Honduras (pronounced /hɑnˈdʊrəs/ ( listen), Spanish Countries where Spanish has official status. States of the U.S. where Spanish has no official status but is spoken by 25% or more of the population. States of the U.S. where Spanish has no official status but is spoken by 10-20% of the population. States of the U.S. where Spanish has no official status but is spoken by 5-9.9% of the population: República de Honduras, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe onˈduɾas]) is a republic in Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. Central America is considered to be part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, excluding the southern portions of Panama. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras First colonised by Spaniards in the seventeenth century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became fully independent from the United Kingdom in 1981. Belize was the last continental possession of the United Kingdom in the (now Belize Belize (pronounced /bɛˈliːz/ ) (formerly British Honduras), is a country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Although Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. Belize is bordered by Mexico to its).^[4] The country is bordered to the west by Guatemala Guatemala (pronounced /ˌgwɑːtəˈmɑːlə/ ; Spanish: República de Guatemala, Spanish pronunciation: [reˈpuβlika ðe ɣwateˈmala]) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast, to the southwest by El Salvador El Salvador (pronounced /ɛl ˈsælvədɔr/ ; Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally meaning "Republic of the Savior") is the smallest and also the most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as do Honduras and Nicaragua further, to the southeast by Nicaragua Nicaragua (pronounced /ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə/ nik-ə-RAH-gwə) officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa] ( listen)), is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca The Gulf of Fonseca , part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded to the southwest by the Central American countries of Panama, to the west by Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico, to the north by The Greater Antilles , and to the east by the Lesser Antilles.

Its size is just over 112,000 km² with an estimated population of almost eight million. Its capital is Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country's largest city. Tegucigalpa is also the capital of Honduras's Francisco Morazán department.^[5] Its northern portions are part of the Western Caribbean Zone.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 20th century 3 Politics 3.1 2009 Honduran political crisis 4 Departments and municipalities 5 Geography 5.1 Ecology 6 Economy 7 Demographics 7.1 Religion 7.2 Health 8 Culture 8.1 Celebrations 9 Education 10 Infrastructure 10.1 Energy 10.2 Water supply and sanitation 10.3 Transport 11 National symbols 12 Folklore 13 Sports 14 International rankings 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 18 External links

Etymology

• Higueras – a reference to the gourds that come from the Jicaro tree, many of which were found floating in the waters off the northwest coast of Honduras.
• Honduras – literally "depths" in Spanish. Columbus Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator, colonizer, and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. With his four voyages of exploration and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, all funded by Isabella I of is traditionally quoted as having written Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas Honduras (English: "Thank God we have come out of those depths") while along the northeastern coast.^[6] However, William Davidson notes that there is no form of this quotation in the primary documents of Columbus's voyage, and that it in fact comes from accounts over a century later.^[7][8]

Davidson derives Honduras from fondura, an Asturian Asturian is a Romance language of the West Iberian group, Astur-Leonese Subgroup, spoken in the Spanish province of Asturias by the Asturian people. In Asturias, even though it is not an official language, it is protected under the Autonomous Statute legislation and is an optional language at schools. As part of the Astur-leonese group, Asturian-Leonese The Leonese language Astur-Leonese also includes the dialects of Asturian in Asturias and the Mirandese language of Miranda do Douro in Portugal. Leonese has no written policy officially regulated. Some associations have proposed a standard, different from those existing in the rest of the linguistic domain (such as that applicable in Asturias, word meaning anchorage which is one of the first words for the region to appear on a map in the second decade of the sixteenth century applied to the bay of Trujillo. It wasn't until the end of the sixteenth century that Honduras was used for the whole province. Prior to 1580, Honduras referred to the eastern part of the province, and Higueras referred to the western part.^[8]

History

Main article: History of Honduras Honduras was already occupied by many indigenous peoples when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. The area in extreme western Honduras was occupied by the Maya people; the western-central part of Honduras was inhabited by the Lencas, the central north coast by the Tol, the area east of Trujillo by the Pech and the Miskito and Sumo. These Mayan Stelae, an emblematic symbol of the Honduran Mayan civilization at Copan.

Archaeologists have demonstrated that Honduras has a multi-ethnic prehistory. An important part of that prehistory was the Mayan The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period , according to the Mesoamerican chronology, many Maya cities reached their highest state presence around the city of Copán, in western Honduras which is near the Guatemalan border. A major Mayan city flourished during the pre-classic period (150–900) in that area. It has many carved inscriptions and stelae A stele is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief (bas-relief, sunken-relief, high-relief, and so forth), or painted onto the slab. It can also be used as territorial markers. The ancient kingdom, named Xukpi, existed from the fifth century to the early ninth century, with antecedents going back to at least the second century.

The Mayan civilization began a marked decline in their population during the ninth century, but there is evidence of people still living in and around the city until at least 1200.^[9] By the time the Spanish came to Honduras, the once great city-state of Copán was overrun by the jungle, and the surviving Ch’orti’ were isolated from their Choltian linguistic peers to the west. The non-Maya Lencas The Lenca are an indigenous people of southwestern Honduras and eastern El Salvador. They once spoke the Lenca language, which is now considered extinct. In Honduras, the Lenca are the largest indigenous group with an estimated population of 100,000. El Salvador's Lenca population is estimated at about 37,000 were then dominant in western Honduras.^[10]

Rosalila Temple in the Copan Ruinas Museum

On his fourth and the final voyage to the New World The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans[note], who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa . The term "New World" should not be confused with "modern in 1502, Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator, colonizer, and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. With his four voyages of exploration and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, all funded by Isabella I of reached the Bay Islands on the coast of Honduras.^[11] Columbus landed near the modern town of Trujillo, in the vicinity of the Guaimoreto Lagoon. After the Spanish discovery, Honduras became part of Spain's vast empire in the New World within the Kingdom of Guatemala The Captaincy General of Guatemala , also known as the Kingdom of Guatemala (Spanish: Reino de Guatemala), was an administrative division in Spanish America which covered much of Central America, including what are now Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the Mexican state of Chiapas. The governor-captain general was also. Trujillo and Gracias were the first city-capitals. The Spanish ruled the region for approximately three centuries.

