Honduras is a Central American country with Caribbean Sea coastlines to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. In the tropical rainforest near Guatemala, the ancient Mayan ceremonial site Copán has stone-carved hieroglyphics and stelae, tall stone monuments. In the Caribbean Sea are the Bay Islands, a diving destination that’s part of the 1,000km-long Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
Honduras has four distinct regions: the central highlands, Pacific lowlands, eastern Caribbean lowlands, and northern coastal plains and mountains. Mountains are plentiful in Honduras, with peaks as high as 9,347 feet (2,849 meters), though Honduras is the only country in Central America without volcanoes.
Key Cities
Key cities in Honduras include: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, La Ceiba, El Progreso, Choluteca, Comayagua, Puerto Cortes, La lima, and Danli.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
Honduras was first sighted by Europeans when Christopher Columbus arrived at the Bay Islands on 30 July 1502 on his fourth voyage. Columbus named the country Honduras (“depths”) for the deep waters off its coast. In January 1524, Hernán Cortés directed captain Cristóbal de Olid to establish a colony in Honduras.
Honduras has several distinct ethnic groups of which 90% are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European), 7% Amerindian, 2% black, and 1% white. There are strong Spanish influences, but the majority of the population is mestizo, mainly leading an agricultural way of life with a low standard of living.
In recent years, the principal religious groups are Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Jehovah’s Witness, Mennonite, approximately 300 evangelical Protestant groups, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Brief Country History
For thousands of years, indigenous peoples lived in Honduras. The greatest of them was the Mayans. However, the first European to reach Honduras was Christopher Columbus on 30 July 1502. Columbus later sailed as far south as Panama. The area became known as Honduras from the Spanish word for depths. The Spanish conquest of Honduras began in 1523. The native people resisted bitterly but by 1539 the Spanish were in control. The native people were forced to work for the Spanish but their numbers fell drastically partly due to European diseases to which they had no resistance such as smallpox. In the early 19th century the Spanish colonies in Central and South America gained their independence. Honduras became independent from Spain in 1821 but in 1822 it was joined with Mexico and 4 other nations, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. However, the 5 central American nations broke away from Mexico in 1823. Honduras finally became completely independent in 1839.
In the early 20th century exports of bananas came to dominate the economy of Honduras. In 1932 General Tiburcio Carias Andino was elected president of Honduras. He made himself a virtual dictator and he held onto power till 1949. General Oswaldo Lopez seized power in Honduras in 1963. Then in 1969, Honduras fought a war with El Salvador. Lopez resigned in 1974 but civilian rule was not restored until 1981. Unfortunately, Honduras suffered badly when Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998. However, the country slowly recovered. Nevertheless, Honduras remains a very poor country. Today the population of Honduras is 9.1 million.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
The Spanish language in Honduras In Honduras, the language used by most of the people is Spanish. There are, however, other smaller dialects spoken in the country such as Creole English and a few languages of Amerindian origin.
Important Types of Commerce in Honduras
MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Agriculture, Cement, Cigars, Fishing, Forestry, Mining, Textiles, Wood Products. MAIN EXPORTS: Bananas, Chemicals, Coffee, Hardwoods, Meat, Natural Ores, Sugar, Timber.
Language Services US and others will provide working with Honduras
Spanish is the official language of Honduras. For a company to get proper recognition and market share it is important to translate and localize its marketing campaign to Spanish for getting the better half of the Honduras market. Localization gives the consumer the impression that a product or service has been created specifically for them, demonstrating that the company cares. Showing respect for culture and language can add value to a brand and product – being ignorant can be disastrous. Translating correctly into the local market language is as important as sensitivity to cultural issues.
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