See also - About Madagascar

Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After generations of military rule, a freely-elected civilian government, the Republic of Honduras, came to power in 1982. The capital city is Tegucigalpa, located in the south-central part of the country. At 112,000 square miles, the country is slightly larger than the State of Tennessee.

Honduras is home to the famed Mosquito Coast, a belt of rugged coastline which runs from eastern Nicaragua through northeast Honduras. The name is derived from the Miskito, the indigenous and long-gone inhabitants of the region, and not the biting insect as most visitors assume. Once a British protectorate from 1655 to 1860, the Mosquito Coast became notorious as a hideaway for English and Dutch pirates who preyed on richly-laden Spanish trade and cargo vessels which crisscrossed the Caribbean Sea.

The primary language in Honduras is spanish. Most of population, about 90%, is Mestizo, an American Indian and European ethnic mix. Nearly all Hondurans are Catholic.

Economy

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Per-capita annual income is equivalent to approximately 2,800 U.S. dollars. Unemployment is estimated at 28%. About one-fourth of the adult population is illiterate. Roughly half of Honduras' population of 7 million live in abject poverty. The country's currency is the lempira. One U.S. dollar is worth about 18 lempira.

The country's economy was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage. Expanded trade under the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative have done much to help the people and government of Honduras survive.

Honduras' economic growth remains highly dependent on exports to the United States. Commodities such as coffee, tobacco, bananas, pinapples, timber, sugar, shrimp, lobster, gold, silver, copper, and palm oil are harvested in Honduras and shipped to developed countries. More than half of all Honduras' wealth is derived from exports to the U.S.

Human Problems

Honduras' problems are more than simply economic. Expanding urban populations and constant deforestation have greatly degraded water and soil quality in many areas. Honduras is also a transshipment point for illegal drugs and narcotics and an illicit producer of cannabis. Corruption is systemic.

Health care is non-existent for most of the country's non-urban population. Life expectancy among native Hondurans is very short; only 3% of the total population is age 65 years or older. Hondurans living in the central portion of the country are in great need of medical care to combat the health and spiritual effects of poor living conditions.

How You Can Help

By The Holy Spirit Medical Adventure Evangelism faithfully shares the life-saving good news and love of Jesus Christ as He would have us by providing medical care for needful people outside of the United States. Our vision is that people will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior and experience His transformational love through the medical outreach and care we provide.

We're looking for committed Christ-followers to join our spirited team of physicians, nurses, and other volunteers who provide hands-on primary care through outreach clinics in mountainous central Honduras.

If you would like to become a part of our team, or if you are in a position to assist financially, please visit our contact page for more information.

See also - About Madagascar