Spain granted independence to Honduras along with the rest of the Central American provinces on 15 September 1821. In 1822 the United Central American Provinces decided to join Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America, known as the United Provinces of Central America in its first year of creation, was a sovereign state in Central America, which consisted of the territories of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala. A republican democracy, it existed from July 1823 to 1840, which disintegrated in 1838. As a result the states of the republic became independent nations.

Silver mining Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining was a key factor in the Spanish conquest and settlement of Honduras.^[12] The American-owned New York and Honduras Rosario Mining Company was a major gold and silver producer but shut down its mine at San Juancito in 1954.

20th century

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl Harbor was an unannounced military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of December 7, 1941. It resulted in the United States' entry into World War II. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from, Honduras joined the Allied Nations The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . The Allies became involved in World War II either because they had already been invaded or were directly threatened with invasion by the Axis or because they were concerned that the Axis powers would come to control the world. The anti-German on 8 December 1941. Along with twenty-five other governments, Honduras signed the Declaration by United Nations The Declaration by United Nations was a World War II document agreed to on January 1, 1942 during the Arcadia Conference by 26 governments: the Allied "Big Four" , nine American allies in Central America and the Caribbean, the four British Dominions, British India, and eight Allied governments-in-exile, for a total of twenty-six nations on 1 January 1942. In 1969, Honduras and El Salvador El Salvador (pronounced /ɛl ˈsælvədɔr/ ; Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally meaning "Republic of the Savior") is the smallest and also the most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as do Honduras and Nicaragua further fought what would become known as the Football War The "Football" War , also known as the Soccer War or 100-hours War, was a four-day war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. It was caused by political conflicts between Hondurans and Salvadorans, namely issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras. These existing tensions between the two countries coincided with the.^[13] There had been border tensions between the two countries after Oswaldo López Arellano, a former president of Honduras, blamed the deteriorating economy on the large number of immigrants from El Salvador. From that point on, the relationship between the two countries grew acrimonious and reached a low when El Salvador met Honduras for a three-round football elimination match as a preliminary to the World Cup The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup or Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship. Tensions escalated, and on 14 July 1969, the Salvadoran army launched an attack against Honduras. The Organization of American States The Organization of American States is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. Its members are the thirty-five independent states of the Americas, although Honduras was suspended as a result of the June 28, 2009 coup d’état that expelled President Manuel Zelaya from office negotiated a cease-fire which took effect on 20 July and brought about a withdrawal of Salvadoran troops in early August.^[13] Contributing factors in the conflict were a boundary dispute and the presence of thousands of Salvadorans living in Honduras illegally. After the week-long football war, many Salvadoran families and workers were expelled. El Salvador had agreed on a truce to settle the boundary issue, but Honduras later paid war damage costs for expelled refugees.^[13]

Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa is a Fort built by the Spanish to protect the coast of Honduras from English pirates.

Hurricane Fifi Hurricane Fifi was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that killed between 8,000 and 10,000 people in Honduras in September 1974, ranking it as the fourth deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Originating from a strong tropical wave on September 14, the system steadily tracked west-northwestward through the eastern Caribbean Sea. On September 16, caused severe damage while skimming the northern coast of Honduras on 18 and 19 September 1974. Melgar Castro (1975–78) and Paz Garcia (1978–82) largely built the current physical infrastructure and telecommunications system of Honduras.^[14] A fine description of the U.S. Peace Corps' role in this development is included in former volunteer Lawrence F. Lihosit's book titled "South of the Frontera; A Peace Corps Memoir" (2010).

In 1979, the country returned to civilian rule. A constituent assembly was popularly elected in April 1980 and general elections were held in November 1981. A new constitution was approved in 1982 and the PLH The Liberal Party of Honduras is a liberal party in Honduras that was founded in 1891. The party is a member of Liberal International. The PLH is identified with the color red while its principal rival, the National Party of Honduras (PNH), is blue government of Roberto Suazo assumed power. Roberto Suazo won the elections with a promise to carry out an ambitious program of economic and social development in Honduras in order to tackle the country's recession. President Roberto Suazo Cordoba did launch ambitious social and economic development projects, sponsored by American development aid. Honduras became host to the largest Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a governmental agency of the same name. Each program participant, or Peace Corps Volunteer, is an American citizen who commits to working abroad in an assignment for the organization for a period of twenty-seven months. Generally, the work to be mission in the world, and nongovernmental and international voluntary agencies proliferated.^[14]

During the early 1980s, the United States established a continuing military presence in Honduras with the purpose of supporting the Contra The Contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship. Although the Contra movement included a number of separate groups, with different aims and little ideological unity, the Nicaraguan guerillas fighting the Nicaraguan Nicaragua (pronounced /ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə/ nik-ə-RAH-gwə) officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa] ( listen)), is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the government and also developed an air strip and a modern port in Honduras. Though spared the bloody civil wars wracking its neighbors, the Honduran army quietly waged a campaign against Marxist-Leninist Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideological stream that emerged as the mainstream tendency among the Communist parties in the 1920s as it was adopted as the ideological foundation of the Communist International during Stalin's era militias such as Cinchoneros Popular Liberation Movement, notorious for kidnappings and bombings,^[15] and many non-militants. The operation included a CIA-backed campaign of extrajudicial killings by government-backed units, most notably Battalion 316.^[16]

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. At the time, Hurricane Mitch was the strongest Atlantic hurricane observed in the month of October, though it has caused such massive and widespread loss that former Honduran President Carlos Roberto Flores claimed that fifty years of progress in the country were reversed. Mitch obliterated about 70% of the crops and an estimated 70–80% of the transportation infrastructure, including nearly all bridges and secondary roads. Across the country, 33,000 houses were destroyed, an additional 50,000 damaged, some 5,000 people killed, 12,000 injured – for a total loss estimated at $3 billion USD.^[17]

The 2008 Honduran floods were severe and around half the country's roads were damaged or destroyed as a result.^[18]

In 2009, an alleged coup d’état^[19][20] culminated in a transfer of power from the president to the head of Congress.^[21] Countries all over the world condemned the action and refused to recognize the new government.

