Honduras Facts

Honduras was once a sprawling empire that was merged with one of the oldest civilizations - the Mayans. The Honduras have this little spectacle of ruins, called 'Copan', which is situated in Western Honduras, and goes as far back to 1000 BC. It has now spread to the Peninsula area, and was then a part of Mexico, where the empire was divided in AD 900, among the locals, who are known still today known as 'Hondurans'.

The area accounts as the second largest country in South America, and has mountain ranges with coastal plains and river valleys, not to mention a breathtaking coast line that combines the pacific and Caribbean. You'll find more about these Honduras factoids here, that will also do well for kids to understand and know about. It is good to have knowledge about a place we've never heard of, or always wanted to know about.

Facts on Honduras and Its History

These Honduras facts at a glance, should get you to visualize and take your imagination with you, as you delve deeper into what makes Honduras the way it is, and how it has seen years of historic events that have been recorded over time.

1. Christopher Columbus set foot in Northern Honduras, in a place called Trujillo, where he named the country 'Honduras', translating into 'depths', because of the deep waters of the Caribbean coast.
2. The government structure of Honduras, is a democratic constitutional republic.
3. It has 3000 years of rich cultural backing, that show evidence of Mayan archeology in sites of Spanish colonies.
4. Hondurans are welcoming people, and tourists find them very congenial in nature.
5. The currency in Honduras is 'lempira'
6. The language spoken primarily is Spanish, with English as well.
7. Honduras's mining ventures were lucrative to foreign investors that came down from the United States, where a much-loved fruit that was rich in the Honduras, which was the banana, was taken as export as well.
8. Scuba diving presently is a large attraction for tourists with not to mention, an endless list of places for sight-seeing..
9. The Mayan ruins and archaeological set ups, are the must see hotspots of the country.
10. It has a barrier reef, that is the second longest length wise in the world, when compared to that of Australia's.
11. Bass fishing is another much-loved hobby to indulge in, in Honduras.
12. The motto of Honduras is, 'Libre, soberana e independiente', meaning 'Free, sovereign and independent'.
13. Miskito is another language that the Hondurans still speak, besides the previously mentioned dialects of Spanish and English.
14. The official name for Honduras is - the Republic of Honduras.

Interesting Facts About Honduras for Kids

These facts about Honduras, should interest little ones to know briefly about the country, that has a historical past of sorts. It's had its share of political crisis, and has emerged an independent country, free from the reign of outsiders and rulers.

Capital of Honduras - Tegucigalpa

Constitution - Jan 11, 1982

Independence Day - Sept 15, 1821

Official Dialect - Divish

Race - Mestizo with a mix of European Amerindian

Population Count - 7,737,000

Religion Minority - Roman Catholic

National Anthem - Himno Nacional de Honduras

Flag - Consists of three parts of (in order) blue, white and again blue. The five stars that are grouped in the center, represent the union formed by five Central American republics. The coat of arms is a symbol of Honduras's free, sovereign and independent message. The date of their independence is given on the flag as well.

Weather - Humid and hot near the coast

These facts make you want to go out there and walk the streets of Tegucigalpa, meeting the friendly locals, and indulging in a cuisine you've never sunk your teeth into. I hope that many of you have a future set on vacationing in Honduras, and if you've been there already, let us know about it!