The Honduran coast was discovered in 1502 by Christopher Columbus in one of his voyages to America. Conquest only began a few years later, in 1522, when Christopher Olid began the process of colonization. He founded the city of Trujille, and later, the Villa of Santa Maria of Comayagua, which would become the capital of the Country. The Spanish found descendents of the Mayan civilization and other peoples. As time progressed, Olid was assassinated, and various conflicts developed between the local inhabitants, the indians, and the Spanish.
As a Spanish colony, Honduras was part of the Spanish admiralship along with Guatemala. In 1821, Honduras liberated itself from Spanish rule, declaring its independence and, for two years, was part of the Mexican Empire, later joining the United Provinces of Central America. In 1830, the federation dissolved, and Honduras proclaimed its total independence, becoming a Republic with a democratic and representative government.
The Honduran political scene was similar to its neighboring countries, marked by power plays, government overthrows, coups and corruption in high places. The two main Honduran parties, the National and the Liberal, alternated holding positions of leadership through the 1980s. The president, Ricardo Maduro, of the National Party, won the elections in 2001.
The political situation has influenced considerably the nations economy. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the countrys principal activity has been harvesting bananas. The growth of the population, unemployment, and high inflation are the main problems facing the government.
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