Politics

This section requires expansion with: information on 2010 election of new president.

Main article: Politics of Honduras Politics of Honduras takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Honduras is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the National Congress of Honduras. The party system is

Honduras has five registered political parties: National Party (Partido Nacional de Honduras: PNH); Liberal Party (Partido Liberal de Honduras: PLH); Social Democrats (Partido Innovación y Unidad-Social Demócrata: PINU-SD), Social Christians (Partido Demócrata-Cristiano de Honduras: DCH); and Democratic Unification (Partido Unificación Democrática: UD). PNH and PLH have ruled the country for decades. In the last years, Honduras has had five Liberal presidents: Roberto Suazo Córdova, José Azcona del Hoyo José Simón Azcona del Hoyo was President of Honduras from January 27, 1986 to January 27, 1990 for the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH). He was born in La Ceiba in Honduras, Carlos Roberto Reina, Carlos Roberto Flores and Manuel Zelaya José Manuel Zelaya Rosales is a Honduran politician. He was elected President of Honduras on January 27, 2006. A son of a wealthy businessman, he inherited his father's nickname "Mel." Zelaya was involved in his ranch, logging and timber trade businesses. During his presidency, Zelaya moved sharply to the political left. On June 28, 2009, and two Nationalists: Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero and Ricardo Maduro. The elections have been full of controversies, including questions about whether Azcona was born in Spain, and whether Maduro should have been able to stand, given he was born in Panama.

In 1963, a military coup was mounted against the democratically elected president Ramón Villeda Morales. This event started a string of Military Governments A military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors. Sometimes it becomes a military dictatorship, though the terms are not synonymous which held power almost uninterrupted until 1981 when Suazo Córdova (LPH) was elected president and Honduras changed from a military authoritarian regime.

In 1986, there were five Liberal candidates and four Nationalists running for president. Because no one candidate obtained a clear majority, the so-called "Formula B" was invoked and Azcona del Hoyo became president. In 1990, Callejas won the election under the slogan "Llegó el momento del Cambio" (English: "The time for change has arrived"), which was heavily criticized for resembling El Salvador's "ARENAs" political campaign.^{[citation needed]} Once in office, Callejas Romero gained a reputation for illicit enrichment, and has been the subject of several scandals and accusations.^{[citation needed]} It was during Flores Facusse's mandate that Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. At the time, Hurricane Mitch was the strongest Atlantic hurricane observed in the month of October, though it has hit the country and decades of economic growth were eradicated in less than a week.^{[citation needed]}

Government ministries are often incapable of carrying out their mandate due to budgetary constraints.^{[citation needed]} In an interview with Rodolfo Pastor Fasquelle, Minister of Sports & Culture and one of three 'super ministers' responsible for coordinating the ministries related to public services (security and economic being the other two), published in Honduras This Week on 31 July 2006, it was related that 94% of the department budget was spent on bureaucracy and only 6% went to support activities and organizations covered by the mandate. Wages within that ministry were identified as the largest budget consumer.

President Maduro's administration "de-nationalized" the telecommunications sector in a move to promote the rapid diffusion of these services to the Honduran population. As of November 2005, there were around 10 private-sector telecommunications companies in the Honduran market, including two mobile phone companies. As of mid 2007, the issue of tele-communications continues to be very damaging to the current government.^[22] The country's main newspapers are La Prensa, El Heraldo, La Tribuna and Diario Tiempo. The official newspaper is La Gaceta.

A Presidential and General Election was held on 27 November 2005. Manuel Zelaya José Manuel Zelaya Rosales is a Honduran politician. He was elected President of Honduras on January 27, 2006. A son of a wealthy businessman, he inherited his father's nickname "Mel." Zelaya was involved in his ranch, logging and timber trade businesses. During his presidency, Zelaya moved sharply to the political left. On June 28, 2009 of the Liberal Party of Honduras The Liberal Party of Honduras is a liberal party in Honduras that was founded in 1891. The party is a member of Liberal International. The PLH is identified with the color red while its principal rival, the National Party of Honduras (PNH), is blue (Partido Liberal de Honduras: PLH) won, with Porfirio Pepe Lobo of the National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras: PNH) coming in second. The PNH challenged the election results, and Lobo Sosa did not concede until 7 December. Towards the end of December, the government finally released the total ballot count, giving Zelaya the official victory. Zelaya was inaugurated as Honduras' new president on 27 January 2006.

Zelaya precipitated a national crisis by trying to hold a non-binding national referendum to ask the Honduran people: "Do you agree that, during the general elections of November 2009 there should be a fourth ballot to decide whether to hold a Constituent National Assembly that will approve a new political constitution?"^[23] This possible Assembly then might not or more likely might have proposed constitutional changes to term-limits – as the military and the Supreme Court deemed possible – and other more likely, unrelated and legal constitutional changes.^[24]

2009 Honduran political crisis

Main article: 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis is an ongoing political dispute over plans to rewrite the Constitution of Honduras, which culminated in the forcible removal and exile of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya by the Honduran military, preempting a poll whether to hold a referendum to convene a constituent assembly to change the constitution Manuel Zelaya José Manuel Zelaya Rosales is a Honduran politician. He was elected President of Honduras on January 27, 2006. A son of a wealthy businessman, he inherited his father's nickname "Mel." Zelaya was involved in his ranch, logging and timber trade businesses. During his presidency, Zelaya moved sharply to the political left. On June 28, 2009 in 2009 Demonstrators supporting Micheletti Roberto Micheletti

