Geography and Demography of Valle de Angeles
The SGJ, through the General Directorate of Local Strengthening (DGFL), classifies the municipality of Valle de Ángeles as category «B» based on its progress in the context of municipal development, with a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.689.
Valle de Ángeles is one of the 28 municipalities that make up the department of Francisco Morazán.
Geographical Location
The municipality of Valle de Ángeles is located in the department of Francisco Morazán, in the northeastern sector. It has a land area of 105.95 km2, representing 1.23% of the department’s territory. The municipality is divided administratively into seven villages and 43 hamlets (INE 2001).
Municipal Boundaries
- North: Municipality of Distrito Central, Francisco Morazán
- South: Municipality of San Antonio de Oriente, Francisco Morazán
- East: Municipality of Morocelí, El Paraíso, and Municipality of Villa de San Francisco, Francisco Morazán
- West: Municipality of Santa Lucía, Francisco Morazán
Communication Routes
The main access road is the paved highway that leads from Tegucigalpa to Valle de Ángeles. This same road also connects to San Juan de Flores, Talanga, and Villa de San Francisco. The unpaved road network spans a total length of 193 kilometers. These roads are classified as secondary and tertiary networks based on accessibility and are generally in regular condition. However, some villages and hamlets are connected by seasonal roads, which means they are not accessible to vehicles during the rainy season.
Demographics
According to projections from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Valle de Ángeles had a population of approximately 14,235 inhabitants in 2009. Population projections from 2001 to 2009 are shown in Table 5 (INE 2002?). Valle de Ángeles has a population density of 134 inhabitants per km2, with an intercensal population growth rate of 3.6% (INE 2001).
It is important to highlight that the majority of the population in the municipality is considered rural. They are concentrated in small population centers with limited access to basic services. Valle de Ángeles is divided into seven villages: Valle de Ángeles, Cerro Grande, El Guanacaste, El Liquidámbar, La Sabaneta, Las Cañadas, and Río Abajo or Playas. Each village includes a specific number of hamlets.
| No. | Village | Hamlets / Neighborhoods |
| 1 | Valle de Ángeles | El Centro, Zunteco, Arriba, Abajo, Tablón Abajo, Tablón Arriba, El Carmelo, La Esperanza, La Leona, El Zarzal, El Cantón, La Quinta, La Cimbra, Mira Valle, El Molino, Los Lirios, La Pozona, Piedra de Afilar, La Escondida, Las Golondrinas, Pinares del Valle, La Sucia, Las Quebraditas, Buena Vista, and Colonia el Banco |
| 2 | Cerro Grande | Las Tres Rosas, Valle Verde, Paso del Ganado, Cerro Grande, El Retiro, Pie del Pichingo, Macuelizo, La Rastra, El Amatillo, and Los Corrales |
| 3 | El Guanacaste | Las Guayabillas, Guanacaste, El Guayabo, and Jocomico |
| 4 | El Liquidámbar | El Socorro, El Portillo, El Liquidámbar |
| 5 | La Sabaneta | Chinacla, Chiquistepe, El Manteado, and Sabanetas |
| 6 | Las Cañadas | Chagüitío, El Sauce, Altos de la Cañada, and Quebrada Honda |
| 7 | Río Abajo or Las Playas | Río Abajo and Plan Grande |
Source: DCVA 2004
Human Settlements in the Municipality of Valle de Ángeles
| No. | Neighborhoods and Colonies | Villages | Hamlets | |
| 1 | El Zarzal | Valle de Ángeles | Valle de Ángeles | El Guanacaste |
| 2 | El Edén | Cerro Grande | Barrio el Cantón | El Estribo |
| 3 | Zunteco | El Guanacaste | Buena Vista | El Guayabo |
| 4 | Broquel | El Liquidámbar | El Bosque | El Jocosito |
| 5 | Abajo | La Sabaneta | El Plantel | Las Guayabillas |
| 6 | Centro | Las Cañadas | El Porvenir | El Liquidámbar |
| 7 | Barrio Arriba | Río Abajo or Playas | El Tablón Arriba | Chinacla |
| 8 | El Mineral | El Zarzal | El Socorro | |
| 9 | Cantón | La Escondida | La Rastra | |
| 10 | El Carmelo | La Mina | La Sabaneta | |
| 11 | La Escondida | Las Quebraditas | Chiquistepe | |
| 12 | Tablón Arriba | Los Lagos or Varillas | El Manteado | |
| 13 | Tablón Abajo | San Francisco | Las Cañadas | |
| 14 | La Cimbra | La Soledad | El Amatillo No.1 | |
| 15 | Mira Valle | Cerro Grande | El Amatillo No.2 | |
| 16 | Gracias a Dios | El Macuelizo | El Empalme | |
| 17 | La Esperanza | El Retiro | El Sauce | |
| 18 | El Porvenir | El Rodeo | Lomas del Suyate | |
| 19 | Banco | Los Corrales | Quebrada Honda | |
| 20 | El Molino | Sabana Redonda | Río Abajo or Playas | |
| 21 | Plan Grande | El Camalote |
Source: compiled based on information from INE 2001
Health Infrastructure
The municipality of Valle de Ángeles has two public health centers, one hospital, and several private clinics. A significant percentage of the human settlements in the rural area are located more than four kilometers away from these health facilities. This, combined with the lack of road infrastructure, poses a challenge for accessing healthcare services.
