2010/07/04 15:47:36 peter_in/ honduras /_MG_4706
PHOTO PETER PEREIRA
Francisco Montoya, 25, plants corn in a field in Esmeralda, Honduras. The largest crops are corn beans and coffee. Honduras is considered the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (Haiti, Nicaragua). With over 50% of the population living below the poverty line and 28% unemployed, Hondurans frequently turn to illegal immigration as a solution to their desperate situation. The Department of Homeland Security has noted an 95% increase in illegal immigrants coming from Honduras between 2000 and 2009, the largest increase of any country.