34 Facts About Honduras

Honduras is a country in Central America that declared independence from Spain in September 1821.

It has a land area of about 112,492 square kilometres (43,443 square miles) and is the second-largest country in Central America.

Honduras borders Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, and also has coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

The name “Honduras” comes from the Spanish word meaning “depths,” referring to deep coastal waters near the Bay of Trujillo where Spanish ships anchored.

The capital city, Tegucigalpa, lies in a mountainous area at an elevation of about 1,000 metres above sea level.

Spanish is the official and most widely spoken language, and Roman Catholicism was introduced during Spanish colonial rule.

The national currency is the lempira, named after a Lenca Indigenous leader who resisted Spanish conquest.

Mestizos make up the majority of the population, alongside Indigenous groups and Afro-descendant communities such as the Garífuna.

Honduras was home to important Mesoamerican cultures, including the Maya, whose ruins can still be seen at sites such as Copán.

The national flag is blue and white with five stars, symbolizing the five former members of the Federal Republic of Central America.

The national bird is the scarlet macaw, and the national flower is Rhyncholaelia digbyana, a native orchid.

Honduras is divided into three main geographical regions: the Caribbean lowlands, the central highlands, and the Pacific lowlands, each with its own climate.

Lake Yojoa is the country’s largest and only natural lake, covering about 79 square kilometres.

The Patuca River is the longest river in Honduras and also the longest river in Central America.

Honduras is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second-largest coral reef system in the world.

Utila, one of the Bay Islands, is known for its volcanic rock formations and is popular for scuba diving and whale shark sightings.

La Ceiba is the main gateway city to the Bay Islands.

The economy has traditionally relied on agriculture, especially coffee, bananas, sugarcane, and tropical fruits.

Coffee is Honduras’s most important export crop.

The country also has a large textile and garment industry that exports mainly to North America.

Despite economic growth in some urban areas, Honduras remains one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Much of the country’s wealth and development is concentrated in major cities such as Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

San Pedro Sula has gained international attention for having very high crime rates in past decades.

La Tribuna is one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the country, and Televicentro is a major television network.

A typical Honduran meal includes tortillas, beans, and a protein such as pork, beef, or chicken. Coconut milk is commonly used in coastal dishes.

Public buses are commonly called “chicken buses” because of their bright colors and the livestock sometimes carried on them.

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport, and the national team represents the country in international competitions.

Olimpia is one of the country’s most successful football clubs.

Honduras hosts a famous Holy Week tradition in Comayagua, where large carpets made of colored sawdust, called alfombras, are created in the streets.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Comayagua contains one of the oldest working clocks in the Americas, believed to date back to the medieval Islamic world.

Bats make up about half of all mammal species in Honduras, showing the country’s high biodiversity.

The country is home to several venomous snake species, including rattlesnakes and palm pit vipers.

Honduras has only one natural lake but many rivers and wetlands that support farming and wildlife.

Christopher Columbus reached the coast of Honduras in 1502 during his fourth voyage to the Americas.