Things You Didn’t Know About Honduras

visit Honduras

Honduras doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. It’s actually considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world, and one of its largest cities is dubbed “the murder capital of the world,” which doesn’t help its image.

But if you just dig a little bit deeper, you’ll find the safe areas, including untouched jungles, amazing coral reefs for scuba diving, and tranquil towns awaiting your presence. Yes, Honduras can seem very scary, but there’s so much more to it than just gangs and drug wars.

Interesting facts about Honduras

1. There are two capital cities of Honors: Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela.
2. Do you know who’s talking the charge with the anti-smoking campaign? Honduras. It was the first country to ban smoking inside your home. It enacted a law forcing smokers to stay at least six feet (two meters) from nonsmokers at all times.
3. Honduras’ famous Mosquito Coast isn’t actually named that because of an abnormal infestation of the insect. It’s actually named after the indigenous Meskito people. When the British first docked on the coast, their pronunciation attempts begat “mosquito.”
4. Before heading to the country, you should know that the official Honduran currency is known as the lempira. It was named after a 16th-century ruler of the indigenous Lenca people who started an uprising against the Spanish conquistadors.
5. 90% of the population there is mestizo, a mix of Amerindian and European ancestry. 7% are indigenous, 2% are black, who primarily reside on Honduras’ Caribbean coast, and around 150,000 of the people are Garifuna.
6. Honduran cuisine is a fusion of indigenous Lenca, Spanish, Caribbean, and African cuisine.
7. If you visit the country, you have to try Baleadas, a traditional Honduran dish. The food is made of a flour tortilla filled with cheese, avocado, egg, beef, and beans.

Fun facts about the attractions you could be visiting right now

1. Located in western Honduras, Copan is the site of an ancient Maya city. Between 426 to 820 AD, the incredible Maya ruins were one of the most densely populated areas of the Maya world.
2. After the Great Barrier Reef, the coral reef in Honduras is the largest in the world. An amazing place to go scuba diving or snorkeling.
3. Have you ever been on a party bus? Now’s your chance. The buses in this amazing place are called Chicken Buses and are brightly painted, attracting the eyes of all. They are definitely a party on wheels.
4. A clock, built around 1100 AD by the Moors, was placed in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. After traveling a long way, it came to sit in the Cathedral of Comayagua, claiming the title of one of the oldest clocks in the world.
5. Have you ever seen the whale shark, the world’s largest fish? Have you ever fed it? You can in Honduras! They have a seasonal feeding site for it.
6. The largest natural lake in Honduras is called Lago de Yojoa. It attracts tourists for incredible activities such as fishing, birdwatching, caving, hiking, and watching waterfalls.
7. Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, in Northeastern Honduras, is the largest protected area in the country with 350,000 hectares. The reserve has a number of endangered species and is home to some of Honduras’ largest sections of forest.
8. In March of 2015, archeologists made history when they stumbled across an entire city buried deep within the dense Honduran jungles. The team decided to name the city the “Monkey God City” and found sculptures, earthworks, residences, and burial mounds.

The history of this incredible place

1. We all know and love our precious chocolate made from the cacao plant. And do you know who was one of the first countries to use it? You guessed it! Honduras. The use was discovered at a site in Puerto Escondido, Honduras, going as far back as 1100 BC. Back then, it was consumed as a bitter, frothy drink. Now you know who to thank for our amazing chocolate.
2. “Look! It’s a storm of sardines!” You’ve probably never heard anyone say that before… Until now. In Honduran folklore, the Rain of Fish, also known as La Lluvia de Peces in Spanish, is a phenomenon occurring in the Department of Yoro. It calls for a massive storm resulting in hundreds of live fish flopping all over the ground. It’s said that locals take the fish home, cook them up, and eat them.
3. Honduras has had a 100-hour war with El Salvador. Over soccer. It was known as the football war. There may have been an economic side to the conflict as well, but the crucial thing to remember is soccer.
4. Have you ever asked yourself what Hondorus actually means? In Spanish, the country’s name translates to “great depths.” It was named by Christopher Colombus after the deep waters running along its coast.

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