Gualala is a municipality in the department of Santa Bárbara, Honduras. It covers an area of and had a population of 5,191 inhabitants according to the 2013 national census.
History The municipality of Gualala was earlier known as "Gualatan" and "Gualalatepequez", a name derived from the indigenous language meaning "Abundance of Good Lands".
Geography Gualala is located in the department of Santa Bárbara in Honduras. It borders the municipalities of Ilama to the north, Santa Barbara to the south, San José de Colinas to the east, and Ilama to the west. The municipality covers an area of .
Located at an elevation of above sea level, Gualala has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen classification: Am). The municipality has an average annual temperature of and receives approximately of rainfall annually.
Administrative divisions The municipality comprises eight aldeas (villages) and their associated caseríos (hamlets).
+Aldeas of Gualala Aldea Total Population Men Women Gualala 701 341 360 Arenales 730 393 337 El Carrizal 423 221 202 Guacamaya 2,022 1,087 935 Gualjoquito 402 205 197 Platanares 103 52 51 Quebrada Arriba 105 56 49 Santa Rosita 705 382 323 Total 5,191 2,737 2,454
Demographics According to the 2013 census, Gualala had a total population of 5,191 inhabitants, if whom 2,737 (52.7%) were men and 2,454 (47.3%) were women. The entire population was classified as rural, with no urban population recorded in the census. The intercensal growth rate between 2001 and 2013 was 1.7%.
About 2.3% of the population were classified as Indigenous and rest as non-indigneous. By broad age group, 32% of the population were aged 0–14 years, 57.7% were aged 15–64, and 9.3% were aged 65 years and over. The median age was 24.8 years and the mean age was 29.6 years. Among the population aged 15 and over, the municipality recorded an illiteracy rate of 25.7%, higher than the departmental average of 22.2%. The municipality had 1,266 occupied private dwellings, with an average of 4.1 persons per occupied dwelling.
Sports The football club, Atlético Gualala, which competes in the Honduran second division, the Liga de Ascenso de Honduras, is based out of the city.
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