Mayan civilisation reached the region that is now western Honduras around the fifth century AD. The Mayas remained in control for the next 300 years, after which several different ethnic groups moved into the area from Mexico and Colombia. Contact with Europeans began soon after Christopher Columbus landed on the Honduran coast in 1502. During the early 1520s, the region was subjugated by a variety of conquistador expeditions, each of which laid claim to a part of it. Cortés, who arrived in 1525 via Mexico, imposed some order on the squabbling groups but after his departure, the local conflicts resumed as before. Only after the discovery of gold and silver deposits in the 1540s was some order imposed on the region; large numbers of slaves from Africa were then imported to work the mines.
Once the deposits were exhausted at the end of the 16th century, Honduras became a colonial backwater. As Spanish power disintegrated in the wake of the Napoleonic wars, the Central American territories were in disagreement as to whether to join Mexico or establish their own federation of states. The latter course was chosen, with the acquiescence of Mexico.
During the early 20th century, Honduras was governed by a series of caudillos, notably President Carias during the 1930s and 1940s. From the late 1950s onwards, weak civilian governments prompted the army to assume a greater role, launching several coups in the process. Honduran politics became particularly important during the 1980s, when Honduras was the main base for the US-backed 'Contra' rebels fighting the Sandanista Government in Nicaragua. Soon after the end of that war in 1989, the Partido Liberal (PL) party has dominated Honduran politics, on and off.
That government faced repeated outbreaks of civil and labour unrest throughout the late 1990s as it tried to introduce austerity measures. There has also been persistent domestic and international pressure to address the numerous human rights abuses that have continued. Among those who suffered most at the hands of the military were the indigenous Indian population. In 1994, the government offered them a long-overdue package of rights and assistance: not unreasonably, it was rejected as inadequate and relations between the communities and the government remain poor.
Honduras is a country of lowlands and fertile valleys and, indeed, La Ceiba - a major banana port - even looks to tourism as a future major industry. There are good hotels and beaches, and an international airport to boot. Trujillo itself was once a thriving port, with a fascinating pirate history and superb tropical beaches. Hurricane Mitch devastated much of the island in 1998 but an international effort quickly rebuilt much of the country's infrastructure. However, the economy is still very weak. Many people live in poverty and crime levels and drug trafficking have soared. Everywhere lurks touristic potential but Honduras must help its own people before it becomes a playground for holidaymakers.
