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Honduras shares
borders with Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. To the north lies the
Caribbean and to the south the Pacific Ocean.
Christopher Columbus
happened upon Honduras in 1502 on his fourth voyage to the new world. He
named Honduras (deep water) after spending several days off the island of
Guanaja, Honduras Bay spotting manatees and trading with native groups.
Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an
independent nation in 1821. After two and
one-half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian
government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a
haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan
government and an ally to Salvadoran government forces fighting against
leftist guerrillas.
Honduras is one of
the biggest countries in Central America. A lush forested
mountainous country, Honduras' coastline, on the Pacific side (Gulf of
Fonseca) is only forty miles long while the Caribbean coast boasts 500
miles. With its wealth of biological reserves,
rare species and diverse culture, Honduras is destined to become one of
the most important ecotourism destinations for discerning adventure
travelers. The
interior of the country comprises a central mountain system, cut by rivers
flowing into both the Caribbean and Pacific. The lowlands in the south
form a plain along the Pacific coast. The large fertile valleys of the
northern Caribbean lowlands are cultivated with banana plantations.
Tegucigalpa, the capital, was originally
founded as a mining camp in 1524.
Silver attracted early settlers and
Tegucigalpa swiftly grew into an important silver mining center. Now
Tegus, as inhabitants call it, is a mixture of old colonial charm and
modern constructions. The city lies in a valley at 3,000 ft, and has an
ideal climate. It is for Honduras a natural gateway to the Pacific coast
and a good starting point for exploring central & southern Honduras. The
modern capital came into being when 2 separate cities, Tegucigalpa &
Comayaguela, merged. Comayaguela is almost completely flat and Tegucigalpa
is rather hilly.
Visitors should visit the city's impressive
parks, particularly Concordia, where models of Copan's Mayan architecture
are displayed. La Ceiba is a major
banana port, looking to tourism as a future major industry. There are good
hotels and beaches, and an international airport, one of the city's major
assets. Trujillo was once a thriving port but today offers old Spanish
buildings, a fascinating pirate history and superb tropical beaches. Local
dishes include curiles (seafood), tortillas, frijoles, enchiladas
and mondongo. There are cinemas, nightclubs and some discotheques in the
main cities.
Honduras offers one of the most valuable
tracts of primary tropical forests in Central America, filled with over
700 species of birds, such as the rare resplendent quetzal, harpy eagle,
giant tinamou and colorful members of the parrot clan from large macaws to
smaller parakeets. One of the finest Maya
ceremonial site, Copán is best know for its intricately carved
stelae and the famed Hieroglyphic Staircase.
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