The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis is an ongoing political dispute over plans to rewrite the Constitution of Honduras, which culminated in the forcible removal and exile of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya by the Honduran military, preempting a poll whether to hold a referendum to convene a constituent assembly to change the constitution^[25] is an ongoing constitutional crisis A constitutional crisis is a severe breakdown in the orderly operation of government. Generally speaking, a constitutional crisis is a situation in which separate factions within a government disagree about the extent to which each of these factions hold sovereignty. Most commonly, constitutional crises involve some degree of conflict between. President Manuel Zelaya José Manuel Zelaya Rosales is a Honduran politician. He was elected President of Honduras on January 27, 2006. A son of a wealthy businessman, he inherited his father's nickname "Mel." Zelaya was involved in his ranch, logging and timber trade businesses. During his presidency, Zelaya moved sharply to the political left. On June 28, 2009 had attempted to hold a "non-binding referendum" on the 28th of June on the desire of Hondurans to have a fourth ballot box in the upcoming November elections, which would then ask if the Honduran people wished to form a Constitutional Assembly in the term of the newly elected president.^[26] The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that had found a prior referendum based on the same issue unconstitutional and had prohibited it. The Supreme Court had not made any determination of the final, referendum, having instead made the legal claim that any attempt by Zelaya to poll on any matter, in any way, to be illegal^{[citation needed]}.

Zelaya decided to proceed on the referendum, basing his decision of the Law of Citizen Participation, passed in 2006. Zelaya illegally dismissed the head of the military command, General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, for disobeying an order to hold the poll, but the Supreme Court ordered his reinstatement. The Supreme Court then ordered the military to detain Zelaya to take his statement. The army arrested Zelaya at his home in the early morning of 28 June 2009, the date of the scheduled vote;^[27]

Zelaya was held in an airbase outside Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country's largest city. Tegucigalpa is also the capital of Honduras's Francisco Morazán department^[28] before being flown to San José, Costa Rica.^[29] Zelaya attempted reentry into the country on several occasions. According to the constitution, it is illegal to expatriate any Honduran citizen.^[30] Roberto Micheletti, the former President of the Honduran Congress and a member of the same party as Zelaya, was sworn in as President by the National Congress on the afternoon of Sunday 28 June^[31] for a term that ended on 27 January 2010.^[32]

At first, no single country in the world recognized the new government as legitimate; all members of the UN condemned the removal of Zelaya as a coup d'état. Some Republican Party members of the U.S. Congress have voiced support for the new government.^[33][34] On 21 September 2009, Zelaya returned to Honduras and entered the Brazilian embassy. The government disrupted utility services to the embassy and imposed a curfew in an attempt to maintain order in the area when Zelaya's supporters protested around the embassy.

The following day, in Decree PCM-M-016-2009, it suspended five Constitutional rights: personal liberty (Article 69), freedom of expression (Article 72), freedom of movement (Article 81), habeas corpus (Article 84) and freedom of association and assembly.^[35][36] It closed a leftist radio and a television station.^[37] The decree suspending human rights was officially revoked on 19 October 2009 in La Gaceta.^[38]

Departments and municipalities

Departmental division of Honduras See also: Departments of Honduras and Municipalities of Honduras

Honduras is divided into 18 departments. The capital city is Tegucigalpa Central District of the department of Francisco Morazán.

1. Atlántida
2. Choluteca
3. Colón
4. Comayagua
5. Copán
6. Cortés
7. El Paraíso
8. Francisco Morazán
9. Gracias a Dios
10. Intibucá
11. Islas de la Bahía
12. La Paz
13. Lempira
14. Ocotepeque
15. Olancho
16. Santa Bárbara
17. Valle
18. Yoro

Geography

Main article: Geography of Honduras See also: Rivers of Honduras Honduras is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea (top), Nicaragua, a gulf on the Pacific Ocean, El Salvador (lower left) and Guatemala (left).

Honduras borders the Caribbean Sea on the north coast and the Pacific Ocean on the south through the Gulf of Fonseca. The climate varies from tropical in the lowlands to temperate in the mountains. The central and southern regions are relatively hotter and less humid than the northern coast.

The Honduran territory consists mainly of mountains, but there are narrow plains along the coasts, a large undeveloped lowland jungle La Mosquitia region in the northeast, and the heavily populated lowland Sula valley in the northwest. In La Mosquitia, lies the UNESCO world-heritage site Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, with the Coco River which divides the country from Nicaragua.

The Islas de la Bahía and the Swan Islands (all off the north coast) are part of Honduras. Misteriosa Bank and Rosario Bank, 130 to 150 km (80–93 miles) north of the Swan Islands, fall within the EEZ of Honduras.

Honduran rainforest

Natural resources include timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, shrimp, and hydropower.

Ecology

See also: List of birds of Honduras

The region is considered a biodiversity hotspot because of the numerous plant and animal species that can be found there. Like other countries in the region, Honduras contains vast biological resources. The country hosts more than 6,000 species of vascular plants, of which 630 (described so far) are orchids; around 250 reptiles and amphibians, more than 700 bird species, and 110 mammal species, half of them being bats.^[39]

In the northeastern region of La Mosquitia lies the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a lowland rainforest which is home to a great diversity of life. The reserve was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1982.

Honduras has rain forests, cloud forests (which can rise up to nearly three thousand meters above sea level), mangroves, savannas and mountain ranges with pine and oak trees, and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. In the Bay Islands there are bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, parrot fish, schools of blue tang and whale shark.

Economy

See also: Economy of Honduras The famous hotel Gran Sula in the center of San Pedro Sula

The economy has continued to grow slowly, but the distribution of wealth remains very polarized with average wages remaining low. Economic growth in the last few years has averaged 7% per year which has been one of the most successful growths in Latin America, but 50%, approximately 3.7 million, of the population still remains below the poverty line.^[40] According to the World Bank, Honduras is the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, after Haiti and Nicaragua. It is estimated that there are more than 1.2 million people who are unemployed, the rate of unemployment standing at 27.9%. However, according to the Human Development Index, Honduras is the 6th poorest/least developed country in Latin America, after Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Guyana, and Bolivia.

