La Campa
Encyclopedia
La Campa is a municipality and an aldea
, or small town, in the Honduran Department of Lempira
, located about 18 kilometres (11 mi) by dirt road from Gracias
, the largest town in the immediate region. The inhabitants of Gracias, La Campa, and other nearby aldeas, including San Manuel Colohete, are mainly of Lenca descent. Although the aldea is small, there are multiple smaller and spread out satellite communities in the hills above La Campa, such as Cruz Alta. These communities grow coffee to consume and sell; substance crops of rice, mango, a dozen varieties of bananas, and black beans; and run their own public elementary schools and churches.
The town is known as a center of Lenca pottery
production, of which there are two main styles; there are black and white (smoked) pots and red-glazed pots. La Campa's are of the latter style. Much of the pottery sold in La Campa is brought down from the hillside villages, where the villagers are adept pottery makers. The town also has a large 18th century Spanish church. La Campa sits in a deep river valley near Montaña Celaque (aka Cerro Las Minas), the tallest mountain in Honduras
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The municipal boundaries cover some 172 square kilometres (42,502 acre) in land area.
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In 2001 the population of La Campa municipality was 4,238. The National Intitue of Statistics projected a population increase to reach in excess of 5 thousand inhabitants by 2008.
The La Campa municipality contains 5 designated villages, and 49 other named settlements.
"San Matias" day is a local holiday and festival period, running from 15 to 28 February.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
, or small town, in the Honduran Department of Lempira
Lempira (department)
Lempira is one of the 18 departments of Honduras Central America, located in the western part of the country with borders with El Salvador. It was named Gracias department until 1943, and the departmental capital is Gracias....
, located about 18 kilometres (11 mi) by dirt road from Gracias
Gracias
Gracias is a small Honduran town/municipality that was founded in 1536, and has a population of approximately 25,000 people...
, the largest town in the immediate region. The inhabitants of Gracias, La Campa, and other nearby aldeas, including San Manuel Colohete, are mainly of Lenca descent. Although the aldea is small, there are multiple smaller and spread out satellite communities in the hills above La Campa, such as Cruz Alta. These communities grow coffee to consume and sell; substance crops of rice, mango, a dozen varieties of bananas, and black beans; and run their own public elementary schools and churches.
The town is known as a center of Lenca pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
production, of which there are two main styles; there are black and white (smoked) pots and red-glazed pots. La Campa's are of the latter style. Much of the pottery sold in La Campa is brought down from the hillside villages, where the villagers are adept pottery makers. The town also has a large 18th century Spanish church. La Campa sits in a deep river valley near Montaña Celaque (aka Cerro Las Minas), the tallest mountain in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
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History
La Campa in 1582 was a small town with 20 tributaries to encomendero Mario Cana. It was previously known as "Tecauxinas", back in 1887 it was a village of Gracias. It became a municipality in 1921. The name of "La Campa" has its origins in an expression used by old miners, it had to do with searching protection against the rain.Geography
It is located on a hillside and it is guarded by a line of solid rock hills covered with pine forests. The, weather is cool and temperate most of the year.Boundaries
Its boundaries are:- North : Gracias and BelénBelén, HondurasBelén is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira. The latitude is 15.75 north, the longitude is 87.93 west, and the altitude is 313 meters....
municipalities. - South : San AndrésSan Andrés, LempiraSan Andrés is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira. It is notable as the principal site in Honduras for the mining of andesite opals from Las Colinas deposit near Sosoal, which is in the municipality. This mining is largely performed by artisanal miners, rather than on an industrial...
and Santa CruzSanta Cruz, LempiraSanta Cruz is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.Santa Cruz is one of the most hidden municipalities of the Lempira department. It is 70 km away from the city of Gracias, forced to pass by San Juan del Caite in Intibuca.- History :...
. - East : BelénBelén, HondurasBelén is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira. The latitude is 15.75 north, the longitude is 87.93 west, and the altitude is 313 meters....
municipality and Intibuca department. - West : San Manuel ColoheteSan Manuel ColoheteSan Manuel Colohete is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira, located approximately twenty miles southwest of the departmental capital of Gracias. The population of the entire municipality is around 16,000 but within the town center about 1,500....
and San SebastiánSan Sebastian, LempiraSan Sebastian is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.San Sebastián is one of the farthest municipalities of the Lempira department. It is 13 km ahead of San Manuel Colohete. It is highly recommended to go on a 4 wheel drive vehicle when visiting this municipality.- History :In the...
municipalities.
The municipal boundaries cover some 172 square kilometres (42,502 acre) in land area.
Resources
La Campa is not on a good elevation for coffee plantations. It balances that great flat surfaces proper for sowing vegetables. A enormous advantage it has consists of numerous fresh water springs, most emanating from within Celaque National ParkCelaque National Park
Celaque National Park is a national park in Lempira Department, western Honduras. It was established on 1 January 1987 and covers an area of 266.4 square kilometres. It includes Honduras’ tallest peak, called Cerro Las Minas or Pico Celaque, which reaches approximately above mean sea level...
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Population
Half of the people in La Campa have cross-breed traits and the other half are descendants of native Indians. These last are especially seen in the surrounding villages.In 2001 the population of La Campa municipality was 4,238. The National Intitue of Statistics projected a population increase to reach in excess of 5 thousand inhabitants by 2008.
The La Campa municipality contains 5 designated villages, and 49 other named settlements.
Tourism
There are many visits to this place organized by some hotels in Gracias. It is part of "Colosuca" trail and its well preserved church is one of the attractions."San Matias" day is a local holiday and festival period, running from 15 to 28 February.