More About Copán Ruinas
The municipality of Copán Ruinas has a population of approximately
30,000 people living in over 100 communities, most of them rural (municipalities
in Honduras are similar in size and structure to counties in Canada). The
largest urban area within the municipality is the town of Copán Ruinas,
which is adjacent to the Copán Maya Archaeological Park.
The municipality of Copán Ruinas is in one of the poorest regions
of Honduras, which itself is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere
after Haiti. The municipality's economy is dominated by large scale
agriculture and tourism, but the livelihood of most rural inhabitants is
subsistance farming, primarily of staple crops such as corn and beans.
Infrastructure in the town of Copán Ruinas includes electricity, running
water and a sewer system, amenities still not available in many rural areas
of the municipality, just as damage done to roads and housing in 1998 by
Hurricane Mitch is in some places still not fully repaired.
In 2002 the government of the Municipality of Copán Ruinas undertook
a census of the entire municipality, creating the statistical profile necessary
for development planning. Most significantly, the 2002 survey data
provides comparisons of quality of life and opportunity between the municipality’s
rural and urban areas, demonstrating very clearly extremes of poverty and
disadvantage in rural areas.
Population Statistics
Urban population: 5,970
Rural population: 23,328
Age Distribution:
less than 5 years 20%, 5-12 years 22%, over 12 years 49%
Incomes
Average monthly family income
in urban areas: US$47
Average monthly family income
in rural areas: US$29
Housing
21% of residences are in
the town of Copán Ruinas, 79% of residences are in rural areas.
18% of residences meet the
minimum requirements for safe housing
45% of residences lack one
or more of the minimum requirements for healthy housing conditions (either
drinking water, latrine, solid roof, or cement floor)
37% of residences lack all
of the minimum requirements for healthy housing conditions (thatched roof,
dirt floor, mud or stick walls)
51% of residences have no
latrines
45% of residences have no
drinking water
Education
49.2% of inhabitants are
illiterate (Honduras 27%)
27.2% of rural communities
have no schools
12.5% of rural communities
have no teachers
Health
40% of inhabitants have no
access to health services
55.1% of children are malnourished
Life expectancy is 67.1 years
(Canada 79.83 years)
Infant mortality rate is
4.1% (Honduras 2.99%, Canada 0.49%)