Honduras: a plateau that stretches between two seas

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Honduras (República de Honduras) is a presidential republic of Central America that borders Nicaragua to the south, Guatemala to the west, and El Salvador to the southwest. While to the north and east it is washed by the Caribbean Sea, to the south by the Pacific Ocean. The capital of the country is the city of Tegucigalpa.

Several islands in the Caribbean Sea are part of the state of Honduras, among them the Islas de la Bahía (Roatán, Utila, Guanaja) and the Islas Santanillas (Swan Islands). While along the Pacific Ocean coast, in the Golfo de Fonseca, there are the islands of El Tigre, Zacate Grande and Exposición.

A MOUNTAIN TERRITORY WITH A VAST HIGHLAND

The Honduran territory is largely mountainous, formed by a vast plateau, which extends from one bank to the other of the isthmus, crossed by mountain ranges of volcanic origin and by a depression that extends from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

The western mountains have the highest peaks. These include the Pico Congolón (2,500 meters) and the highest mountain in the country, the Cerro de Las Minas (2,850 meters). The eastern mountain range also has peaks of over 2,000 meters, such as Montaña de la Flor (2,300 meters), Monte El Boquerón (2,485 meters), and Pico Bonito (2,435 meters). The coastal areas of the Caribbean Sea are bordered by lagoons and are sometimes swampy.

The economy of Honduras is based on agriculture (bananas, coffee, sugar cane, oil palm, pineapple, citrus fruits, rice, corn and beans). Important are forestry (precious wood: pine, mahogany, ebony and walnut) and breeding (cattle). In the country there are important mineral deposits, especially zinc and lead, but also gold, silver, antimony. While the industry is underdeveloped. The tourist flow usually goes to the two main tourist attractions of the country: the island of Roatán, full of beaches, and the ruins of the Mayan city of Copán.

The climate of Honduras.

• Area: 112,492 sqkm. (Arable 18%, Pastures 14%, Forests and Woodlands 27%, Uncultivated and Unproductive 41%)
• Population: 9,600,000 (2019 data). Mestizos (descendants of European and Amerindians) 90%, Amerindians 7%, Blacks 2%, Whites 1%.
• State Capital: Tegucigalpa.
• Language: Official language is Spanish. Along the Caribbean coast English is also spoken.
• Religion: Roman Catholic 85%; Protestant 10%.
• Currency: Lempira (HNL)
• Time: UTC-6 hours.

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