Honduras
Honduras
Honduras
Republic of Honduras
República de Honduras (Spanish)
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto:
Official languages Spanish
Ethnic groups 90% Mestizo(mixed Indigenous and White)
(2016) [1]
7% Indigenous
2% Black
1% White
Religion 90.5% Christianity
(2015) [2]
—43.6% Roman Catholic
—43.5% Protestant
—3.4% Other Christian
8.7% No religion
0.8% Other
Demonym(s) Honduran
Catracho(a)
Independence
• Declaredb from Spain 15 September 1821
• Declared from the 1 July 1823
First Mexican
Empire
• Declared, as 5 November 1838
Honduras, from
the Federal Republic
of Central America
Area
• Total 112,492 km2(43,433 sq mi) (101st)
Population
• 2021 estimate 10,278,345[3][4](95th)
• 2013 census 8,303,771
• Density 85/km2(220.1/sq mi) (128th)
GDP (PPP) 2018 estimate
• Total $49.010 billion[5](104th)
• Per capita $5,817[5](133rd)
GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate
• Total $23.835 billion[5](108th)
• Per capita $2,829[5](128th)
Gini (2018) 52.1[6]
high
HDI (2019) 0.632[7]
medium · 133rd
Currency Lempira (HNL)
to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific
Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and
Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, before the Spanish
Colonization in the sixteenth century. The Spanish introduced Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language,
along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. Honduras became independent in 1821 and has
since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability, and remains one of the
poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, the northern part of what was the Mosquito Coast was transferred
The nation's economy is primarily agricultural, making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as Hurricane
Mitch in 1998.[9] The lower class is primarily agriculturally based while wealth is concentrated in the country's urban
centers.[10] Honduras has a Human Development Index of 0.625, classifying it as a nation with medium development.
When adjusted for income inequality, its Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index is 0.443.[11]
[11]
Honduran society is predominantly Mestizo; however, there are also significant American Indian, black and white
communities in Honduras.[12] The nation had a relatively high political stability until its 2009 coup and again with the 2017
presidential election.[13]
Honduras spans about 112,492 km2 (43,433 sq mi) and has a population exceeding 10 million.[3][4] Its northern portions are
part of the western Caribbean zone, as reflected in the area's demographics and culture. Honduras is known for its rich
natural resources, including minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, and sugar cane, as well as for its growing textiles industry, which
Contents
1Etymology
2History
o 2.1Pre-colonial period
o 2.2Spanish conquest (1524–1539)
o 2.3Spanish Honduras (1524–1821)
o 2.4Independence (1821)
o 2.520th century and the role of American companies
o 2.6War and upheaval (1969–1999)
o 2.721st century
3Geography
o 3.1Climate
o 3.2Biodiversity
4Government and politics
o 4.1Political culture
o 4.2Foreign relations
o 4.3Military
o 4.4Administrative divisions
5Economy
o 5.1Poverty
o 5.2Poverty reduction strategies
o 5.3Economic inequality
o 5.4Trade
o 5.5Energy
o 5.6Transportation
6Demographics
o 6.1Race and ethnicity
o 6.2Gender
o 6.3Languages
o 6.4Largest cities
o 6.5Religion
o 6.6Health
o 6.7Education
o 6.8Crime
7Culture
o 7.1Art
o 7.2Cuisine
o 7.3Media
o 7.4Music
o 7.5Celebrations
o 7.6National symbols
o 7.7Folklore
o 7.8Sports
8See also
9Notes
10References
11External links
Etymology
The literal meaning of the term "Honduras" is "depths" in Spanish. The name could either refer to the bay of Trujillo as an
anchorage, fondura in the Leonese dialect of Spain, or to Columbus's alleged quote that "Gracias a Dios que hemos salido
It was not until the end of the 16th century that Honduras was used for the whole province. Prior to 1580, Honduras referred
to only the eastern part of the province, and Higueras referred to the western part.[16] Another early name is Guaymuras,
revived as the name for the political dialogue in 2009 that took place in Honduras as opposed to Costa Rica.[17]
Hondurans are often referred to as Catracho or Catracha (fem) in Spanish. The word was coined by Nicaraguans and
derives from the last name of the Spanish Honduran General Florencio Xatruch, who in 1857 led Honduran armed forces
against an attempted invasion by North American adventurer William Walker. The nickname is considered complimentary,
History
Main article: History of Honduras
In the pre-Columbian era, modern Honduras was split between two pan-cultural regions: Mesoamerica in the west and
the Isthmo-Colombian area in the east. Each complex had a "core area" within Honduras (the Sula Valleyfor Mesoamerica,
and La Mosquitia for the Isthmo-Colombian area), and the intervening area was one of gradual transition. However, these
concepts had no meaning in the Pre-Columbian era itself and represent extremely diverse areas. The Lenca people of the
interior highlands are also generally considered to be culturally Mesoamerican, though the extent of linkage with other areas
varied over time (for example, expanding during the zenith of the Toltec Empire).
In the extreme west, Maya civilization flourished for hundreds of years. The dominant, best known, and best studied state
within Honduras's borders was in Copán, which was located in a mainly non-Maya area, or on the frontier between Maya
and non-Maya areas. Copán declined with other Lowland centres during the conflagrations of the Terminal Classic in the 9th
century. The Maya of this civilization survive in western Honduras as the Ch'orti', isolated from their Choltian linguistic
throughout the country. Archaeologists have studied sites such as Naco [es] and La Sierra in the Naco Valley, Los
Naranjos on Lake Yojoa, Yarumela in the Comayagua Valley,[19] La Ceiba and Salitron Viejo[20] (both now under the Cajón
Dam reservoir), Selin Farm and Cuyamel in the Aguan valley, Cerro Palenque, Travesia, Curruste, Ticamaya, Despoloncal,
In 2012, LiDAR scanning revealed that several previously unknown high density settlements existed in La Mosquitia,
corresponding to the legend of "La Ciudad Blanca". Excavation and study has since improved knowledge of the region's
history. It is estimated that these settlements reached their zenith from 500 to 1000 AD.
On his fourth and the final voyage to the New World in 1502, Christopher Columbus landed near the modern town
of Trujillo, near Guaimoreto Lagoon, becoming the first European to visit the Bay Islands on the coast of Honduras.[21] On
30 July 1502, Columbus sent his brother Bartholomew to explore the islands and Bartholomew encountered a Mayan trading
vessel from Yucatán, carrying well-dressed Maya and a rich cargo. [22][23] Bartholomew's men stole the cargo they wanted and
kidnapped the ship's elderly captain to serve as an interpreter [23] in the first recorded encounter between the Spanish and the
Maya.[24]
In March 1524, Gil González Dávila became the first Spaniard to enter Honduras as a conquistador.[25][26] followed
by Hernán Cortés, who had brought forces down from Mexico. Much of the conquest took place in the following two
decades, first by groups loyal to Cristóbal de Olid, and then by those loyal to Francisco de Montejo but most particularly by
those following Alvarado.[who?] In addition to Spanish resources, the conquerors relied heavily on armed forces from Mexico
Resistance to conquest was led in particular by Lempira. Many regions in the north of Honduras never fell to the Spanish,
notably the Miskito Kingdom. After the Spanish conquest, Honduras became part of Spain's vast empire in the New World
within the Kingdom of Guatemala. Trujillo and Gracias were the first city-capitals. The Spanish ruled the region for
Honduras was organized as a province of the Kingdom of Guatemala and the capital was fixed, first at Trujillo on the
Atlantic coast, and later at Comayagua, and finally at Tegucigalpa in the central part of the country.
