Choluteca Department Departamento de Choluteca | |
|---|---|
 Location of Choluteca inHonduras | |
| Country | Honduras |
| Municipalities | 16 |
| Villages | 198 |
| Founded | June 28, 1825[a] |
| Capital city | Choluteca |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Ilse Villatoro (2022–2026) (LibRe) |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,397 km2 (1,698 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 447,852 |
| • Density | 100/km2 (260/sq mi) |
| GDP (Nominal, 2015 US dollar) | |
| • Total | $1.0 billion (2023)[1] |
| • Per capita | $1,800 (2023) |
| GDP (PPP, 2015 int. dollar) | |
| • Total | $2.0 billion (2023) |
| • Per capita | $3,800 (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (CDT) |
| Postal code | 51101, 51201 |
| ISO 3166 code | HN-CH |
| HDI (2021) | 0.583[2] medium ·13th of 18 |
| Statistics derived from Consult INE online database: Population and Housing Census 2013[3] | |
Choluteca is one of the 18departments(departamentos) into whichHonduras is divided. The departmental capital is the city ofCholuteca. TheCholuteca River runs through the department.
In theMesoamerican Classic period, the indigenous Cholutecas were engaged in trade in a vast territory encompassing the south ofMexico,Belize,Guatemala, parts ofEl Salvador andNicaragua. In the exercise of this industry they reached the South Coast ofHonduras, and founded the settlement of what is now the city ofCholuteca hundreds of years before the Spanish conquest.
Choluteca was created as a division of colonial rule from Guatemala in March 1535. Upon independence from Spain, the department of Choluteca was created on June 28, 1825, as one of the seven original departments in which Honduras was divided after independence during the government of the first head of state of Honduras,Dionisio de Herrera. Its borders were changed twice after the original partition. In 1843 the district of Guascorán was added to its territory, until then part ofComayagua. In 1893 its westernmost part was split, with the creation of theValle department.[citation needed]
Choluteca is the southernmost department of Honduras with an area of 4360 km2. In 2015 it had an estimated population of 447,852 inhabitants.[3] Chuleteca has many lands that are used for agriculture, fishing, sugar production, and shrimp farms. The head of the department is the city ofCholuteca, which is located on the Choluteca river that crosses the department. One crosses the Choluteca Bridge to enter the city.
Choluteca is bordered to the north by the departments ofFrancisco Morazán andEl Paraíso, to the west by theGolfo de Fonseca and the department ofValle, and to the east and south byNicaragua.
The Choluteca Department has a number of 9 deputies elected for theNational Congress.
| Deputy | Department | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Mauricio Oliva | Choluteca | PNH |
| Carlos Ledezma | Choluteca | PNH |
| Clara Laínez | Choluteca | PNH |
| Selvin Rueda | Choluteca | PNH |
| María Bardales | Choluteca | PNH |
| Yuri Sabas | Choluteca | PLH |
| Carlos Lara | Choluteca | PLH |
| Luis Martínez | Choluteca | Libre |
| David Reyes | Choluteca | PINU-SD |
The department is, historically, a prominent producer of gold, silver, and copper. The region also had a cattle industry.[4]
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13°19′N87°13′W / 13.317°N 87.217°W /13.317; -87.217
