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 from Nicaragua to Honduras by the International Court of Justice.
The nation's economy is primarily agricultural, making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The lower class is primarily agriculturally based while wealth is concentrated in the country's urban centers. 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. (Full article...)
Punta Sal peninsula beach near entrance to the Sendero Los Curumos
Jeannette Kawas National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Jeannette Kawas) is a national park located in the municipality of Tela, on the northern Caribbean coast of the Atlántida department of Honduras, established on 4 November 1994. The park covers an area of 781.62 square kilometres and has an altitude of 900 metres. The park was created and is managed by the PROLANSATE foundation (protection of Lancetilla, Punta Sal and Texiguat). (Full article...)
... that the Honduran Patriotic Front, an alliance formed ahead of the 1980s elections, called for an electoral boycott in protest against perceived fraud?
... that a river in Honduras swelled 15 meters (50 feet) above its normal level during torrential rains from a hurricane in 1935?
... that on May 14, 1980, Salvadoran forces massacred more than 300 civilians while Honduran soldiers prevented them from escaping across the border?
Image 5The church of la Merced in the city of Comayagua was the first Cathedral of Honduras in 1550 and is the oldest Honduran church still standing. (from History of Honduras)
Image 19Mayan representative hieroglyphic of the Yax Kuk Mo Dynasty that later would become the emblem of the Kingdom of "Oxwitik" also known as Copán. (from History of Honduras)
Image 20In 1986 Honduras bombed two Nicaraguan towns. (from History of Honduras)
Image 21La Merced plaza of Comayagua after the independence from Spain. (from History of Honduras)
Image 22Sir Salvador Moncada. Honduran pharmacologyst. (from Culture of Honduras)
Image 23Coat of Arms of Trujillo, one of the oldest towns founded by the Spanish in Honduras.
Image 50After the 2009 coup d'état, the military presence in the streets began to be more common. (from History of Honduras)
Image 51Train station in La Ceiba during the 1920s. The locomotives were one of the main means of transportation in Honduras during the 20th century. (from History of Honduras)
Image 52The dictatorship of Carias Andino is remembered as the longest dictatorship that Honduras has ever had (from History of Honduras)
Image 54Honduran National Congress, built during the 1950s (from History of Honduras)
Image 55First coat of arms of Honduras given by the emperor Charles I of Spain an 5th of the Holy Roman empire. By the time of the colonial era Honduras suffered a demographic change due the arrival of Spanish immigrants (from History of Honduras)
Image 59The railroad transportation suffered a lot of economic issues and disadvantages during the 2000s, it was not until 2010 passenger trains where reactivated. (from History of Honduras)