Silver mining was a key factor in the Spanish conquest and settlement of Honduras. [27] Initially the mines were worked by
local people through the encomienda system, but as disease and resistance made this option less available, slaves from other
parts of Central America were brought in. When local slave trading stopped at the end of the sixteenth century, African
slaves, mostly from Angola, were imported.[28] After about 1650, very few slaves or other outside workers arrived in
Honduras.
Although the Spanish conquered the southern or Pacific portion of Honduras fairly quickly, they were less successful on the
northern, or Atlantic side. They managed to found a few towns along the coast, at Puerto Caballos and Trujillo in particular,
but failed to conquer the eastern portion of the region and many pockets of independent indigenous people as well.
The Miskito Kingdom in the northeast was particularly effective at resisting conquest. The Miskito Kingdom found support
from northern European privateers, pirates and especially the British formerly English colony of Jamaica, which placed
The Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa was built by the Spanish to protect the coast of Honduras from
English pirates.
Independence (1821)
Honduras gained independence from Spain in 1821 and was a part of the First Mexican Empire until 1823, when it became
part of the United Provinces of Central America. It has been an independent republic and has held regular elections since
1838. In the 1840s and 1850s Honduras participated in several failed attempts at Central American unity, such as the
Confederation of Central America (1842–1845), the covenant of Guatemala (1842), the Diet of Sonsonate (1846), the Diet
of Nacaome (1847) and National Representation in Central America (1849–1852). Although Honduras eventually adopted
the name Republic of Honduras, the unionist ideal never waned, and Honduras was one of the Central American countries
Policies favoring international trade and investment began in the 1870s, and soon foreign interests became involved, first in
shipping from the north coast, especially tropical fruit and most notably bananas, and then in building railroads. In 1888, a
projected railroad line from the Caribbean coast to the capital, Tegucigalpa, ran out of money when it reached San Pedro
Sula. As a result, San Pedro grew into the nation's primary industrial center and second-largest city. Comayagua was the
Since independence, nearly 300 small internal rebellions and civil wars have occurred in the country, including some
changes of régime.[29][30]
In the late nineteenth century, Honduras granted land and substantial exemptions to several US-based fruit and infrastructure
companies in return for developing the country's northern regions. Thousands of workers came to the north coast as a result
to work in banana plantations and other businesses that grew up around the export industry. Banana-exporting companies,
dominated until 1930 by the Cuyamel Fruit Company, as well as the United Fruit Company, and Standard Fruit Company,
built an enclave economy in northern Honduras, controlling infrastructure and creating self-sufficient, tax-exempt sectors
that contributed relatively little to economic growth. American troops landed in Honduras in 1903, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1919,
In 1904, the writer O. Henry coined the term "banana republic" to describe Honduras,[32] publishing a book called Cabbages
and Kings, about a fictional country, Anchuria, inspired by his experiences in Honduras, where he had lived for six months.
In The Admiral, O.Henry refers to the nation as a "small maritime banana republic"; naturally, the fruit was the entire
[33]
basis of its economy.[34][35] According to a literary analyst writing for The Economist, "his phrase neatly conjures up the
image of a tropical, agrarian country. But its real meaning is sharper: it refers to the fruit companies from the United States
that came to exert extraordinary influence over the politics of Honduras and its neighbors." [36][37] In addition to drawing
Central American workers north, the fruit companies encouraged immigration of workers from the English-speaking
population into the country, although many of these workers left following changes to immigration law in 1939. [38] Honduras
joined the Allied Nations after Pearl Harbor, on 8 December 1941, and signed the Declaration by United Nations on 1
Constitutional crises in the 1940s led to reforms in the 1950s. One reform gave workers permission to organize, and a
1954 general strike paralyzed the northern part of the country for more than two months, but led to reforms. In 1963
a military coup unseated democratically elected President Ramón Villeda Morales. In 1960, the northern part of what was
In 1969, Honduras and El Salvador fought what became known as the Football War.[39] Border tensions led to acrimony
between the two countries after Oswaldo López Arellano, the president of Honduras, blamed the deteriorating Honduran
economy on immigrants from El Salvador. The relationship reached a low when El Salvador met Honduras for a three-round
Tensions escalated and on 14 July 1969, the Salvadoran army invaded Honduras. [39] The Organization of American
States (OAS) negotiated a cease-fire which took effect on 20 July and brought about a withdrawal of Salvadoran troops in
early August.[40] Contributing factors to the conflict were a boundary dispute and the presence of thousands of Salvadorans
living in Honduras illegally. After the week-long war, as many as 130,000 Salvadoran immigrants were expelled. [10]
Hurricane Fifi caused severe damage when it skimmed the northern coast of Honduras on 18 and 19 September
1974. Melgar Castro (1975–78) and Paz Garcia (1978–82) largely built the current physical infrastructure and
In 1979, the country returned to civilian rule. A constituent assembly was popularly elected in April 1980 to write a new
constitution, and general elections were held in November 1981. The constitution was approved in 1982 and
the PLH government of Roberto Suazo won the election with a promise to carry out an ambitious program of economic and
social development to tackle the recession in which Honduras found itself. He launched ambitious social and economic
development projects sponsored by American development aid. Honduras became host to the largest Peace Corps mission in
the world, and nongovernmental and international voluntary agencies proliferated. The Peace Corps withdrew its volunteers
During the early 1980s, the United States established a continuing military presence in Honduras to support El Salvador,
the Contra guerrillas fighting the Nicaraguan government, and also develop an airstrip and modern port in Honduras.
Though spared the bloody civil wars wracking its neighbors, the Honduran army quietly waged campaigns against Marxist–
Leninist militias such as the Cinchoneros Popular Liberation Movement, notorious for kidnappings and bombings, [43] and
against many non-militants as well. The operation included a campaign of extrajudicial killings by government units, most
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused massive and widespread destruction. Honduran President Carlos Roberto Flores said that
fifty years of progress in the country had been reversed. Mitch destroyed about 70% of the country's crops and an estimated
70–80% of the transportation infrastructure, including nearly all bridges and secondary roads. Across Honduras 33,000
houses were destroyed, and an additional 50,000 damaged. Some 5,000 people killed, and 12,000 more injured. Total losses
21st century
In 2007, President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya and President of the United States George W. Bush began talks on US
assistance to Honduras to tackle the latter's growing drug cartels in Mosquito, Eastern Honduras using US Special Forces.
