Honduras

The capital of Honduras is Tegucigalpa.

Honduras translates to "great depth". Christopher Columbus named it Honduras after the deep waters along the coast.

Hondureños (Hondurans) refer to themselves as "catrachos".

World Records

Honduras is home to one of the oldest clocks in the world. The clock was built in 1100 AD by the Moors. Originally it was placed in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. No it sits in the Cathedral of Comayagua.

Honduras has the world's largest barrier reef.

In 2014, Honduras creates Guinness world recod for the largest human Christmas tree. 2,945 people dressed in green, red, brown and yellow formed a Christmas tree staying completely still for 6 minutes. 

In 2018, Honduras sets new record for the world's largest cup of coffee.

Other Interesting Facts

Honduras had a 100-hour war with El Salvador over soccer.

Copan, an ancient Maya city, was one of the most densely populated urban areas of the Maya world between AD 426 to 820.

Honduras used to be referred as a banana republic. This term was first used by the American writer O. Henry in the early 1900s to describe the country’s reliance on banana exports and unstable economy. 

"Smoke-free zones" -- Honduras is the first country to ban smoking in your own home. Smoker need to keep a distance of about 6 feet away from non-smokers.

Hondura's national bird is the scarlet macaw.

The blue stripes in the Honduran flag represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The five stars represent the five nations of the United States of Central America (Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala). 

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America -- more than half of the people live below poverty levels. 

In 1999, Honduras produced 861,000 tons of bananas. Chiquita Brands International and the Dole Food Company are responsible for most Honduran banana production and exports. 

Lluvia de Peces or “Rain of Fish,” is a phenomenon that occurs at the end of the Spring. It usually happens once or twice a year in the small town of Yoro, Honduras. During a massive rain storm, hundreds of small silver fish supposedly rain from the sky onto the streets. When the storm ends, the villagers know to grab their baskets and head into the streets where they will find sardine-like fish. Weirder still, those fish have been found to not be indigenous to Yoro’s local waterways.

The History Channel ranked in their "Most Extreme Airports" episode Toncontín International Airport as the 2nd most dangerous airport in the world. This is because of its mountainous location and an extremely short runway.

Honduran currency is the Lempira. It is named after an Indian chief that died trying to save his lands from the Spaniards.

It’s normal to find blond, blue eyed Hondurans on the bay islands. They are direct descendants of the British Pirates that came here over 500 years ago.

The gorgeous Roatán Island belong to Honduras.

Honduras was the first country in Central America to build a cinema.

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for its wide variety of plant and animal life.