Choluteca Department

Choluteca is one of the 18 departments (departamentos) into which Honduras is divided. It is the southernmost department of Honduras, bordering the Gulf of Fonseca to the west and the Republic of Nicaragua to the east and south.

The departmental capital is city of Choluteca. There is also a river named Choluteca that runs through the department.

The department covers a total surface area of 4,211 km² and, in 2005, had an estimated population of 420,350 people.

Choluteca department was formed in 1825 as one of the original departments of post-colonial Honduras. It took its current form in 1893 when Valle department was formed out of the westernmost portion of the department.

Governance

Municipalities

Rural Choluteca Department.

1. Apacilagua
2. Choluteca
3. Concepción de María
4. Duyure
5. El Corpus
6. El Triunfo
7. Marcovia
8. Morolica
9. Namasigue
10. Orocuina
11. Pespire
12. San Antonio de Flores
13. San Isidro
14. San José
15. San Marcos de Colón
16. Santa Ana de Yusguare

Deputies

The Choluteca Department has a number of 9 deputies elected for the National Congress.

2006-2010 congressional period

Deputie		Position in the National Congress	Party
Victor Manuel Argeñal Espinal*		None	National
Carlos Alfredo Lara Watson		Secretary**	Liberal
Roger Arquímedes Quíroz		None	National
Felipe Nery Méndez Soriano		None	Liberal
Gladys Bernarda Casco Cruz		None	National
Blanca Edith Rivera		2nd Altern Secretary	Liberal
Mauricio Oliva		None	National
Adrianna de Jesús Guevara Moncada		None	Liberal
Luis Alfonso Marcia Hernández		None	DC

{*Deceased before the period ended. His substitute continue his charge until the end of the period.}

{** Since June 28, 2009 until the end of the congressional period}

2010-2014 congressional period

Deputie		Position in the National Congress	Party
Juan Francisco Argeñal Espinal		None	National
Gladys Bernarda Casco Cruz		None	National
Yuri Christian Sabas Gutiérrez		None	Liberal
Mauricio Oliva		7th Vice President*	National
Carlos Alfredo Lara Watson		None	Liberal
Fredy Espinoza Mondragon		None	National
Maria Bertilia Zepeda Lagos		None	Liberal
Yessenia Coely Zelaya Galeas		None	National
Jose Leon Castillo		None	Liberal

{*Mauricio Oliva was Vice-President of the National Congress during the second half of the 2010-2014 congressional term.}

Economy

The department is, historically, a prominent producer of gold, silver, and copper. The region also had a cattle industry.^[1]

References

1. Baily, John (1850). Central America; Describing Each of the States of Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. London: Trelawney Saunders. pp. 128–129.

Coordinates: 13°19′N 87°13′W / 13.317°N 87.217°W