a daily truck-bus service. Passengers using this route leave Puerto Cortes at 7 a. m., arrive at Potrerillos at 12 noon, and continue the journey by road, crossing Lake Yojoa (the largest lake in Honduras) by ferry, to the village of Siguatepeque, where it is necessary to spend the night. The truck-bus proceeds the following day to Tegucigalpa, the entire trip of about 200 miles taking the greater part of 2 days. Freight and mails from the eastern part of the United States and from Europe are forwarded to the capital by this route.

No highways connect the various ports on the north coast, and travel between them is usually by boat.

From Amapala, the Pacific port, travelers going inland to the capital journey by launch to San Lorenzo, and thence to Tegucigalpa by motorcar or bus over a motor highway.

Most travelers in Honduras utilize the services of the Transportes Aereos Centro-Americanos (TACA), a local aviation company which maintains twice-weekly services to the neighboring Republics of El Salvador and Nicaragua, a twice-weekly service to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, and Belize, British Honduras, via San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and daily service between Tegucigalpa and the principal cities and towns of the Republic.

Postage. Postage rates between Honduras and the United States are the same as the domestic rates in the respective countries. Local merchants are now using parcel-post shipments more and more for the importation of goods of relatively small bulk and weight. Such shipments do not require consular invoices, and avoid certain port and transportation charges to destination. Deliveries at Tegucigalpa by parcel post require from about 10 days to 2 weeks from New Orleans and New York when overland communications are normal.

Radio. The Tropical Radio Telegraph Co. maintains constant direct contact with the United States and other countries through its station at Tegucigalpa. It is also possible to communicate by radio telephone with the outside world. All America Cables Inc. maintains an office in Tegucigalpa, using

the Government-owned land telegraph lines for connection with its cables in El Salvador.

Telephone. The Honduran Government owns and operates telephone and telegraph systems throughout the country. There is also a local telephone service between the cities on the north coast which is operated by the fruit companies.

ARRIVAL

Taxes on Salesmen.-No Government tax is levied on salesmen entering Honduras; but the various municipalities impose a fee, whether or not a salesman transacts any business while there. For example, a salesman who is merely on a visit or making a survey, without a view to doing business at the time, must pay this fee. In Tegucigalpa the fee is $10, and in San Pedro Sula it is $12.50.

Salesmen's Samples.-Samples of no commercial value are exempt from duty. (Samples are considered to mean small pieces of fabric or articles so mutilated as to be entirely unsalable.) The Honduran tariff provides that the duty on samples must be deposited at the time of entry. When permission is requested to reexport such samples, the deposit is refunded. A fee of 5 centavos per kilogram is charged. Samples must be reexported within 90 days of the time of entry or the entire deposit is declared forfeited.

Advertising Matter.-Articles which have a commercial value are dutiable, even though intended for advertising purposes, the duty thereon being assessed on the basis of gross weight. Advertising matter of no commercial value is admitted free.

SALES TERRITORIES

For sales purposes, Honduras can be divided roughly into three sections. The distributing center for the north and northwestern section is San Pedro Sula; for the north and northeastern section, La Ceiba; and for the central and southern section, Tegucigalpa. Practically all direct importing is done at one of these three commercial centers. In visiting the territory on the north coast it is well not to count on reaching certain points on given dates. Advantage must be taken of the transportation as offered. Good connections are often a matter of chance.

It is impossible to suggest definite itineraries for canvassing the north coast. Much depends on the seasons and on local steamship connections. It is often necessary to double backthat is, to work to and from some of the larger places, as Puerto Cortes and La Ceiba. The movements of a traveler are governed largely by the port at which he arrives. Tegucigalpa is usually selected as the base for canvassing the interior.

202836-40-7

HINTS TO TRAVELERS

Best Visiting Time.-The commercial traveler should be governed largely by conditions in his particular line of business in deciding upon the time to visit Honduras. As a rule, dealers prefer to place orders in time for delivery to supply the Christmas and Easter trade. The dry season is pleasant and agreeable, and lasts in the capital area from about November to May. Clothing. In the hot and humid coastal cities, white suits are worn, and clothing should be suitable for typically tropical conditions. In Tegucigalpa, the climate is always comfortable, and lightweight woolens are usually worn. In the winter months ordinary suits are comfortable; overcoats are seldom needed. Hotels. In Honduras, particularly in the interior, the traveler will find that hotel accommodations are limited. Whenever possible, the traveler should endeavor to obtain letters of introduction from friends to correspondents in the smaller places, with a view to making arrangements to board in private homes, where he would have the best accommodations available.

Rates in the better hotels in the more important places run from $2.50 to $4.50 a day. In the smaller places the rates are somewhat lower. In the interior and in the small communities the rates are from $1.25 to $2.50 a day, but the accommodations are correspondingly inferior. These rates are for hotels conducted on the American plan.

Holidays. Many feast days are observed. Generally speaking, business is suspended on holidays-except in the smaller towns, particularly in the interior, where merchants take advantage of these days to transact business with the natives who visit the towns in large numbers at that time. Holidays, other than those set aside by the church, are: January 1, New Year's Day; January 19, national holiday; February 1, Inauguration Day; July 14, Fall of the Bastille; September 15, Independence Day; September 29, St. Michael's; October 3, Francisco Morazan; and October 12, Discovery of America. All Government offices and banks, and practically all business firms, are closed for the 3 days preceding Easter.

Legal Time.-Central standard time is used throughout the Republic.

CURRENCY, BANKING, AND EXCHANGE

Since the beginning of 1932, a new currency, based upon the gold-standard unit of 1 lempira equal to 50 cents, United States currency, has been in circulation. Silver, nickel, and copper coins are in circulation. Paper currency notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 lempiras are issued by the two banks of the country.