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Honduras
Honduras
Honduras might not be a popular destination for some due to concerns in politics, poverty, and a number of socio-economic problems, but still, there are natural wonders waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. The country is also trying to slowly improve its tourism efforts, infrastructures, and a lot more beneficial changes. Nonetheless, Honduras is still one of the ideal Caribbean countries where visitors can get to enjoy the laid back and traditional lifestyle, the best sunsets across Roatan, lush green mountains of Pico Bonito, the best white sand beaches bordering the northern part of the country, and a whole lot more.
Honduras' Geography and Climate
Honduras is strategically located in Central America. The 112,090 square kilometer country is the second largest in the central region and is bordered by the Caribbean Sea on the north, Nicaragua on the East to Southeast, El Salvador on the Southwest, and Guatemala on the West. Aside from enjoying access to both Caribbean and the North Pacific Ocean, the country has also a wide constellation or network of rivers and water bodies internally enriching the forests, mountains, fertile plateaus, and plains, providing life to both flora and fauna.
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Honduras also enjoys the tropical climate experienced by most countries located in the Caribbean. For the forest covered and mountainous areas, the weather is temperate providing a good balance of both sunshine and rain.
Short History, Politics, and Economy
Native tribes were flourishing and thriving within the plains and mountains of Honduras before the colonization period. The country has also its own share of heritage of the great Mayan civilization, among the first ever civilizations of the world. The native lifestyle remained throughout the years until Spanish explorers (Christopher Columbus) and succeeding conquistadores claimed ownership of the territory and colonized the region in 1502 and 1524 respectively. Since the Spanish territories on Central and Southern America is very large, Honduras was only assigned as a province of the Spanish "Kingdom of Guatemala".
After the Honduras' independence from Spain in 1821, there was an immense political unrest and turmoil until the turn of the 1900s, hence, the U.S. Marines stepped in and established a military rule and governance in 1932. The democratic form of government was supported and recognized only during the 1980s, specifically in 1982 where a president was freely elected by the people.
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Among the main economic reasons why Spain was lured to conquest Honduras was its abundant mineral resources particularly of silver. Today, mining several minerals like gold, silver, lead, zinc, and the production of agricultural products for both import and export are among the primary sources of income. Tourism is also a growing demand.
People, Culture, and the Arts
Diversity of culture and peoples' heritage is still evident in Honduras. There are still several cultural minorities living on the remote areas of the country. Majority of the Hondurans today are also mixtures of several ethnic groups like the Amerindian, European, some African and Asian. Such diversity in heritage may be associated with the worker or slave importation and migration during the colonial period. The national language is Spanish and the main religion is Roman Catholic.
Artistry is commonly expressed in terms of paintings and infrastructure. Among the famous Honduras painters are Jose Antonio Velasquez, Carlos Garay, Roque Zelaya, etc. The country is also notable for several writers, musicians, and architects.
Other Places of Interest
Aside from the attractions mentioned above, Honduras is the home of the Copan, one of the existing heritage sites for the early Mayan civilization; the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, the largest rainforest in Central America; the famous Bay Islands showcasing the beautiful and majestic Utila, Roatan, Guanaja, Hog Islands; Cusuco National Park; Lake Yojoa; and many more.
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