|
Honduras Other Indigenous Groups
Following the period of Mayan dominance, the area that
would
eventually comprise Honduras was occupied by a
multiplicity of
indigenous peoples. Indigenous groups related to the
Toltec of
central Mexico migrated from the northwest into parts of
what
became western and southern Honduras. Most notable were
the Toltecspeaking Chorotega, who established themselves near the
present-day
city of Choluteca. Later enclaves of Nahua-speaking
peoples, such
as the Pipil, whose language was related to that of the
Aztec,
established themselves at various locations from the
Caribbean
coast to the Golfo de Fonseca on the Pacific coast.
While groups related to indigenous peoples of Mexico
moved into
western and southern Honduras, other peoples with
languages related
to those of the Chibcha of Colombia were establishing
themselves in
areas that became northeastern Honduras. Most prominent
among these
were the Ulva and Paya speakers. Along the Caribbean
coast, a
variety of groups settled. Most important were the Sumu,
who were
also located in Nicaragua, and the Jicaque, whose language
family
has been a source of debate among scholars. Finally, in
parts of
what is now west-central Honduras were the Lenca, who also
were
believed to have migrated north from Colombia but whose
language
shows little relation to any other indigenous group.
Although divided into numerous distinct and frequently
hostile
groups, the indigenous inhabitants of preconquest Honduras
(before
the early 1500s) carried on considerable trade with other
parts of
their immediate region as well as with areas as far away
as Panama
and Mexico. Although it appears that no major cities were
in
existence at the time of the conquest, the total
population was
nevertheless fairly high. Estimates range up to 2 million,
although
the actual figure was probably nearer to 500,000.
Data as of December 1993
|
