Gualcince () is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.
It is one of the several municipalities of the Lempira department. It is located 78 km from Gracias city. It is necessary to pass by San Juan, Intibuca and through the municipalities of Santa Cruz and San Andrés. It has 2 accesses, which separate from the main road that leads to southern municipalities. The road is constantly being repaired. There are several sections of this roads that are narrow, so careful driving is advised, especially for buses and trucks.
History It was first called "Gualán". There is no accurate date for its foundation, but in some old books of real state, it is registered that the Catholic Church was built back in 1,576. In the census of 1,791 it was the capital of the "Cerquin" curato. In the national division of 1889 was one of the municipalities of Candelaria district. It became a municipality in 1840.
Geography It has huge mountains covered with pine forests. One of them is "Congolon" mountain. These mountain are favorable for coffee plantations and also for water springs.
Boundaries Its boundaries are: North : San Andrés and Erandique municipalities. South : Mapulaca and Candelaria municipalities. East : Piraera municipality. West : La Virtud municipality. Surface Extents: 163 km2
Resources The Coffee plantations are the main economical activity, and the geography has a lot to do with it. Corn and beans can not be excluded since they are part of the national diet. The cattle raising is only for local consumption. The vegetables are scarce there for they are brought from other municipalities and even from other departments, such as Intibuca.
Population The cross-breed of Spanish settlers and native Indian represents half of the population. The 2nd half consists of native Indians descendants.
Population: this municipality had about 9,537 people. The INE used this figure to elaborate estimates, and the number of people in 2008 could be 10,681. Villages: 12 Settlements: 103
Demographics At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Gualcince municipality had a population of 11,295. Of these, 73.69% were Indigenous, 20.64% Mestizo, 0.89% Black or Afro-Honduran, 0.19% White and 4.59% others.Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), bases de datos en línea
Tourism
Gualcince is situated in a mountainous area characterized by pine forest. The municipality includes historic buildings such as the Catholic church and older residential structures. A local dish associated with the area is pupusas de flor de oroco. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.
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