This marked the beginning of a new foothold for the US Military's continued presence in Central America. [46]
Under Zelaya, Honduras joined ALBA in 2008, but withdrew in 2010 after the 2009 Honduran coup d'état.[47] In 2009,
a constitutional crisis resulted when power was transferred in a coup from the president to the head of Congress. The OAS
suspended Honduras because it did not regard its government as legitimate. [48][49]
Countries around the world, the OAS, and the United Nations[50] formally and unanimously condemned the action as a coup
d'état, refusing to recognize the de facto government, even though the lawyers consulted by the Library of
Congress submitted to the United States Congress an opinion that declared the coup legal.[50][51][52] The Honduran Supreme
Court also ruled that the proceedings had been legal. The government that followed the de facto government established a
truth and reconciliation commission, Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación, which after more than a year of research and
debate concluded that the ousting had been a coup d'état, and illegal in the commission's opinion.[53][54][55]
On 28 November 2021, the former first lady Xiomara Castro, leftist presidential candidate of opposition Liberty and
Refoundation Party, won 53% of the votes in the presidential election to become the first female president of Honduras,
meaning the end to the 12-year reign of the right-wing National Party. [56] She was sworn in on 27 January 2022. Her
husband, Manuel Zelaya, held the same office from 2006 until 2009. [57]
In April 2022, former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who served two terms between 2014 and January
2022, was extradited to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. Hernandez denied the
accusations.[58]
Geography
Main article: Geography of Honduras
Honduras's topography.
The north coast of Honduras borders the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean lies south through the Gulf of Fonseca.
Honduras consists mainly of mountains, with narrow plains along the coasts. A large undeveloped lowland jungle, La
Mosquitia lies in the northeast, and the heavily populated lowland Sula valley in the northwest. In La Mosquitia lies
the UNESCO world-heritage site Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, with the Coco River which divides Honduras
from Nicaragua.
The Islas de la Bahía and the Swan Islands are off the north coast. Misteriosa Bank and Rosario Bank, 130 to 150 kilometres
(81 to 93 miles) north of the Swan Islands, fall within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Honduras.
Natural resources include timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, shrimp, and hydropower.
Climate
Köppen climate types of Honduras
Main article: Geography of Honduras § Climate
The climate varies from tropical in the lowlands to temperate in the mountains. The central and southern regions are
Biodiversity
Main article: Flora and Fauna of Honduras
See also: List of birds of Honduras and List of national parks of Honduras
The region is considered a biodiversity hotspot because of the many plant and animal species found there. Like other
countries in the region, it contains vast biological resources. Honduras hosts more than 6,000 species of vascular plants, of
which 630 (described so far) are orchids; around 250 reptiles and amphibians, more than 700 bird species, and
In the northeastern region of La Mosquitia lies the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a lowland rainforest which is home to a
great diversity of life. The reserve was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1982.
Honduras has rain forests, cloud forests (which can rise up to nearly 3,000 metres or 9,800 feet above sea
level), mangroves, savannas and mountain ranges with pine and oak trees, and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. In
the Bay Islands there are bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, parrot fish, schools of blue tang and whale shark.
Deforestation resulting from logging is rampant in Olancho Department. The clearing of land for agriculture is prevalent in
the largely undeveloped La Mosquitia region, causing land degradation and soil erosion. Honduras had a 2019 Forest
Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.48/10, ranking it 126th globally out of 172 countries. [60]
Lake Yojoa, which is Honduras's largest source of fresh water, is polluted by heavy metals produced from mining activities.
vested in the National Congress of Honduras. The judiciary is independent of both the executive branch and the legislature.
The National Congress of Honduras (Congreso Nacional) has 128 members (diputados), elected for a four-year term
by proportional representation. Congressional seats are assigned the parties' candidates on a departmental basis in proportion
Political culture
In 1963, a military coup removed the democratically elected president, Ramón Villeda Morales. A string of
authoritarian military governments held power uninterrupted until 1981, when Roberto Suazo Córdova was elected
president.
The party system was dominated by the conservative National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras: PNH) and
the liberal Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras: PLH) until the 2009 Honduran coup
In late 2012, 1540 persons were interviewed by ERIC in collaboration with the Jesuit university, as reported by Associated
Press. This survey found that 60.3% believed the police were involved in crime, 44.9% had "no confidence" in the Supreme
Court, and 72% thought there was electoral fraud in the primary elections of November 2012. Also, 56% expected the
Then-president Juan Orlando Hernández took office on 27 January 2014. After managing to stand for a second term, [64] a
very close election in 2017 left uncertainty as to whether then-President Hernandez or his main challenger, television
personality Salvador Nasralla, had prevailed.[65] The disputed election caused protests and violence. In December 2017,
Hernández was declared the winner of the election after a partial recount. [66] In January 2018, Hernández was sworn in for a
second presidential term.[67] He was succeeded by Xiomara Castro, the leader of the left-wing Libre Party, and wife of
Manuel Zelaya, on 27 January 2022, becoming the first woman to serve as president. [68]
Foreign relations
Further information: Foreign relations of Honduras
coast. Nicaragua imposed a 35% tariff against Honduran goods due to the dispute. [69]
In June 2009 a coup d'état ousted President Manuel Zelaya; he was taken in a military aircraft to Costa Rica. The General
Assembly of the United Nations voted to denounce the coup and called for the restoration of Zelaya. Several Latin
American nations, including Mexico, temporarily severed diplomatic relations with Honduras. In July 2010, full diplomatic
relations were once again re-established with Mexico. [70] The United States sent out mixed messages after the coup; Obama
called the ouster a coup and expressed support for Zelaya's return to power. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, advised
by John Negroponte, the former Reagan-era Ambassador to Honduras implicated in the Iran–Contra affair, refrained from
expressing support.[71] She has since explained that the US would have had to cut aid if it called Zelaya's ouster a military
coup, although the US has a record of ignoring these events when it chooses. [72] Zelaya had expressed an interest in Hugo
Chávez' Bolivarian Alliance for Peoples of our America (ALBA), and had actually joined in 2008. After the 2009 coup,
This interest in regional agreements may have increased the alarm of establishment politicians. When Zelaya began calling
for a "fourth ballot box" to determine whether Hondurans wished to convoke a special constitutional congress, this sounded
a lot to some like the constitutional amendments that had extended the terms of both Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales.
