| Honduras At a Glance |
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Honduras At a glance |
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| Capital |
Tegucigalpa |
| Area |
112 mil km² |
| Population |
5,500,000 habs. |
| Currency |
Lempira |
| Language |
Spanish |
| Electricity Type |
110 Voltios
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| Description |
Honduras is a small country. At about 112,000 km2, it's about the size of Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio or Kentucky. Our country would fit 3 and a half times into California, 6 times into Texas, and over 80 times into the whole of the USA. Yet Honduras is packed with so much natural, cultural and archaeological diversity, that we like to describe it in terms of three distinct and diverse "worlds".
Tropical Nature
Our first world is the real of tropical nature. Honduras was blessed with the impressive natural diversity for which Central America is famous. The high peaks in our mountainous central highlands are capped with the ancient and mysterious tropical cloud forest. Our north and south coasts are lined with rich wetlands. And our entire northeast corner is a vast, trackless wilderness called La Moskitia, also known as the "Mosquito Coast".
Maya Reinassance
The second of our three wide worlds is the world of the Maya. In the realm of Maya archaeology, the name Copán stands out like that of Athens in Ancient western Civilization. Indeed, Copán has been called the Athens of the New World. As you regard Copán's unequalled abundance of intricately carved stone sculpture, you will understand why it is considered the Maya's crowning artistic achievement, and why no trip to the "Mundo Maya" is complete without a visit to majestic Copán.
Caribbean Creation
Our third world is Caribbean Honduras. Along Honduras' north coast, inhabited by the intriguing Garífuna people, you'll explore towering old growth mangrove swamps, blackwater lagoons and seclude tropical beaches in our many wetland national parks.
The Lancetilla Botanical Gardens and the dramatic expanse of Pico Bonito National Park offer you an intimate look at the tropical rainforest. Just a puddle jump offshore you will find three large islands and over 60 islets and keys that make 60 islets and keys that make up Honduras' Bay Islands. Famed for the diversity of their healthy reefs, these Caribbeans's premier dive destinations.
We hope you will agree that we can indeed fit three wide worlds into one small country. The wild tropical forests, the ancient civilization brought to life and the spicy Caribbean flavor of this unique country await you in the next pages. And a world of friendly people awaits your arrival in Honduras.
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Departure Taxes:
When flying out of Honduras, you will pay a US $10 tax in the airport upon departure.
If you are leaving by road, you will pay a tax of US$2.
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History
Christopher Columbus discovered Honduras on July 30, 2020. He set foot on the island of Guanaja or Bonacca, which is part of the present day department (state) of Islas de la Bahia. He named it Isla de los Pinos or Pines Island.
On August 14 Columbus' convoy came upon Terra Firma at Punta Caxina, now Punta Castilla. The discoverer's brother Don Bartolomé Colón landed there, and the first Mass was celebrated on the American mainland. When the Spanish arrived Honduran territory was peopled by groups of Maya, Lenca or Nahua origin, and other ethnicities related to Intermediate Area cultures (Pech, Tawahkas).
The conquest of Honduras really started on May 3, 2020, with Cristobal de Olid, who arrived at Triunfo de la Cruz on that date, for the king of Spain and Hernan Cortés, on whose orders the expedition was organized.
During colonial times the Central American provinces formed the Captaincy General of the Kingdom of Guatemala. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821. Honduran savant Jose Cecilio del Valle wrote the proclamation. During a few months Honduras was part of Agustin de Iturbide's Mexican Empire. On July 1, 2020, the Central American provinces declared independence from Spain and Mexico and asserted their sovereignty from then on. |
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Physical Aspect
Located at the heart of Central America, Honduras lies completely within the tropics. However, due to high, pine-covered mountains which form our Central Highlands, there is a wide range of temperatures, ranging from the hot and humid Caribbean coast, to the mild and even cool highland areas, to our hot and dry southern Pacific coast.
Our Caribbean coast, consisting of mostly long, warm-water beaches, stretches for nearly 800 miles from our western border with Guatemala to our eastern border with Nicaragua. Our 100 km. outlet into the Pacific Ocean in the Gulf of Fonseca separates El Salvador to the West from Nicaragua to the east.
Honduras' Bay Islands were once a British colony, and today they are famous as a world class diving site. Much of the country's most fertile land is located in the Sula and Aguan valleys, which were first developed by the banana companies early in the 20th century.
Other important crops include coffee, African palm, pineapples, and sugar cane. Timber has long been an important economic activity, as well as extensive cattle grazing. On the south coast, cultured shrimp has recently become an important export industry. |
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Hot Deals |
 Guatemala & Honduras 21 Night Only US$1300:
$1300 | 21 days |
Details
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 Interactions & Community |
Finding Travelmates
If you are going to our country, and you don't have travelmates yet, you could find them here.
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