El Honduras By Troy Tucker

The Honduran flag consists of three horizontal bands The Honduran flag consists of three horizontal bands. The two outer bands represent the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, blue sky and brotherhood. The inner white band represents the land between the ocean and sea, peace and prosperity of its people, and purity of thoughts. The five stars centered in the white band represent the five nations of the former Federal Republic of Central America (El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala) and the hope that the nations may form a union again. caribe: Caribbean

Honduran Capital is Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa including its neighbor city Comayagüela serves as the capital for the Republic of Honduras. The Honduran capital is also called Teguz, a convenient short form for its formal legal name. The Central American nation is notorious for having the world’s highest homicide rate, which in 2016 stood at 84.6 victims per 100,000 inhabitants. Chicago: 15.6 and U.S. 4.9 per 100,000) Statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Honduras is also Latin America’s sixth-poorest country (lagging only Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Guyana and Bolivia). crimen: crime homicidio: homicide

. ... However, Honduras is a safe place to travel. As a matter of fact, even the two large cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula are safe to travel if you use your common sense. Southern Honduras also offers many safe destinations. destino: destination sentido comun: common sense

A diamond in the rough, Honduras, dazzles visitors with its natural beauty and diverse wildlife. Nature lovers can explore Caribbean beaches, bird-rich lakes and jungles, and the undeveloped tropical rainforest of La Mosquitia (the Mosquito Coast). But the country's prized jewels are the beautiful Bay Islands, which are home to the second largest barrier reef known as “Mesoamerican Reef or popularly known as the Mayan Reef” which stretches north to Mexico Barrera de Coral: Barrier Reef

These laidback islands lure many divers, snorkelers, and travelers seeking a relaxed tropical vibe. Rich in culture, adventures include dolphin encounters, birding tours, rafting trips, and the chance to swim with gentle whale sharks. aventuras: adventure tiburón: shark

The National Day of Honduras which commemorates the day in 1821 when the country, along with four other Central American nations, gained independence from Spanish rule. The marching, singing, and dancing of school children commences early in the morning of September 15th. Indepencia: Independence

April 12th is the Garifuna celebration April 12th is the Garifuna celebration. This is an annual festival which celebrates the arrival of the first Garifuna people to Central America and in particular to Punta Gorda, Roatan, Honduras. During the celebration there are theatrical performances that represent the arrival of the first group of Garifuna’s. They first arrived in 1797 and came from the Yurime region in the Eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent.

Maya site of Copan is one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization. The site functioned as the political, civil and religious center of the Copan Valley. It was also the political center and cultural focus of a larger territory that covered the southeast portion of the Maya area. The first evidence of population in the Copan Valley dates back to 1500 B.C., but the first Maya-Cholan immigration from the Guatemalan Highlands is dated around 100 A.D. This is the most famous of Copan’s monuments. The stairway is located on Temple 26 and it contains 63 steps completely carved with hieroglyphs that tell the history of the royal house of Copan. It is the longest known text of ancient Mayan civilization. Archaeologists are still studying and deciphering the whole meaning of the hieroglyphic text. Arqueologo/a: Archaeologist

Facts about Honduras: Exports: Coffee and Bananas Shrimp and Lobster, Olive oil Clothing, accessories: 41% of Honduras exports goes to the United States and Canada) 430 miles of Caribbean coastline Honduras is the second largest Central American republic Population is 9.2 mil. (2017) The Honduran currency is named Lempira The greetings are similar to how we greet each other. There are handshakes, hugs and kisses used to say hello