"Chávez has served as a role model for like-minded leaders intent on cementing their power. These presidents are barely in
office when they typically convene a constitutional convention to guarantee their reelection," said a 2009 Spiegel
International analysis,[73] which noted that one reason to join ALBA was discounted Venezuelan oil. In addition to Chávez
and Morales, Carlos Menem of Argentina, Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil and Columbian President Álvaro Uribe had
all taken this step, and Washington and the EU were both accusing the Sandinista National Liberation Front government in
Nicaragua of tampering with election results.[73] Politicians of all stripes expressed opposition to Zelaya's referendum
proposal, and the Attorney-General accused him of violating the constitution. The Honduran Supreme Court agreed, saying
that the constitution had put the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in charge of elections and referenda, not the National Statistics
Institute, which Zelaya had proposed to have run the count. [74] Whether or not Zelaya's removal from power had
constitutional elements, the Honduran constitution explicitly protects all Hondurans from forced expulsion from Honduras.
The United States maintains a small military presence at one Honduran base. The two countries conduct joint peacekeeping,
counter-narcotics, humanitarian, disaster relief, humanitarian, medical and civic action exercises. U.S. troops conduct and
provide logistics support for a variety of bilateral and multilateral exercises. The United States is Honduras's chief trading
partner.[41]
Military
Further information: Armed Forces of Honduras
Honduras has a military with the Honduran Army, Honduran Navy and Honduran Air Force.
Administrative divisions
Further information: Departments of Honduras and Municipalities of Honduras
The departmental divisions of Honduras
Honduras is divided into 18 departments. The capital city is Tegucigalpa in the Central District within the department
of Francisco Morazán.
1. Atlántida
2. Choluteca
3. Colón
4. Comayagua
5. Copán
6. Cortés
7. El Paraíso
8. Francisco Morazán
9. Gracias a Dios
10. Intibucá
12. La Paz
13. Lempira
14. Ocotepeque
17. Valle
18. Yoro
A new administrative division called ZEDE (Zonas de empleo y desarrollo económico) was created in 2013. ZEDEs have a
high level of autonomy with their own political system at a judicial, economic and administrative level, and are based
agriculture: 14.2%
industry: 28.8%
services: 57%
(2017 est.)[77]}}
29.6% (2014)[77]
0.623 medium (2018)[79] (132nd)
0.464 IHDI (2018)[80]}}
4,376,463 (2019)[81]
agriculture: 39.2%
industry: 20.9%
services: 38.9%
(2005 est.)[77]}}
5.6% (2018)[83]
United States 34.5%
Germany 8.9%
Belgium 7.7%
El Salvador 7.3%
Netherlands 7.2%
Guatemala 5.2%
Nicaragua 4.8%
(2017)[77]}}
United States 40.3%
Guatemala 10.5%
China 8.5%
Mexico 6.2%
El Salvador 5.7%
Panama 4.4%
Costa Rica 4.2%
(2017)[77]}}
B (Domestic)
B (Foreign)
B+ (T&C Assessment)}}
Poverty
The World Bank categorizes Honduras as a low middle-income nation.[85] The nation's per capita income sits at around 600
In 2010, 50% of the population were living below the poverty line.[87] By 2016 more than 66% were living below the poverty
line.[85]
Economic growth in the last few years has averaged 7% a year, one of the highest rates in Latin America (2010). [85] Despite
this, Honduras has seen the least development amongst all Central American countries. [88] Honduras is ranked 130 of 188
countries with a Human Development Index of .625 that classifies the nation as having medium development (2015). [11] The
three factors that go into Honduras's HDI (an extended and healthy life, accessibility of knowledge and standard of living)
have all improved since 1990 but still remain relatively low with life expectancy at birth being 73.3, expected years of
schooling being 11.2 (mean of 6.2 years) and GNI per capita being $4,466 (2015).[11] The HDI for Latin America and the
Caribbean overall is 0.751 with life expectancy at birth being 68.6, expected years of schooling being 11.5 (mean of 6.6) and
The 2009 Honduran coup d'état led to a variety of economic trends in the nation.[89] Overall growth has slowed, averaging
5.7 percent from 2006 to 2008 but slowing to 3.5 percent annually between 2010 and 2013. [89] Following the coup trends of
decreasing poverty and extreme poverty were reversed. The nation saw a poverty increase of 13.2 percent and in extreme
poverty of 26.3 percent in just 3 years.[89] Furthermore, unemployment grew between 2008 and 2012 from 6.8 percent to
14.1 percent.[89]
Because much of the Honduran economy is based on small scale agriculture of only a few exports, natural disasters have a
particularly devastating impact. Natural disasters, such as 1998 Hurricane Mitch, have contributed to this inequality as they
particularly affect poor rural areas.[90] Additionally, they are a large contributor to food insecurity in the country as farmers
are left unable to provide for their families.[90] A study done by Honduras NGO, World Neighbors, determined the terms
"increased workload, decreased basic grains, expensive food, and fear" were most associated with Hurricane Mitch. [91]
The rural and urban poor were hit hardest by Hurricane Mitch. [90] Those in southern and western regions specifically were
considered most vulnerable as they both were subject to environmental destruction and home to many subsistence farmers.
[90]
Due to disasters such as Hurricane Mitch, the agricultural economic sector has declined a third in the past twenty years.
[90]
This is mostly due to a decline in exports, such as bananas and coffee, that were affected by factors such as natural
disasters.[90] Indigenous communities along the Patuca River were hit extremely hard as well. [9] The mid-Pataca region was
almost completely destroyed.[9] Over 80% of rice harvest and all of banana, plantain, and manioc harvests were lost. [9] Relief
and reconstruction efforts following the storm were partial and incomplete, reinforcing existing levels of poverty rather than
reversing those levels, especially for indigenous communities. [9] The period between the end of food donations and the
following harvest led to extreme hunger, causing deaths amongst the Tawahka population. [9] Those that were considered the
most "land-rich" lost 36% of their total land on average. [9] Those that were the most "land-poor", lost less total land but a
greater share of their overall total.[9] This meant that those hit hardest were single women as they constitute the majority of
this population.[9]
Since the 1970s when Honduras was designated a "food priority country" by the UN, organizations such as The World Food
Program (WFP) have worked to decrease malnutrition and food insecurity. [92] A large majority of Honduran farmers live
in extreme poverty, or below 180 US dollars per capita.[93] Currently one fourth of children are affected by chronic
malnutrition.[92] WFP is currently working with the Honduran government on a School Feeding Program which provides
meals for 21,000 Honduran schools, reaching 1.4 million school children. [92] WFP also participates in disaster relief through
reparations and emergency response in order to aid in quick recovery that tackles the effects of natural disasters on
agricultural production.[92]
Honduras's Poverty Reduction Strategy was implemented in 1999 and aimed to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.
While spending on poverty-reduction aid increased there was only a 2.5% increase in GDP between 1999 and 2002.
[94]
This improvement left Honduras still below that of countries that lacked aid through Poverty Reduction Strategy behind
[95]
those without it.[95] The World Bank believes that this inefficiency stems from a lack of focus on infrastructure and rural
development.[95] Extreme poverty saw a low of 36.2 percent only two years after the implementation of the strategy but then
Poverty Reduction Strategies were also intended to affect social policy through increased investment in education and health
sectors.[96] This was expected to lift poor communities out of poverty while also increasing the workforce as a means of
stimulating the Honduran economy.[96] Conditional cash transfers were used to do this by the Family Assistance Program.
