Municipality of Nacaome
Nacaome is a municipality in the Department of Valle in Honduras.
General Information about Nacaome
- Land Area: 496.2 km²
- Patron Saint Festival: March 8-23, in honor of Saint Joseph
- Aldeas: 9
- Caseríos: 186
- Access: It is located approximately 90 km south of Tegucigalpa, on the road to Choluteca, along the Pan-American Highway, 4 km to the west
History
Nacaome was founded in 1535, and it was granted the title of city in 1845. In 1847, the Nacaome Unionist Conference, known as the Diet of Nacaome, was held in the city with the participation of delegates from El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
The population of the city is approximately 42,000 inhabitants, primarily engaged in commerce, maize and bean cultivation, salt production, shrimp farming, and melon export.
The foundation of the city was the result of the union of two rival tribes: the Cholulas and the Chaparrastiques. Tired of the bloody battles they fought against each other, they decided to unite and build their homes in the middle of their territories along the Chapulapa River (the original name of the now Nacaome River).
They named the new settlement NACA-OME, which means «Union of Two Meats.» The fusion of these two tribes occurred before the arrival of the Spaniards to the area. The Spaniards arrived in 1535 and established themselves, building the first church. That same year, the first municipality was organized there.
In May 2015, the largest solar power plant in Latin America and the Caribbean was inaugurated in Nacaome. With an installed capacity to produce 100 megawatts (MW) per year, divided into two plants of 50 MW each, and with the possibility, depending on demand, of reaching up to 140 MW, the complex is privately owned and operates in the village of La Llave, Nacaome municipality, in the southern department of Valle. Honduras’ new photovoltaic power plant surpasses those in Chile and Mexico, which are leaders in this sector.
Location
Nacaome is located in the southeastern part of the Valle Department, on the right bank of the river that bears its name.
Limits
- North: Langue and San Francisco Coray municipalities
- South: Amapala municipality
- East: San Lorenzo and Pespire municipalities
- West: Goascorán and Alianza municipalities
Main Villages and Hamlets (With their populations)
- Buena Fe (267)
- El Espino (389)
- Moraicito (s.d.)
- El Papalón (175)
- Lagartillo (231)
- Santa Erlinda (231)
- El Chaparral (119)
- El Puyadero (181)
- La Guadalupe (108)
- El Tabacal (175)
- El eden o Corcobado (s.d.)
- Jícaro Galán (1 321)
- Nagarejo (s.d.)
- El Vado (458)
- Playa Grande (500)
- El Polvo (64)
- El Tular (1 858)
- El Chilcal (377)
- Paso de Vela (s.d.)
- Campamento (326)
- El Pedrerito (324)
- Las Placitas (90)
- Agua Fría (3 082)
- El Tamarindo (250)
- Desvío El Tránsito (251)
- El Chiflón (452)
- La Brea (501)
- El Rincón (158)
- El Basan (212)
- El Rosario (s.d.)
- El Guayabo (857)
- Brisas del Lago (s.d.)
- La Cofaisita (s.d.)
- Chilamatada (304)
- Ceibilla (200)
Economic Activities
The productive structure of the Municipality is characterized by the coexistence of the export industry with artisanal activity, often in a state of conflict. In this context, the most impactful activities focus on the shrimp farming industry, often in alliance with artisanal fishing. Intensive agriculture for export with the cultivation of basic grains for consumption is also prominent, as well as the industrial activity of salt processing, which involves artisanal collection.
The characteristics of each of these activities are briefly described below:
Shrimp Farming
The wetlands of the Gulf of Fonseca with dense mangrove forests create the appropriate environment for the development of economically important activities such as fishing and the shrimp industry, which was established in the early 1970s.
The shrimp farming industry later spread with the incentive of the Central Government and massive capital investment and concentration in technologically advanced companies. The activity ranks third in importance among the goods exported by the country, making Honduras the leading producer and exporter in Central America.
This sector is of great importance for local employment and is carried out in two annual cycles. During the high season, which coincides with the rainy season, there is insufficient packing service due to the increase in shrimp harvests. Meanwhile, during the dry season, some packing plants remain idle and are forced to cut jobs. This coexists with artisanal subsistence and commercial fishing, which traditionally developed without regulation by the State.
Agriculture
Cotton plantations and extensive livestock farming have been progressively displaced, and since the 1990s, the National Government has created incentives to diversify agriculture.
Through exemptions and subsidies, non-traditional high-yielding products oriented towards export are promoted, leading to the boom of certain crops, some of which were already present in the area, such as melons and watermelons. Melon production, in particular, is concentrated in companies that have high vertical integration from cultivation to commercialization. They generally have some connection with companies in the target markets under different alliance modalities.
The labor supply in agriculture is seasonal, concentrated in the dry season, and decreases from April to September. Salaries are lower compared to other activities. This activity coexists with subsistence agriculture, where crops prevail during the rainy season, and to a large extent, it acts as a complementary activity for subsistence.
Salt Industry
As in the other activities, there is an artisanal collection activity in the coastal area that is later sold to the processing factories in San Lorenzo, who also have their own collectors. The work is carried out in two seasons during the year: the collection of salt in the coastal areas from late January to May, and the industrialization process at the factory from May to December.
Climate
The climate in the lower part of the Nacaome valley is tropical and hot, with a rainy season that extends from May to October. During the dry season, high temperatures result in pronounced drought, further intensified by the dry land-to-sea winds.
The annual precipitation is significant, with an average of 1,574.28 mm/year. The minimum observed value in the period between 1951 and 1993 was 1,084.70 mm, while the maximum value during the same period was 2,557.00 mm. However, the rainfall is concentrated in a period of only 6 months, between May and October.
The average monthly temperatures are notably high, as can be seen in the graph.
The relative humidity is high, ranging between 60% and 80%, with the highest values during the wet season.
Tourism
Tourism is incipient but constitutes an activity with potential, integrating the set of points of interest in the southern region, especially San Lorenzo, Amapala, and Coyolito, which have a basic infrastructure of tourist services.
The local competitive advantage comes from the port as a starting point for a tour of the Gulf of Fonseca. The Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) and the Committee for the Defense and Development of the Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF) offer ecotourism packages to national and foreign visitors.