Honduras was declared one of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund which made it eligible for debt relief in 2005.

Both the electricity services (ENEE) and land-line telephone services (HONDUTEL) have been operated by government agencies, with ENEE receiving heavy subsidies because of chronic financial problems. HONDUTEL, however, is no longer a monopoly, the telecommunication sector having been opened to private-sector companies after 25 December 2005; this was one of the requirements before approving the beginning of CAFTA. There are price controls on petrol, and other temporary price controls for basic commodities are often passed for short periods by the Congress.

Gold, silver, lead and zinc are produced by mines owned by foreign companies.^[41]

After years of declining against the U.S. dollar the Lempira has stabilized at around 19 Lempiras per dollar. In June 2008 the exchange rate between United States Dollars and Honduran Lempiras was approximately 1 to 18.85.

In 2005 Honduras signed the CAFTA (Free Trade Agreement with United States). In December 2005, Honduras' main seaport Puerto Cortes was included in the U.S. Container Security Initiative.^[42]

On 7 December 2006, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Energy (DOE) announced the first phase of the Secure Freight Initiative, an unprecedented effort to build upon existing port security measures by enhancing the U.S. federal government’s ability to scan containers for nuclear and radiological materials overseas and to better assess the risk of inbound containers. The initial phase of Secure Freight involves the deployment of a combination of existing technology and proven nuclear detection devices to six foreign ports: Port Qasim in Pakistan; Puerto Cortes in Honduras; Southampton in the United Kingdom; Port Salalah in Oman; Port of Singapore; and the Gamman Terminal at Port Busan in Korea. Since early 2007, containers from these ports are scanned for radiation and information risk factors before they are allowed to depart for the United States.^[43]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Honduras See also: Hondurans

According to the CIA World Factbook, Honduras has a population of 7.48 million; 90% of the population is Mestizo, 7% Amerindian, 2% black and 1% white.^[44]

Village in Copán

Ninety percent of the Honduran population is Mestizo^[45] (a mixture of Amerindian and European ancestry). About 7% of the Honduran population are members of one of the seven recognized indigenous groups. The Confederation of Autochthonous Peoples of Honduras (CONPAH) and the government of Honduras count seven different indigenous groups:

• the Ch'orti', a Mayan group living in the northwest on the border with Guatemala;
• the Garifuna speaking an Arawakan language. They live along the entire Caribbean coastline of Honduras, and in the Bay Islands;
• the Pech or Paya Indians living in a small area in the Olancho department;
• the Tolupan (also called Jicaque, "Xicaque", or Tol), living in the Department of Yoro and in the reserve of the Montaña de la Flor and parts of the department of Yoro;
• the Lenca Indians living in the Valle and Choluteca departments;
• the Miskito Indians living on the northeast coast along the border with Nicaragua.

The confederation and each separate group of indigenous people have worked, since the 1980s, for bettering the life of the aboriginal peoples. Change, however, has been elusive as these peoples still face violence and discrimination^{[citation needed]}. About 2% of Honduras's population is black,^[45] or Afro-Honduran, and mainly reside on the country's Caribbean coast. Most are the descendants of the slaves and indentured servants from the West Indian islands brought to Honduras. Another large group (about 150,000 today) are the Garifuna, descendants of an Afro-Carib population which revolted against British authorities on the island of St. Vincent and were forcibly moved to Belize and Honduras during the eighteenth century. Garífunas are part of Honduran identity through theatrical presentations such as Louvavagu^{[citation needed]}. A final group are workers brought in from the English speaking Caribbean, primarily Jamaica and Barbados, to work on the fruit plantations started by mostly North American companies such as United Fruit Company in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Honduras hosts a significant Palestinian community (the vast majority of whom are Christian Arabs).^[46] The Palestinians arrived in the country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, establishing themselves especially in the city of San Pedro Sula. The Palestinian community, well integrated in Honduras, is prominent in business, commerce, banking, industry, and politics. There is also an East Asian community that is primarily Chinese descent, and to a lesser extent Japanese. Korean, Ryukyuan, Vietnamese also make up a small percentage due to their arrival to Honduras as contract laborers in the 1980s and 1990s. There are also an estimated 1000 Sumos (or Mayangnas) that live in Honduras, the majority of whom reside on the Caribbean coast^{[citation needed]}.

Since 1975, emigration from Honduras has accelerated as job-seekers and political refugees sought a better life elsewhere. Although many Hondurans have relatives in Nicaragua, Spain, Mexico, El Salvador and Canada, the majority of Hondurans living abroad are in the United States^{[citation needed]}.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Honduras Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez was one of the strongest candidates to become Pope after the death of John Paul II.

Although plurality of Hondurans are nominally Roman Catholic, according to one report, membership in the Roman Catholic Church is declining while membership in Protestant churches is increasing. The International Religious Freedom Report, 2008, notes that a CID Gallup poll reported that 47% of the population identified themselves as Catholic, 36% as evangelical Protestant, and 17% provided no answer or considered themselves "other." Customary Catholic church tallies and membership estimates 81% Catholic where the priest (in more than 185 parishes throughout the country) is required to fill out a pastoral account of the parish each year.^[47][48]

The CIA Factbook has 97% Catholic and 3% Protestant.^[49] Commenting on statistical variations everywhere, John Green of Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life notes that: "It isn't that ... numbers are more right than [someone else's] numbers ... but how one conceptualizes the group.^[50] Often people attend one church without giving up their "home" church. Many who attend evangelical megachurches in the US, for example, attend more than one church.^[51] This shifting and fluidity is common in Brazil where two-fifths of those who were raised evangelical are no longer evangelical and Catholics seem to shift in and out of various churches, often while still remaining Catholic.^[52]