This program was restructured in 1998 in an attempt to increase effectiveness of cash transfers for health and education
[96]
specifically for those in extreme poverty.[96] Overall spending within Poverty Reduction Strategies have been focused on
education and health sectors increasing social spending from 44% of Honduras's GDP in 2000 to 51% in 2004. [96]
Critics of aid from International Finance Institutions believe that the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy result in little
substantive change to Honduran policy.[96] Poverty Reduction Strategies also excluded clear priorities, specific intervention
strategy, strong commitment to the strategy and more effective macro-level economic reforms according to Jose Cuesta of
Cambridge University.[95] Due to this he believes that the strategy did not provide a pathway for economic development that
could lift Honduras out of poverty resulting in neither lasting economic growth of poverty reduction. [95]
Prior to its 2009 coup Honduras widely expanded social spending and an extreme increase in minimum wage. [89] Efforts to
decrease inequality were swiftly reversed following the coup. [89] When Zelaya was removed from office social spending as a
percent of GDP decreased from 13.3 percent in 2009 to 10.9 recent in 2012. [89] This decrease in social spending exacerbated
the effects of the recession, which the nation was previously relatively well equipped to deal with. [89]
Economic inequality
Slum in Tegucigalpa
Levels of income inequality in Honduras are higher than in any other Latin American country. [89] Unlike other Latin
American countries, inequality steadily increased in Honduras between 1991 and 2005. [94] Between 2006 and 2010
When Honduras's Human Development Index is adjusted for inequality (known as the IHDI) Honduras's development index
is reduced to .443.[11] The levels of inequality in each aspect of development can also be assessed. [11] In 2015 inequality of
life expectancy at birth was 19.6%, inequality in education was 24.4% and inequality in income was 41.5% [11] The overall
The IHDI for Latin America and the Caribbean overall is 0.575 with an overall loss of 23.4%. [11] In 2015 for the entire
region, inequality of life expectancy at birth was 22.9%, inequality in education was 14.0% and inequality in income was
34.9%.[11] While Honduras has a higher life expectancy than other countries in the region (before and after inequality
adjustments), its quality of education and economic standard of living are lower. [11] Income inequality and education
inequality have a large impact on the overall development of the nation. [11]
Inequality also exists between rural and urban areas as it relates to the distribution of resources. [97] Poverty is concentrated in
southern, eastern, and western regions where rural and indigenous peoples live. North and central Honduras are home to the
country's industries and infrastructure, resulting in low levels of poverty. [86] Poverty is concentrated in rural Honduras, a
pattern that is reflected throughout Latin America.[12] The effects of poverty on rural communities are vast. Poor
communities typically live in adobe homes, lack material resources, have limited access to medical resources, and live off of
The lower class predominantly consists of rural subsistence farmers and landless peasants. [99] Since 1965 there has been an
increase in the number of landless peasants in Honduras which has led to a growing class of urban poor individuals. [99] These
individuals often migrate to urban centers in search of work in the service sector, manufacturing, or construction.
Demographers believe that without social and economic reform, rural to urban migration will increase, resulting in the
[99]
expansion of urban centers.[99] Within the lower class, underemployment is a major issue.[99] Individuals that are
underemployed often only work as part-time laborers on seasonal farms meaning their annual income remains low. [99] In the
1980s peasant organizations and labor unions such as the National Federation of Honduran Peasants, The National
Association of Honduran Peasants and the National Union of Peasants formed. [99]
An indigenous family in a small mountain village in Honduras
It is not uncommon for rural individuals to voluntarily enlist in the military, however this often does not offer stable or
promising career opportunities.[100] The majority of high-ranking officials in the Honduran army are recruited from elite
military academies.[100] Additionally, the majority of enlistment in the military is forced. [100] Forced recruitment largely relies
on an alliance between the Honduran government, military and upper class Honduran society. [100] In urban areas males are
often sought out from secondary schools while in rural areas roadblocks aided the military in handpicking recruits.
Higher socio-economic status enables individuals to more easily evade the draft. [100]
[100]
Middle class Honduras is a small group defined by relatively low membership and income levels. [99] Movement from lower
to middle class is typically facilitated by higher education. [99] Professionals, students, farmers, merchants, business
employees, and civil servants are all considered a part of the Honduran middle class. [99] Opportunities for employment and
the industrial and commercial sectors are slow-growing, limiting middle class membership. [99]
The Honduran upper class has much higher income levels than the rest of the Honduran population reflecting large amounts
of income inequality.[99] Much of the upper class affords their success to the growth of cotton and livestock exports post-
World War II.[99] The wealthy are not politically unified and differ in political and economic views. [99]
Trade
San Pedro Sula is a major center of business and commerce in Honduras, and is home to many large
manufacturers and companies. It is often referred to as "La Capital Industrial". [101]
The government operates both the electrical grid, Empresa Nacional de Energía Eléctrica (ENEE) and the land-line
telephone service, Hondutel. ENEE receives heavy subsidies to counter its chronic financial problems, but Hondutel is no
longer a monopoly. The telecommunication sector was opened to private investment on 25 December 2005, as required
under CAFTA. The price of petroleum is regulated, and the Congress often ratifies temporary price regulation for
basic commodities.
Gold, silver, lead and zinc are mined.[102]
CAFTA countries
In 2005 Honduras signed CAFTA, a free trade agreement with the United States. In December 2005, Puerto Cortés, the
In 2006 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy announced the first phase of the Secure
Freight Initiative (SFI), which built upon existing port security measures. SFI gave the U.S. government enhanced authority,
allowing it to scan containers from overseas[clarification needed] for nuclear and radiological materials in order to improve the risk
assessment of individual US-bound containers. The initial phase of Secure Freight involved deploying of nuclear detection
Port of Salalah in Oman;
Port of Singapore;
Containers in these ports have been scanned since 2007 for radiation and other risk factors before they are allowed to depart
For economic development a 2012 memorandum of understanding with a group of international investors obtained
Honduran government approval to build a zone (city) with its own laws, tax system, judiciary and police, but opponents
brought a suit against it in the Supreme Court, calling it a "state within a state". [105] In 2013, Honduras's Congress ratified
Decree 120, which led to the establishment of ZEDEs. The government began construction of the first zones in June 2015.
[106]
Energy
Further information: Electricity sector in Honduras
About half of the electricity sector in Honduras is privately owned. The remaining generation capacity is run
Re-balancing tariffs, cutting arrears and reducing losses, including electricity theft, without social unrest
Reconciling environmental concerns with government objectives – two large new dams and associated hydropower
plants.
