HONDURAS
Honduras (9 million inhabitants) is located in Central America and borders the Caribbean Sea, Guatemala, El Salvador, the Pacific Ocean (Gulf of Fonseca) and Nicaragua. The Caribbean coast is much longer than the Pacific coast. The country is mountainous, has a tropical rainforest climate and exports coffee, bananas, meat, fish, sugar, tobacco, wood and silver. The population is concentrated in a few regions and consists mainly of mestizos.The most famous tourist destinations in Honduras are the Islas de la Bahía in the Caribbean Sea 15 to 60 km off the coast. The island of Roatán is frequented by cruise ships. Coral reefs near Utila are beautiful for snorkelling and diving.
Columbus landed on the island of Guanaja in 1502, which he named Isla de los Pinos. At the time, the Indian population was brought to Cuba to work as slaves on the plantations. In the 18th century the islands were occupied by English pirates, who captured Spanish ships. After 1870 American companies made large investments along the Caribbean coast, banana plantations, roads and a railroad to the city of San Pedro Sula. Ex-slaves were brought in from other Caribbean islands, and the plantations were guarded by the American army. The domestic situation in Honduras was unstable due to various coups and rebellions. The term “banana republic” is used for small countries in this type of situation, especially in Central America.
The capital of Honduras is Tegucigalpa. The city was founded in 1578, in a river valley. There are a number of historical monuments built by Spanish settlers before 1700. Due to unplanned growth and natural conditions, ‘Teguz‘ suffers from floods and landslides, and smog lingers between the hills. Hurricane Mitch caused major damage in 1998.
Puerto Cortés is an important port on the Caribbean coast, 55 km north of San Pedro Sula. To the east is the old port of Trujillo.
Near the border with Guatemala are the beaches of Bahía de Omoa and the fortress San Fernando de Omoa (1752) and inland National Park El Cusuco, in a mountainous area (up to 2000 m) with a high biodiversity. The beaches of Tela are especially popular with Honduran tourists during the Semana Santa (Easter Week). The botanical garden Lancetilla is found nearby.
The ruins of Copán, a city that has been inhabited for 2000 years, at the border of the Mayan empire are very famous. Pyramids, steps, walls, gates, tombs and altars can be seen here. Honduras is rich in archaeological sites relating back to various Indian civilizations. The ruins of the legendary “ciudad blanca” have been tracked down using LIDAR technology, which involves studying aerial photographs. When the Indian civilizations still existed, a large part of the jungle was cut down and used for agriculture!
The United States is Honduras’ main trading partner and has established a military base at Comayagua since 1940.
$970,-
| Capital | Tegucigalpa |
|---|---|
| Population | 9.265.000 |
| Language | Spanish |
| Currency | Hondurean Lempira |
| Visa required | www.visum.nl |
| Vaccination(s) | Malaria |
| Voltage | 110 V |
| Traffic | Right-hand traffic |
