Honduras

Lore & Background

Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, before Spanish colonization in the 16th century. The Spanish introduced Catholicism and the Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. Honduras became independent in 1821 and has since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability, and remains one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, the northern part of what was the Mosquito Coast was transferred from Nicaragua to Honduras by the International Court of Justice. The economy is primarily agricultural, making it vulnerable to natural disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Honduras has a Human Development Index of 0.624, ranking 138th in the world. In 2022, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Honduras, 73% of the country's population lived in poverty, and 53% lived in extreme poverty. The lower class is primarily agriculturally based while wealth is concentrated in the urban centers. The country is one of the most economically unequal in Latin America. Honduran society is predominantly Mestizo; however, there are also significant Indigenous, Black, and White communities. In the early 20th century, Honduras was dominated by transnational agricultural companies, whose interests were protected militarily by the United States. The term 'banana republic' was originally coined to describe Honduras's politically unstable, corporate-dominated democracy. The civilian government was overthrown in a 1963 military coup, and the nation returned to civilian rule in 1979. The United States re-established its military presence in Honduras in the 1980s, using Honduras as a base of operations to oppose the Nicaraguan government in the Contra war. A 2009 military coup toppled the government of Manuel Zelaya, and controversy arose from claims of electoral fraud in the subsequent 2013 and 2017 presidential elections. In 2021 Xiomara Castro was elected to the presidency, returning the left to power for the first time since the 2009 coup. Nasry Asfura won the 2025 election amid claims of fraud and electoral interference by the United States. Honduras spans about 112,492 km2 and has a population exceeding .

Reader's Guide

The literal meaning of the Spanish term 'Honduras' is 'depths'. The name could refer either to the bay of Trujillo as an anchorage, 'fondura' in the Leonese dialect of Spain, or to Christopher Columbus's alleged quote that 'Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas honduras' ('Thank God we have departed from those depths'). It was not until the end of the 16th century that Honduras was used for the whole province. Prior to 1580, Honduras referred to only the eastern part of the province, and Higueras referred to the western part. Another early name is Guaymuras, revived as the name for the political dialogue in 2009 that took place in Honduras as opposed to Costa Rica. Hondurans are often referred to as either the masculine 'catracho' or the feminine 'catracha' in Spanish.

Did You Know?

• In 2012, LiDAR scanning revealed previously unknown high-density settlements in La Mosquitia, corresponding to the legend of 'La Ciudad Blanca'.
• The Miskito Kingdom in northeastern Honduras never fell to the Spanish.