Most pollsters suggest an annual poll taken over a number of years would provide the best method of knowing religious demographics and variations in any single country. Still, in Honduras are thriving Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, Lutheran and Pentecostal churches, and together Evangelical Protestant churches, according to one source, constitute 36% of population. There are Protestant seminaries. The Catholic Church, still the only "church" that is recognized, is also thriving in the number of schools, hospitals, and pastoral institutions (including its own medical school) that it operates. It archbishop, Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, is also very popular, both with the government, other churches, and in his own church. Practitioners of the Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, Bahá'í, Rastafari and indigenous denominations and religions exist.^[53]

Health

The fertility rate is at about 3.7 per woman.^[54] The under-five mortality rate is at 40 per 1,000 live births.^[54] The health expenditure was US$ (PPP) 197 per person in 2004.^[54] There are about 57 physicians per 100,000 people.^[54]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Honduras The Cathedral of Comayagua

The most renowned Honduran painter is Jose Antonio Velásquez. Other important painters include Carlos Garay, and Roque Zelaya. Two of Honduras' most notable writers are Froylan Turcios and Ramón Amaya Amador. Others include Marco Antonio Rosa, Roberto Sosa, Lucila Gamero de Medina, Eduardo Bähr, Amanda Castro, Javier Abril Espinoza, Teófilo Trejo, and Roberto Quesada. Some of Honduras' notable musicians include Rafael Coello Ramos, Lidia Handal, Victoriano Lopez, Guillermo Anderson, Victor Donaire, Francisco Carranza and Camilo Rivera Guevara.

Hondurans are often referred to as Catracho or Catracha (fem) in Spanish. The word was coined by Nicaraguans and derives from the last name of the Spanish Honduran General Florencio Xatruch, who, in 1857, led Honduran armed forces against an attempted invasion by North American adventurer William Walker. The nickname is considered complimentary, not derogatory. The main language is Spanish, spoken by 94% as first language. Minority languages are spoken by less than 4%. These are Amerindian languages such as Garifuna, Miskito, and Pech; Honduras Sign Language; and English on the Bay Islands off the coast.

Honduras This Week is a weekly English language newspaper that has been published for seventeen years in Tegucigalpa. On the islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja, the Bay Islands Voice has been a source of monthly news since 2003.

Honduran cuisine makes extensive use of coconut, in both sweet and savory foods, and even in soups.

The José Francisco Saybe theater in San Pedro Sula is home to the Círculo Teatral Sampedrano (Theatrical Circle of San Pedro Sula)

Celebrations

Sawdust Carpets of Comayagua During the Easter Celebrations.

Some of Honduras' national holidays include Honduras Independence Day on 15 September and Children's Day or Día del Niño, which is celebrated in homes, schools and churches on 10 September; on this day, children receive presents and have parties similar to Christmas or birthday celebrations. Some neighborhoods have piñatas on the street. Other holidays are Easter, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Day of the Soldier (3 October to celebrate the birth of Francisco Morazán), Christmas, El Dia de Lempira^{[disambiguation needed]} on 20 July,^[55] and New Year's Eve.

Honduras Independence Day festivities start early in the morning with marching bands. Each band wears different colors and features cheerleaders. Fiesta Catracha takes place this same day: typical Honduran foods such as beans, tamales, baleadas, cassava with chicharron, and tortillas are offered. On Christmas Eve, the people reunite with their families and close friends to have dinner, then give out presents at midnight. In some cities fireworks are seen and heard at midnight. On New Year's Eve there is food and "cohetes", fireworks and festivities. Birthdays are also great events, and include the famous “piñata” which is filled with candies and surprises for the children invited.

La Feria Isidra is celebrated in La Ceiba at the end of May. La Ceiba is a city located in the east coast. It is usually called "The Friendship Carnival". People from all over the world come for one week of festivities. Every night there is a little carnaval (carnavalito) in a neighborhood. Finally, on Saturday there is a big parade with floats and displays with people from Brazil, New Orleans, Japan, Jamaica, Barbados and many other countries. This celebration is also accompanied by the Milk Fair, where many Hondurans come to show off their farm products and animals.

Education

See also: List of schools in Honduras Girl with notebook in new class room provided by the 'Solar.net Village' project in a San Ramón school, Choluteca.

The net primary enrollment rate was 94 % in 2004,^[54] while in 2007 the primary school completion rate was reported to be 40%.^{[citation needed]} 83.6% of the population of the country is literate.^[54] Honduras has numerous universities.

Infrastructure

Energy

About half of the electricity sector in Honduras is privately owned. The remaining generation capacity is run by ENEE (Empresa Nacional de Energía Eléctrica). Key challenges in the sector are:

• How to finance investments in generation and transmission in the absence of either a financially healthy utility or of concessionary funds by external donors for these types of investments;
• How to re-balance tariffs, cut arrears and reduce commercial losses – including electricity theft – without fostering social unrest; and
• How to reconcile environmental concerns with the government's objective to build two new large dams and associated hydropower plants.
• How to improve access in rural areas.

Water supply and sanitation

Water supply and sanitation in Honduras varies greatly from urban centers to rural villages. Larger population centers generally have modernized water treatment and distribution systems, however water quality is often poor because of lack of proper maintenance and treatment. Rural areas generally have basic drinking water systems with limited capacity for water treatment. Many urban areas have sewer systems in place for the collection of wastewater, however proper treatment of wastewater is scarce. In rural areas, sanitary facilities are generally limited to latrines and basic septic pits.

Water and sanitation services were historically provided by Servicio Autonomo de Alcantarillas y Aqueductos (SANAA). In 2003, a new "water law" was passed which called for the decentralization of water services. With the 2003 law, local communities have the right and responsibility to own, operate, and control their own drinking water and wastewater systems. Since passage of the new law, many communities have joined together to address water and sanitation issues on a regional basis.

Many national and international non-government organizations have a history of working on water and sanitation projects in Honduras. International groups include, but are not limited to, the Red Cross, Water 1st, Rotary Club, Catholic Relief Services, Water for People, EcoLogic Development Fund, CARE, CESO-SACO, Engineers Without Borders USA and SHH.

