Puerto Castilla
Encyclopedia
Puerto Castilla is a village in Honduras
.
This port city on the Caribbean Sea
(Atlantic Ocean
) was the one-time site of the United Fruit Company's Castilla Division which specialized in the growth, cultivation and shipments of the Gros Michel banana
. This division was closed in the late 1930s as a result of 'Panama disease
', a blight on the roots of the banana.
The port city, and its population were moved east on the peninsula in the 1940's when a small naval base was established there for a PBY Catalina seaplane base. Puerto Castilla is now a native fishing village of about six hundred residents. West of the village the site of a Honduran naval base, as well as the site of a container port for Dole
fresh fruit products. Vast African Oil Palm plantations now dot the area. Puerto Castilla lies on the south side of a peninsula sheltering Trujillo Bay. It is a deep-water port which has future possibility for development of a major port for the republic.
An original hospital building (recently renovated by the Honduran Navy for an educational center) and an old barracks are the last remaining evidence of the abandoned United Fruit presence.
A fence with guarded entrance now restricts casual traffic into the Port area, controlled by the Honduran Port Authority--ENP-Empresa Nacional Portuaria.
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...
.
This port city on the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
(Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
) was the one-time site of the United Fruit Company's Castilla Division which specialized in the growth, cultivation and shipments of the Gros Michel banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
. This division was closed in the late 1930s as a result of 'Panama disease
Panama disease
Panama disease, a Fusarium wilt, is a banana plant disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. The fungus attacks the roots of the banana plant. The disease is resistant to fungicide and cannot be controlled chemically.-History:...
', a blight on the roots of the banana.
The port city, and its population were moved east on the peninsula in the 1940's when a small naval base was established there for a PBY Catalina seaplane base. Puerto Castilla is now a native fishing village of about six hundred residents. West of the village the site of a Honduran naval base, as well as the site of a container port for Dole
Dole Food Company
Dole Food Company, Inc. is an American-based agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Westlake Village, California. The company is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, operating with 74,300 full-time and seasonal employees who are responsible for over 300...
fresh fruit products. Vast African Oil Palm plantations now dot the area. Puerto Castilla lies on the south side of a peninsula sheltering Trujillo Bay. It is a deep-water port which has future possibility for development of a major port for the republic.
An original hospital building (recently renovated by the Honduran Navy for an educational center) and an old barracks are the last remaining evidence of the abandoned United Fruit presence.
A fence with guarded entrance now restricts casual traffic into the Port area, controlled by the Honduran Port Authority--ENP-Empresa Nacional Portuaria.