A highway in Honduras
Infrastructure for transportation in Honduras consists of: 699 kilometres (434 miles) of railways; 13,603 kilometres (8,453
miles) of roadways;[1] six ports;[107] and 112 airports altogether (12 Paved, 100 unpaved). [1] The Ministry of Public Works,
Transport and Housing (SOPRTRAVI in Spanish acronym) is responsible for transport sector policy.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Honduras
Honduras had a population of 10,278,345 in 2021.[3][4] The proportion of the population below the age of 15 in 2010 was
36.8%, 58.9% were between 15 and 65 years old, and 4.3% were 65 years old or older. [108]
Since 1975, emigration from Honduras has accelerated as economic migrants and political refugees sought a better life
elsewhere. A majority of expatriate Hondurans live in the United States. A 2012 US State Department estimate suggested
that between 800,000 and one million Hondurans lived in the United States at that time, nearly 15% of the Honduran
population.[41] The large uncertainty about numbers is because numerous Hondurans live in the United States without a visa.
In the 2010 census in the United States, 617,392 residents identified as Hondurans, up from 217,569 in 2000. [109]
The ethnic breakdown of Honduran society was 90% Mestizo, 7% American Indian, 2% Black and 1% White (2017). [12] The
1927 Honduran census provides no racial data but in 1930 five classifications were created: white, Indian, Negro, yellow,
and mestizo.[111] This system was used in the 1935 and 1940 census.[111] Mestizo was used to describe individuals that did not
fit neatly into the categories of white, American Indian, negro or yellow or who are of mixed white-American Indian
descent.[111]
John Gillin considers Honduras to be one of thirteen "Mestizo countries" (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua,
Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay). [112] He claims that in much as Spanish America
little attention is paid to race and race mixture resulting in social status having little reliance on one's physical features.
However, in "Mestizo countries" such as Honduras, this is not the case. [112] Social stratification from Spain was able to
[112]
During colonization the majority of Honduras's indigenous population died of diseases like smallpox and measles resulting
in a more homogenous indigenous population compared to other colonies. [99] Nine indigenous and African American groups
are recognized by the government in Honduras. [113] The majority of Amerindians in Honduras are Lenca, followed by the
Miskito, Cho'rti', Tolupan, Pech and Sumo.[113] Around 50,000 Lenca individuals live in the west and western interior of
Honduras while the other small native groups are located throughout the country. [99]
The majority of blacks in Honduran are culturally ladino, meaning they are culturally Latino.[99] Non-ladino groups in
Honduras include the Black Carib, Miskito, Arab immigrants and the black population of the Islas de la Bahía[99] The Black
Carib population descended from freed slaves from Saint Vincent. [99] The Miskito population (about 10,000 individuals) are
the descendants of African and British immigrants and are extremely racially diverse. [99] While the Black Carib and Miskito
populations have similar origins, Black Caribs are considered black while Miskitos are considered indigenous. [99] This is
largely a reflection of cultural differences, as Black Caribs have retained much of their original African culture. [99] The
majority of Arab Hondurans are of Palestinian and Lebanese descent. [99] They are known as "turcos" in Honduras because of
migration during the rule of the Ottoman Empire.[99] They have maintained cultural distinctiveness and prospered
economically.[99]
Gender
See also: Gender inequality in Honduras
The male to female ratio of the Honduran population is 1.01. This ratio stands at 1.05 at birth, 1.04 from 15 to 24 years old,
1.02 from 25 to 54 years old, .88 from 55 to 64 years old, and .77 for those 65 years or older. [12]
The Gender Development Index (GDI) was .942 in 2015 with an HDI of .600 for females and .637 for males. [11] Life
expectancy at birth for males is 70.9 and 75.9 for females. [11] Expected years of schooling in Honduras is 10.9 years for
males (mean of 6.1) and 11.6 for females (mean of 6.2).[11] These measures do not reveal a large disparity between male and
female development levels, however, GNI per capita is vastly different by gender. [11] Males have a GNI per capita of $6,254
while that of females is only $2,680.[11] Honduras's overall GDI is higher than that of other medium HDI nations (.871) but
lower than the overall HDI for Latin America and the Caribbean (.981). [11]
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranks Honduras 116th for measures including women's political power,
and female access to resources.[114] The Gender Inequality Index (GII) depicts gender-based inequalities in Honduras
according to reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity. [11] Honduras has a GII of .461 and ranked 101 of
159 countries in 2015.[11] 25.8% of Honduras's parliament is female and 33.4% of adult females have a secondary education
or higher while only 31.1% of adult males do.[11]Despite this, while male participation in the labor market is 84.4, female
participation is 47.2%.[11] Honduras's maternal mortality ratio is 129 and the adolescent birth rate is 65.0 for women ages 15–
19.[11]
Familialism and machismo carry a lot of weight within Honduran society.[115] Familialism refers to the idea of individual
interests being second to that of the family, most often in relation to dating and marriage, abstinence, and parental approval
and supervision of dating.[115] Aggression and proof of masculinity through physical dominance are characteristic of
machismo.[115]
Honduras has historically functioned with a patriarchal system like many other Latin American countries. [116] Honduran men
claim responsibility for family decisions including reproductive health decisions. [116] Recently Honduras has seen an increase
in challenges to this notion as feminist movements and access to global media increases. [116] There has been an increase in
educational attainment, labor force participating, urban migration, late-age marriage, and contraceptive use amongst
Honduran women.[116]
Between 1971 and 2001 Honduran total fertility rate decreased from 7.4 births to 4.4 births. [116] This is largely attributable to
an increase in educational attainment and workforce participation by women, as well as more widespread use
of contraceptives.[116] In 1996 50% of women were using at least one type of contraceptive. [116] By 2001 62% were largely
due to female sterilization, birth control in the form of a pill, injectable birth control, and IUDs. [116] A study done in 2001 of
Honduran men and women reflect conceptualization of reproductive health and decision making in Honduras. [116] 28% of
men and 25% of women surveyed believed men were responsible for decisions regarding family size and family planning
Sexual violence against women has proven to be a large issue in Honduras that has caused many to migrate to the U.S.
The prevalence of child sexual abuse was 7.8% in Honduras with the majority of reports being from children under the
[117]
age of 11.[118] Women that experienced sexual abuse as children were found to be twice as likely to be in violent
relationships.[118] Femicide is widespread in Honduras.[117] In 2014, 40% of unaccompanied refugee minors were female.
Gangs are largely responsible for sexual violence against women as they often use sexual violence. [117] Between 2005
[117]
and 2013 according to the UN Special Repporteur on Violence Against Women, violent deaths increased 263.4 percent.
Impunity for sexual violence and femicide crimes was 95 percent in 2014. [117]Additionally, many girls are forced into
[117]
Between 1995 and 1997 Honduras recognized domestic violence as both a public health issue and a punishable offense due
to efforts by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). [114] PAHO's subcommittee on Women, Health and
Development was used as a guide to develop programs that aid in domestic violence prevention and victim assistance
programs [114] However, a study done in 2009 showed that while the policy requires health care providers to report cases of
sexual violence, emergency contraception, and victim referral to legal institutions and support groups, very few other
regulations exist within the realm of registry, examination and follow-up. [119] Unlike other Central American countries such
as El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Honduras does not have detailed guidelines requiring service providers to be
extensively trained and respect the rights of sexual violence victims. [119] Since the study was done the UNFPA and the Health
Secretariat of Honduras have worked to develop and implement improved guidelines for handling cases of sexual violence.