In addition, many government organizations working on projects include: the European Union, USAID, the Army Corps of Engineers, Cooperacion Andalucia, the government of Japan, and many others.

Transport

Highway in Honduras

Transportation in Honduras consists of the following infrastructure: 699 km of railways;^[56] 13,603 km of roadways;^[56] seven ports and harbors;^{[citation needed]} and 112 airports altogether (12 Paved, 100 unpaved).^[56] Responsibility for policy in the transport sector rests with the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing (SOPRTRAVI after its Spanish acronym).

National symbols

National flower the orchid (orquídea) Rhyncholaelia digbyana. National bird, Ara macao

The flag of Honduras is composed of 3 equal horizontal stripes, with the upper and lower ones being blue and representing the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The central stripe is white. It contains five blue stars representing the five states of the Central American Union. The middle star represents Honduras, located in the center of the Central American Union.

The Coat of Arms was established in 1825. It is an equilateral triangle, at the base is a volcano between two castles, over which is a rainbow and the sun shining. The triangle is placed on an area that symbolizes being bathed by both seas. Around all of this an oval containing in golden lettering: "Republic of Honduras, Free, Sovereign and Independent".

The National Anthem of Honduras is a result of a contest carried out in 1904 during the presidency of Manuel Bonilla. In the end, it was the poet Augusto C. Coello that ended up writing the anthem, with the participation of German composer Carlos Hartling writing the music. The anthem was officially adopted on 15 November 1915, during the presidency of Alberto Membreño. The anthem is composed of a choir and seven stroonduran.

The national flower is the famous orchid, Rhyncholaelia digbyana (formerly known as Brassavola digbyana), which replaced the rose in 1969. The change of the National Flower was carried out during the administration of general Oswaldo López Arellano, thinking that Brassavola digbiana "is an indigenous plant of Honduras; having this flower exceptional characteristics of beauty, vigor and distinction", as the decree dictates it.

The National Tree of Honduras is the Honduras Pine (Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis). Also the use of the tree was regulated, "to avoid the unnecessary destructions caused by choppings or fires of forest."

The National Mammal is the White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which was adopted as a measure to avoid excessive depredation. It is one of two species of deer that live in Honduras. The National Bird of Honduras is the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao). This bird was much valued by the pre-Columbian civilizations of Honduras.

Folklore

Legends and fairy tales are paramount within the Honduras culture; Lluvia de Peces (Fish Rain) is an example of this. The legend of El Cadejo and La Ciguanaba (La Sucia) are also popular.

West Bay Beach at Roatan

Sports

Association football is the most popular sport in Honduras. Information on all other Honduran sports related articles are below:

• Football in Honduras
• Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras
• Honduras national baseball team
• Honduras national football team
• Honduras national under-20 football team
• Honduras U-17 national football team

International rankings

Organization	Survey	Ranking
Institute for Economics and Peace [1]	Global Peace Index[57]	112 out of 144
United Nations Development Programme	Human Development Index	112 out of 182
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index	130 out of 180
World Economic Forum	Global Competitiveness Report	89 out of 133

