Social conditions in Honduras
Honduras has experienced a long history of changing social conditions, beginning with the bands of foragers in ancient times, through the development of complex societies in the Pacific coast side of the isthmus, and evolving through the innovations introduced by the Spanish in the colonial period. Post colonial Honduras continued many of the colonial social structures and institutions, with major additions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as major foreign companies pioneered new modes of producing export products and systems of controlling labor. More recent trends in industrialization have also had important effects. Summary Honduras faces enormous challenges in the areas of crime and human rights and improving overall economic and living conditions in one of the hemisphere’s poorest countries. The United States has a close relationship with Honduras, characterized by significant foreign assistance, an important trade partnership, a military presence in the country, and cooperation on a range of transnational issues. A U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with five Central American countries was signed on May 28, 2004, and a combined U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) was signed on August 5, 2004. The Honduran Congress approved the agreement on March 3, 2005, by a