Arada () is a municipality in the department of Santa Bárbara, Honduras. It covers an area of and had a population of 9,622 inhabitants according to the 2013 national census. It was officially established on 22 June 1900.
History
Arada was earlier part of the municipality of Santa Bárbara. The people petitioned for it to be declared as an independent municipality due to the difficulty in accessing the Santa Bárbara as the Ulua River ran in between the settlements. It was officially established as a municipality on 22 June 1900, and the first municipal council took office on 4 January 1901 with Agapito Rodríguez as the first mayor.
"Arada" is derived from Spanish meaning "plough". The earlier inhabitants were from the nearby El Ocotal village. As the soil at El Ocotal was unsuitable for agriculture, they searched for fertile lands nearby, and found Arada. The farmers traveled daily to work, and returned back to their native village at sunset, and this activity led to the name of the place itself. It borders the municipalities of San Nicolás and San Vicente Centenario to the north, Santa Bárbara to the east, El Níspero to the south, and La Unión, and San Nicolás to the west.
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|+Aldeas (villages) of Arada