See also

Latin America portal

Main article: List of Honduras-related topics

• Index of Honduras-related articles
• List of newspapers in Honduras

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Honduras". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=268&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=35&pr.y=19. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
2. ^ 1992-2007, Human Development Report Office, United Nations Development Programme. "Human Development Report 2009 - M Economy and inequality - Gini index". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5kbHWMLQA. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
3. ^ "Human Development Report 2009. Human development index trends: Table G". The United Nations. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
4. ^ "Archeological Investigations in the Bay Islands, Spanish Honduras". Aboututila.com. http://www.aboututila.com/UtilaInfo/William-Strong/AI-Environmental.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
5. ^ http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI_2008_EN_Tables.pdf
6. ^ "Columbus's quote". Honduras.com. http://www.honduras.com/history/. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
7. ^ Davidson traces it to Herrera. Historia General de los Hechos de los Castellanos. VI. Buernos Aires: Editorial Guarania. 1945-47. , page 24
8. ^ ^{a b} Davidson, William (2006). Honduras, An Atlas of Historical Maps. Managua, Nicaragua: Fundacion UNO, Colección Cultural de Centro America Serie Historica, no. 18. p. 313. ISBN 978-99924-53-47-6.
9. ^ Paine, Richard R and Freter, AnnCorinne 1996 "Environmental Degradation and the Classic Maya Collapse at Copan, Honduras" Ancient Mesoamerica 7:37–47 Cambridge University Press
10. ^ Newson, Linda The Cost of Conquest: Indian Decline in Honduras Under Spanish Rule. Dellplain Latin American Studies; No. 20, Westview Press, Boulder
11. ^ "Honduras History". Honduras.com. http://honduras.com/history/. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
12. ^ Newson, Linda (October 1982). "Labour in the Colonial Mining Industry of Honduras". The Americas (Philadelphia: The Academy of American Franciscan History) 39 (2): 185. doi:10.2307/981334. http://jstor.org/stable/981334.
13. ^ ^{a b c} "Wars of the World: Soccer War 1969". OnWar.com. http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/sierra/soccer1969.htm. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
14. ^ ^{a b} "Background Note: Honduras". United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1922.htm.
15. ^ "Cinchoneros Popular Liberation Movement". http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/exgi_0001_0001_0/exgi_0001_0001_0_00044.html.
16. ^ "A survivor tells her story" baltimoresun.com, 15 June 1995. Retrieved 8 January 2007.
17. ^ USGS Hurricane Mitch
18. ^ "Aid workers say Honduran floods worse than Hurricane Mitch". Alertnet.org. 2008-10-29. http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/40453/2008/09/29-182633-1.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
19. ^ "General Assembly condemns coup in Honduras". Un.org. 2009-06-30. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31314&Cr=honduras&Cr1. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
20. ^ "Oas Suspends Membership Of Honduras". Oas.org. http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press_releases/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-219/09. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
21. ^ "New Honduran leader sworn in". BBC News. 2009-06-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8123513.stm. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
22. ^ Que nadie se atreva a intentar romper el orden constitucional
23. ^ "Zelaya decide iniciar consulta popular para reformar Constitución de Honduras - Terra". Noticias.terra.com. 2009-03-24. http://noticias.terra.com/articulos/act1690222/Zelaya_decide_iniciar_consulta_popular_para_reformar_Constitucion_de_Honduras. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
24. ^ "Michael Fox: "The Honduran coup as overture"". Counterpunch.org. http://www.counterpunch.org/fox07312009.html. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
25. ^ "Timeline: The Honduran Crisis". AS/COA Online. 12 November 2009. http://www.as-coa.org/article.php?id=2008&nav=res&subid=61. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
26. ^ http://media.sfexaminer.com/documents/2009-002965HNRPT.pdf
27. ^ "Troops oust Honduran president in feared coup". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 June 2009. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/troops-oust-honduran-president-in-feared-coup-20090628-d1cf.html. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
28. ^ "Honduran leader forced into exile". BBC News. 28 June 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8123126.stm. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
29. ^ "Honduras president detained, sent to Costa Rica, official says". CNN. 28 June 2009. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/28/honduras.president.arrested/index.html. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
30. ^ Article 102 of the Honduran Constitution. http://www.honduras.com/honduras-constitution-english.html
31. ^ "Honduran military ousts president ahead of vote". The Washington Post. 28 June 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/28/AR2009062801569.html. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
32. ^ "Congress names new interim Honduran president". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 June 2009. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/congress-names-new-interim-honduran-president-20090629-d1fb.html. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
33. ^ By Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) (2009-09-11). "Support democracy in Honduras (Rep. Dana Rohrabacher) - The Hill's Congress Blog". Thehill.com. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/58291-support-democracy-in-honduras-rep-dana-rohrabacher. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
34. ^ "Pence Condemns Obama Administration’S Policies In Honduras". Mikepence.house.gov. 2009-11-29. http://mikepence.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3695&Itemid=71. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
35. ^ Ordaz, Pablo (28 September 2009). "Micheletti ordena el cierre de los medios de comunicación afines a Zelaya" (in Spanish). El País. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5keAXJ5C6. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
36. ^ Giordano, Al (27 September 2009). "Honduras Coup Leader Micheletti Decrees 45-Day Suspension of Constitution". Narco News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5keCJUMOB. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
37. ^ "The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression condemns the suspension of guarantees in Honduras and the violations of the right to freedom of expression". Organization of American States. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5keAWZI7N. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
38. ^ Rosenberg, Mica; Gustavo Palencia (19 October 2009). "Honduras de facto leader lifts ban on media, protests". Reuters. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5keB4J3xG. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
39. ^ "Honduran Biodiversity Database". Honduras Silvestre. http://www.hondurassilvestre.com. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
40. ^ "web.worldbank.org". web.worldbank.org. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/HONDURASEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21035522~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295071,00.html. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
41. ^ Dan Oancea: Mining in Central America http://magazine.mining.com/Issues/0901/MiningCentralAmerica.pdf
42. ^ Ports in CSI - CBP.gov
43. ^ "DHS: DHS and DOE Launch Secure Freight Initiative". Dhs.gov. 2006-12-07. http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1165520867989.shtm. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
44. ^ CIA - The World Factbook - Honduras
45. ^ ^{a b} "Honduras". CIA Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ho.html.
46. ^ The Arabs of Honduras. Larry Luxner. Saudi Aramco World.
47. ^ Annuario Pontificio, 2009.
48. ^ Catholic Almanac (Huntington, Ind.: Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2008),312–13
49. ^ CIA World Factbook, 2009
50. ^ John Dart, "How many in mainline Categories vary in surveys," Christian Century, 16 June 2009, 13.
51. ^ Associated Press, 13 June 2009, reported in several papers
52. ^ Maria Celi Scalon and Andrew Greeley, "Catholics and Protestants in Brazil," America 18 August 2003,14.
53. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report 2008: Honduras". State.gov. 2008-09-19. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108530.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
54. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Human Development Report 2009 - Honduras". Hdrstats.undp.org. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_HND.html. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
55. ^ "Honduras This Week Online June 1999". Marrder.com. 1991-12-09. http://www.marrder.com/htw/jun99/. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
56. ^ ^{a b c} CIA - The World Factbook - Honduras
57. ^ "Vision of Humanity". Vision of Humanity. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php. Retrieved 4 February 2010.

References

• Adventures in Nature: Honduras; James D. Gollin
• Don't Be Afraid, Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks From The Heart: The Story of Elvia Alvarado; Medea Benjamin
• Honduras: The Making of a Banana Republic; Alison Acker
• Honduras: State for Sale; Richard Lapper, James Painter
• Inside Honduras; Kent Norsworthy and Tom Berry
• La Mosquitia: A Guide to the Savannas, Rain Forest and Turtle Hunters; Derek Parent
• Moon Handbooks: Honduras; Christopher Humphrey
• Reinterpreting the Banana Republic: Region and State in Honduras, 1870-1972; Dario A. Euraque
• Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras; Mark Bonta
• Ulysses Travel Guide: Honduras; Eric Ilamovitch
• The United States in Honduras, 1980-1981: An Ambassador's Memoir; Jack R. Binns
• The War of the Dispossessed: Honduras and El Salvador, 1969; Thomas P. Anderson

External links

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• general Website
• Utila'sWebsite
• Government of Honduras (Spanish)
• Official Site of the Tourism Institute of Honduras (English)
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members
• Honduras entry at The World Factbook
• Honduras at University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries GovPubs
• Honduras at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Honduras
• Honduras travel guide from Wikitravel
• Honduran Biodiversity Database (Spanish)
• Honduras Tips Travel Info (English)
• Honduras Weekly
• Travel and Tourism Info on Honduras (English)
• Humanitarian Aid in Honduras
• Answers.com
• CIA World Factbook
• Project Honduras
• Honduran Campesino

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