Honduras, also referred to as a banana republic, is a country in Central America with the Pacific Ocean to the South and Caribbean sea coastlines to the North, and Honduras means “Great depths” in Spanish. Christopher Columbus named it after the deep waters along the coast. The capital city of Honduras is Tegucigalpa. Its official language is Spanish.
1. Honduras is part of the world’s second-largest Barrier reef
Mesoamerica barrier reef system in Honduras is the second-largest largest Barrier reef in the world. It is the second after the Great barrier reef of Australia.
2. It is among one of the first countries to ban smoking in private homes
In Honduras, you are not allowed to smoke in your own home. Honduras was the first country to ban smoking in enclosed spaces, including people’s homes. Smokers must always keep a distance of at least two meters/six feet away from non-smokers within designated smoking areas. The implemented law is strict as it allows family members to call the authorities if someone is smoking inside their homes.
3. Soccer is the favorite sport in Honduras
Olimpia is one of the biggest soccer clubs in Honduras. In terms of matches played and victories, it is also one of the highly ranked soccer clubs in Central America.
Honduras also has a national football team. The Honduras men’s national team, nicknamed the Los Catrachos, represents the country in the men’s football league competition. The men’s football team was founded in the year 1921. In addition, Punta is the most beloved music genre in Honduras.
4. Rich natural resources
Some of Hondura’s best exports include minerals, coffee, sugarcane, and tropical fruits. Coffee is the leading export in Honduras; it makes up 4% of the world’s market. In 2019, Honduras produced over 3.6 million bags of Arabica coffee. Puerto Escondido in Honduras is one of the oldest sites for cacao cultivation. Cacao wasn’t used to make chocolates but alcoholic beverages. Honduras also has a growing textile industry that exports its goods/products to other countries.
5. Half of the mammal species in Honduras are bats
Honduras has a large population of native bats. The bats live in protected caves. Two of the caves are in Western Honduras. There is a law that protects the caves with the purpose of preserving the country’s diversity.
6. Scarlet Macaw is the county’s national bird
The Scarlet Macaw, also known as the Aro Macao, is Honduras national bird. The bird is known for its iconic blue, red, and yellow plumes. They live in forests in the Northern Central America areas. The congress of Honduras declared the scarlet Macaw as the national bird in 1993. This was to raise awareness of this species of birds.
7. Honduras named the official currency after an Indian chief
Honduran money was named Lempira after an Indian chief who died protecting his land from Spanish invaders. They featured the late Indian chief on the 1 Lempira note,20 and 50 cent coins.
8. It has one of the most violent cities in the world
San Pedro Sula, a city in Honduras, is one of the most violent cities in the world. In the year 2019, reported homicide cases were about 111.03 per 100,000 residents in the city. The city is also full of gangs, high poverty levels, and drug and substance abuse.
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