[119]
An educational program in Honduras known as Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT) has attempted to "undo gender"
through focusing on gender equality in everyday interactions. [120] Honduras's SAT program is one of the largest in the world,
second only to Colombia's with 6,000 students.[120] It is currently sponsored by Asociacion Bayan, a Honduran NGO, and the
Honduran Ministry of Education.[120] It functions by integrating gender into curriculum topics, linking gender to the ideas of
justice and equality, encouraging reflection, dialogue and debate and emphasizing the need for individual and social change.
This program was found to increase gender consciousness and a desire for gender equality amongst Honduran women
[120]
through encouraging discourse surrounding existing gender inequality in the Honduran communities. [120]
Languages
Spanish is the official, national language, spoken by virtually all Hondurans. In addition to Spanish, a number of indigenous
languages are spoken in some small communities. Other languages spoken by some include Honduran sign language
The Lenca isolate lost all its fluent native speakers in the 20th century but is currently undergoing revival efforts among the
members of the ethnic population of about 100,000. The largest immigrant languages are Arabic (42,000), Armenian
Largest cities
Further information: List of cities in Honduras
Largest citi
Accordin
Rank Name
1 Tegucigalpa Fra
2 San Pedro Sula Co
3 La Ceiba At
4 Choloma Co
5 El Progreso Yo
6 Comayagua Co
Tegucigalpa 7 Choluteca Ch
8 Danlí El
9 La Lima Co
10 Villanueva Co
Religion
Main article: Religion in Honduras
Religions: in Honduras %[110]
Catholic (46%)
Protestant (39%)
Although most Hondurans are nominally Catholic (which would be considered the main religion), membership in the
Catholic Church is declining while membership in Protestant churches is increasing. The International Religious Freedom
Report, 2008, notes that a CID Gallup poll reported that 51.4% of the population identified themselves as Catholic, 36.2%
and 11.1% do not belong to any religion or unresponsive. 8% reported as being either atheistic or agnostic. Customary
Catholic church tallies and membership estimates 81% Catholic where the priest (in more than 185 parishes) is required to
The CIA Factbook lists Honduras as 97% Catholic and 3% Protestant. [1] Commenting on statistical variations everywhere,
John Green of Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life notes that: "It isn't that ... numbers are more right than [someone
else's] numbers ... but how one conceptualizes the group." [125] Often people attend one church without giving up their "home"
church. Many who attend evangelical megachurches in the US, for example, attend more than one church. [126] This shifting
and fluidity is common in Brazil where two-fifths of those who were raised evangelical are no longer evangelical and
Catholics seem to shift in and out of various churches, often while still remaining Catholic. [127]
Most pollsters suggest an annual poll taken over a number of years would provide the best method of knowing religious
and Pentecostal churches. There are Protestant seminaries. The Catholic Church, still the only "church" that is recognized, is
also thriving in the number of schools, hospitals, and pastoral institutions (including its own medical school) that it operates.
Its archbishop, Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga, is also very popular with the government, other churches, and
in his own church. Practitioners of the Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, Baháʼí, Rastafari and indigenous denominations and
religions exist.[128]
Health
See Health in Honduras
Education
Main article: Education in Honduras
About 83.6% of the population are literate and the net primary enrollment rate was 94% in 2004.[129] In 2014, the primary
school completion rate was 90.7%.[130] Honduras has bilingual (Spanish and English) and even trilingual (Spanish with
The higher education is governed by the National Autonomous University of Honduras which has centers in the most
Crime
Main article: Crime in Honduras
Crime in Honduras is rampant and criminals operate with a high degree of impunity. Honduras has one of the highest
national murder rates in the world; cities such as San Pedro Sula and the Tegucigalpa likewise have registered homicide
rates among the highest in the world. The violence is associated with drug trafficking as Honduras is often a transit point,
and with a number of urban gangs, mainly the MS-13 and the 18th Street gang. Homicide violence reached a peak in 2012
with an average of 20 homicides a day.[132] Official statistics from the Honduran Observatory on National Violence show
Honduras's homicide rate was 60 per 100,000 in 2015 with the majority of homicide cases unprosecuted. [133] But as recently
as 2017, organizations such as InSight Crime's show figures of 42 per 100,000 inhabitants, [134] a 26% drop from 2016
figures.
Highway assaults and carjackings at roadblocks or checkpoints set up by criminals with police uniforms and equipment
occur frequently. Although reports of kidnappings of foreigners are not common, families of kidnapping victims often pay
ransoms without reporting the crime to police out of fear of retribution, so kidnapping figures may be underreported. [133]
Calderón declared the war against drug trafficking in Mexico.[135] Along with neighboring El Salvador and Guatemala,
Honduras forms part of the Northern Triangle of Central America, which has been characterized as one of the most violent
regions in the world.[136] As a result of crime and increasing murder rates, the flow of migrants from Honduras to the U.S.
also went up. The rise in violence in the region has received international attention.
Owing to measures taken by government and business in 2014 to improve tourist safety, Roatan and the Bay Islands have
In the less populated region of Gracias a Dios, narcotics-trafficking is rampant and police presence is scarce. Threats against
U.S. citizens by drug traffickers and other criminal organizations have resulted in the U.S. Embassy placing restrictions on
Culture
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The most renowned Honduran painter is José Antonio Velásquez. Other important painters include Carlos Garay, and Roque
Zelaya. Some of Honduras's most notable writers are Lucila Gamero de Medina, Froylán Turcios, Ramón Amaya
Amador and Juan Pablo Suazo Euceda, Marco Antonio Rosa,[137] Roberto Sosa, Eduardo Bähr, Amanda Castro, Javier Abril
The José Francisco Saybe theater in San Pedro Sula is home to the Círculo Teatral Sampedrano (Theatrical Circle of San
Pedro Sula)
Honduras has experienced a boom from its film industry for the past two decades. Since the premiere of the movie "Anita la
cazadora de insectos" in 2001, the level of Honduran productions has increased, many collaborating with countries such as
Mexico, Colombia, and the U.S. The most well known Honduran films are "El Xendra", "Amor y Frijoles", and "Cafe con
aroma a mi tierra".
Cuisine
Further information: Honduran cuisine
also dishes from the Garifuna people. Coconut and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional
Other popular dishes include: meat roasted with chismol and carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with
pickled onions and jalapeños. Some of the ways seafood and some meats are prepared in coastal areas and in the Bay
Islands involve coconut milk.
The soups Hondurans enjoy include bean soup, mondongo soup (tripe soup), seafood soups and beef soups. Generally these
soups are served mixed with plantains, yuca, and cabbage, and served with corn tortillas.
