Chinda is a municipality in the department of Santa Bárbara, Honduras. It covers an area of and had a population of 4,702 inhabitants according to the 2013 national census.
History The settlement of Chinda has existed since the late 17th century, and in the 1791 population census, Chinda was mentioned as a settlement under the parish of Petoa. In 1868, the municipality of Chinda was officially established by a decree by President José María Medina. The word "Chinda" is derived from the Nahuatl word "Chitatle" meaning "red".
Geography Chinda is located in the department of Santa Bárbara in Honduras. It borders the municipalities of Concepción del Norte and Trinidad to the north, Ilama to the south, San Antonio de Cortes to the east, and Trinidad to the west. It is located on the left bank of the Ulúa River in the Chinda Valley. The municipality covers an area of and has a mean altitude of above mean sea level.
Administrative divisions The municipality comprises ten aldeas (villages) and their associated caseríos (hamlets).
+Aldeas (villages) of Chinda Aldea Population Men Women Chinda 1,183 596 587 Barrio Nuevo o Chiquiguite 200 102 98 El Limón 357 186 171 El Retiro 282 146 136 El Tule 469 236 233 La Brea 992 513 479 La Cuchilla 182 98 84 Platanares 263 131 132 Río Cañas 59 30 29 San Rafael 715 371 344 Total 4,702 2,408 2,294
Demographics At the 2013 census, Chinda had a total population of 4,702 inhabitants, of whom 2,408 (51.2%) were male and 2,293 (48.8%) were female, with a masculinity index of 105.0 men per 100 women. The entire population was classified as rural, with no urban population recorded in the census. The population density was 68.74 inhabitants per square kilometre, and the intercensal population growth rate between the 2001 and 2013 census was 0.7%.
About 4.3% of the population were classified as Indigenous and rest as non-indigneous. By broad age group, 38.5% of the population were aged 0–14, one of the highest proportions in the department, 54.3% were aged 15–64, and 7.2% were aged 65 years and over. The median age was 19.9 years and the mean age was 26.5 years. Among the population aged 15 and over, the municipality recorded an illiteracy rate of 20.7%, lower than the departmental average of 22.2%. The municipality had 1,027 occupied private dwellings, with an average of 4.4 persons per occupied dwelling.
Culture Chinda celebrates its annual patron saint festival on 15 August in honor of the Virgin of the Transit. The traditional Guancasco festival is a Lenca cultural and religious celebration symbolizing peace and faith amongst western Honduran communities. It is celebrated annually in January and consists of several rituals and traditions.
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