| Olancho Department |
Website Links For Olancho |
Information AboutOlancho Department |
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Olancho is one of the 18 Departments into which the Central America n nation of Honduras is divided. It is the largest of all the departments, and Hondurans frequently point out that the department is larger than the neighboring Republic of El Salvador. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Olancho resisted government authority from Tegucigalpa to the point of causing a civil war. To this day, the old independent sentiments persist among ''Olanchanos'', although the department's role as an agricultural producer has made it an integral part of the Honduran economy. The newly-sworn president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya , hails from the department, specifically from the city of Catacamas. The departmental capital is Juticalpa . Rugged mountains rise in the eastern and northern portions of the department, notably the Sierra de Agalta, the Montaña de Tembladeros, and the Montaña de Botaderos. Vast pine and hardwood forests cover these mountains. Central Olancho has rolling plains, watered by the Guayape River and its affluents. These plains, sometimes called Pampas due to their similarity to the vast Argentinian plains, are famous for their large cattle herds and extensive farming. The main cities, Juticalpa and Catacamas, are located there. The western part of the department is covered with rainforests, though the influx of impoverished, landless peasants and intense timber extraction have increased deforestation rates in the area. The Guayape River is famous for its gold placers. First exploited by the Spaniards during the colonial period, these gold deposits are still productive. Local women may be seen panning for gold in riverbanks during the dry season. The Cave of Talgua, also known as "The Cave of the Glowing Skulls," is located near Catacamas. It was used as a burial site by the native peoples, and over time, the bones left there were covered by the calcite dripping from the ceiling, giving them an eerie, sparkling appearance. Radiocarbon testing indicated that the burials were made around 900 B.C., well before the rise of the Mayans and other civilizations. The ossuary chamber was discovered barely in 1994, and research is still being conducted in the area. The department covers a total surface area of 24,351 km² and has an estimated population of 408,869. Municipalities # Campamento # Catacamas # Concordia # Dulce Nombre De Culmí # El Rosario # Esquipulas Del Norte # Gualaco # Guarizama # Guata # Guayape # Jano # Juticalpa # Olancho # Mangulile # Manto # Patuca # Salamá # San Esteban # San Francisco De Becerra # San Francisco De La Paz # Santa Maria Del Real # Silca # Yocón |