Other typical dishes are the montucas or corn tamales, stuffed tortillas, and tamales wrapped in plantain leaves. Honduran
typical dishes also include an abundant selection of tropical fruits such as papaya, pineapple, plum, sapote, passion fruit and
bananas which are prepared in many ways while they are still green.
Media
Further information: Media of Honduras
At least half of Honduran households have at least one television. Public television has a far smaller role than in most other
countries. Honduras's main newspapers are La Prensa, El Heraldo, La Tribuna and Diario Tiempo. The official newspaper
Music
Further information: Music of Honduras
Punta is the main music of Honduras, with other sounds such as Caribbean salsa, merengue, reggae, and reggaeton all
widely heard, especially in the north, and Mexican rancheras heard in the rural interior of the country. The most well known
musicians are Guillermo Anderson and Polache. Banda Blanca is a widely known music group in both Honduras and
internationally.
Celebrations
Further information: Public holidays in Honduras
Sawdust carpets of Comayaguaduring Easter celebrations
Some of Honduras's national holidays include Honduras Independence Day on 15 September and Children's Day or Día del
Niño, which is celebrated in homes, schools and churches on 10 September; on this day, children receive presents and have
parties similar to Christmas or birthday celebrations. Some neighborhoods have piñatas on the street. Other holidays are
Easter, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Day of the Soldier (3 October to celebrate the birth of Francisco Morazán),
and features cheerleaders. Fiesta Catracha takes place this same day: typical Honduran foods such as beans, tamales,
On Christmas Eve people reunite with their families and close friends to have dinner, then give out presents at midnight. In
some cities fireworks are seen and heard at midnight. On New Year's Eve there is food and "cohetes", fireworks and
festivities. Birthdays are also great events, and include piñatas filled with candies and surprises for the children.
La Ceiba Carnival is celebrated in La Ceiba, a city located in the north coast, in the second half of May to celebrate the day
of the city's patron saint Saint Isidore. People from all over the world come for one week of festivities. Every night there is a
little carnaval (carnavalito) in a neighborhood. On Saturday there is a big parade with floats and displays with people from
many countries. This celebration is also accompanied by the Milk Fair, where many Hondurans come to show off their farm
National symbols
The flag of Honduras is composed of three equal horizontal stripes. The blue upper and lower stripes represent the Pacific
Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The central stripe is white. It contains five blue stars representing the five states of the Central
American Union. The middle star represents Honduras, located in the center of the Central American Union.
The coat of arms was established in 1945. It is an equilateral triangle, at the base is a volcano between three castles, over
which is a rainbow and the sun shining. The triangle is placed on an area that symbolizes being bathed by both seas. Around
all of this an oval containing in golden lettering: "Republic of Honduras, Free, Sovereign and Independent".
The "National Anthem of Honduras" is a result of a contest carried out in 1914 during the presidency of Manuel Bonilla. In
the end, it was the poet Augusto Coello that ended up writing the anthem, with German-born Honduran composer Carlos
Hartling writing the music. The anthem was officially adopted on 15 November 1915, during the presidency of Alberto de
Jesús Membreño [es]. The anthem is composed of a choir and seven stroonduran. [clarification needed]
The national flower is the famous orchid, Rhyncholaelia digbyana (formerly known as Brassavola digbyana), which
replaced the rose in 1969. The change of the national flower was carried out during the administration of general Oswaldo
López Arellano, thinking that Brassavola digbyana "is an indigenous plant of Honduras; having this flower exceptional
The national tree of Honduras was declared in 1928 to be simply "the Pine that appears symbolically in our Coat of Arms"
(el Pino que figura simbólicamente en nuestro Escudo),[139] even though pines comprise a genus and not a species, and even
though legally there's no specification as for what kind of pine should appear in the coat of arms either. Because of its
commonality in the country, the Pinus oocarpa species has become since then the species most strongly associated as the
national tree, but legally it is not so. Another species associated as the national tree is the Pinus caribaea.
The national mammal is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which was adopted as a measure to avoid excessive
depredation.[clarification needed] It is one of two species of deer that live in Honduras. The national bird of Honduras is the scarlet
macaw (Ara macao). This bird was much valued by the pre-Columbian civilizations of Honduras.
Folklore
Main article: Honduran folklore
Legends and fairy tales are paramount in Honduran culture. Lluvia de Peces (Rain of Fish) is an example of this. The
Sports
Main article: Sport in Honduras
Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula is the official ground of football in the FIFA World Cup
Qualifiers.
Mauricio Dubón–the first born and raised Honduran in the MLB–preparing his shortstop play.
Football is the most popular sport in Honduras.[140] Honduras's first international competition began in 1921 at
is The Honduran National Professional Football League (Spanish: La Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras),
which was established in 1964.[142] The league is recognized on a continental level, as C.D. Olimpia–the only Honduran club
team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Honduras) is considered one of the best nations in North America, as the country last
won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1981 and placed third in 2013.[145][146] On a global scale, Honduras has competed in
the FIFA World Cup three times in 1982, 2010, and 2014, although Los Catrachos have yet to win a game.[147][148][149]
Baseball is the second most popular sport in Honduras.[150] Honduras's first international competition began in 1950 in
the Baseball World Cup, which was the most prestigious global competition at the time.[151]The country lacks a division in
baseball, likely due to the absence of competition in international baseball since 1973.[citation needed] The Honduras national
baseball team (Spanish: Selección de béisbol de Honduras) is shy of being a top ten nation in North and South America due
to infrequent scheduling, although competition is consistent and growing at the youth level.[152][153] Inspiration at the youth
level came from Mauricio Dubón being the first born and raised Honduran to start in Major League Baseball, who is
All other sports tend to be minor at best, as Honduras has not won a medal in the Olympics and has not made notable results
sports ranging from judo to boxing at the Summer Olympics as well.[157][158] Gender inequality in Honduras is present in the
sports industry, as teams like the Honduras women's national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Honduras
Femenina) has yet to qualify in global and continental tournaments and softball being nearly nonexistent in the country.[159]
[160]
See also
Honduras portal
Outline of Honduras
Notes
2. ^ Spanish: República de Honduras
References
2. ^ "Honduras, Religion And Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data". Thearda.
Retrieved 10 July 2022.
7. ^ Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier: Human Development and the
Anthropocene (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 15 December 2020. pp. 343–
346. ISBN 978-92-1-126442-5. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
14. ^ "History of Honduras — Timeline". Office of the Honduras National Chamber of Tourism.
Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
15. ^ Davidson traces it to Herrera. Historia General de los Hechos de los Castellanos. Vol. VI. Buenos
Aires: Editorial Guarania. 1945–1947. p. 24. ISBN 978-8474913323.
17. ^ Objetivos de desarrollo del milenio, Honduras 2010: tercer informe de país [Millennium
Development Goals, Honduras 2010: Third Country Report] (PDF) (in Spanish). [Honduras]:
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