Tocoa, Colón is a city, with a population of 63,320 (2023 calculation),Citypopulation.de
Population of cities in Honduras and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the northern Honduran department of Colón slightly inland at 38 m elevation in the valley of Aguán on the right bank of the river.

Economy

The city of Tocoa produces mostly

African oil palm ''Elaeis guineensis'' is a species of palm commonly just called oil palm but also sometimes African oil palm or macaw-fat. The first Western person to describe it and bring back seeds was the French naturalist Michel Adanson. Jean-Marie Pelt, « ...

which is used to make oil, lard and

biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...

. It also produces a lot of milk because it is a livestock area, which is partly sold to dairy companies and also consumed in the area. Corn, beans, rice, and vegetables are grown in small quantities as well as oranges and bananas. watermelon is cultivated in its season, also in small quantities. Being an agricultural area in the strategic location at the center of the Aguán Valley, the city is experiencing an economic takeoff for the first time this is reflected in the new shopping centers and fast food restaurants.

Terrain and climate

It is situated between Garcia and La Abiscinia hills, 61 km from Trujillo, 30 km from Sabá, 70 km from Olanchito, 100 km from

La Ceiba La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida (department), Atlántida, and a port city on the northern Caribbean coast in Honduras. It forms part of the southeastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras. With ...

, and 303 km from

San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 701, ...

. Tocoa's territory is watered by the

rivers A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

Río Tocoa, Río Taujíca, Río San Pedro, and Río Salamá. The climate is hot and tropical with an average temperature of 29 °C; the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * '' ...

lasts from June to January, with an average precipitation of 1000 mm annually.

Hydrography

Its farmlands are irrigated by the Tocoa, Aguán, Gualaco and Salamá rivers, which are found around the city.

History and government

Tocoa was founded in 1871 by settlers from inland Olancho, and declared a municipality in 1892. Juan J. Evangelista was the first mayor. The current 2014-2018 Municipal Council is headed by Adan Funez. Currently, the city of Tocoa, with more than 95,000 inhabitants, is one of the most populated cities in the northern part of Honduras and is the most populated city in the Department of Colón. In recent years, Tocoa has had an economic boom as a result of increased tourism and having one of the most diverse shopping markets in the country.

Culture

Sports

C.D. Real Sociedad plays its games in Tocoa at the municipally-owned stadium, Estadio Francisco Martínez Durón. The team gain promotion to the first division in 2012, where they brought high profile players like Julio César de León. The team has had success in their short time in the premier division reaching the final on multiple occasions. The investment in the sport has brought full stadiums and a respectable performance in the league.

Services

There are several businesses, banks, companies, local and international organizations based out of Tocoa, namely: Fundacion San Alonso; CASM; Programa Mundial de Alimentos; Misiones del Agua Internacional (www.misionesdelaguainternacional.blogspot.com), a Christian engineering non-profit organization offering aid to needy people in areas such as safe water, sanitation, health and hygiene, etc., which has its Regional Latin America office in Tocoa and its World Headquarters in Charleston, SC.

Toponymy

The origin of the name Tocoa, is a

demonym A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...

originating from "Tocoacin" which means place of green ears and land of corn, and of "Toctlihacan" possessive particle indicative of the place. In this place archaeological remains have been found, such as jade stone and obsidian mud. The name of Tocoa is "Tocoana" which means valley of high and green mountains.

References

External links

Javier Montoya WebsiteCenso Poblacional 2013
*http://www.xplorhonduras.com/departamento-de-colon/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Tocoa, Colon Municipalities of the Colón Department (Honduras)