{"id":2065,"date":"2023-01-09T10:44:08","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T10:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/?p=2065"},"modified":"2023-01-09T10:54:02","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T10:54:02","slug":"11-intriguing-facts-about-honduras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/11-intriguing-facts-about-honduras\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Intriguing Facts About Honduras (With Some Scary Ones)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Honduras is located in the northern part of Central America, surrounded by Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. With a population of over 9 million people spread across an area of 112 090 km2, Honduras is one of the most densely populated countries in Latin America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honduras has amazing landscapes to offer, from lush rainforests to white sandy beaches and amazing coral reefs. However, a very high crime and murder rate has long prevented the country from being a popular tourist destination. Things are now changing, however, and Honduras is slowly becoming a hidden gem to discover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the world’s second-largest coral reef system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo By Dronepicr – Own work<\/a> – CC BY 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef in Honduras is an incredible natural wonder and the second-largest coral reef system in the world. Stretching over 650 miles along the Caribbean coast of Honduras, Belize and Mexico, , this ecosystem is home to some 500 species of fish and 65 types of stony corals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors can dive or snorkel in the waters around Roatan Island to explore this fascinating natural wonder. The exceptional biodiversity makes it a top destination for scuba divers and snorkelers who come to see colorful sponges, sea turtles, dolphins, and other marine life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef plays a vital role in protecting Honduras’ coastline from storm damage by acting as a natural barrier against erosion and flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The R\u00edo Pl\u00e1tano Biosphere Reserve UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo: Marcio Mart\u00ednez, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The R\u00edo Pl\u00e1tano Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Honduras. It’s located in the Mosquitia, the largest rainforest north of the Amazon in Central America. Covering a total area of 350.000 hectares, it’s dominated by tropical rainforest and also includes wetlands, mangroves, highlands and coral reefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reserve hosts an estimated 25-30 percent of all species in Central America. It is home to howler monkeys, spider monkeys, tapirs, jaguars and toucans, over 300 species of birds, and a great variety of medicinal plants used by the local people for traditional healing practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The are is home to the Miskito indigenous people, and also has a wealth of archaeological sites of pre-Columbian civilizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Honduras has the largest ancient Maya site in the world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The ancient city of Cop\u00e1n<\/strong> was once the capital of a powerful kingdom. The archaeological site has been a source of fascination for historians and archaeologists since its discovery. Located in western Honduras near the border with Guatemala, the ancient city dates back to around 500 B.C., making it one of the oldest cities in Central America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ruins are spread over an area close to 4 square kilometers and include some remarkable structures such as massive stone pyramids, ornate temples, ball courts, plazas, courtyards and hieroglyphic stairways carved with intricate designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Honduras is home to the world’s largest tiger: the jaguar.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo: Silvio Tanaka, CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and is native to Honduras. These powerful animals are an iconic species of the rainforests of Honduras where they play an important role in the ecosystem as top predators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is estimated there are around 1000 jaguars living in Honduras – a significant portion of the global jaguar population. Jaguars are threatened by habitat loss as the rainforests are being cleared for agriculture and logging, and poaching – jaguar skins are valuable on the black market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Honduran government and conservation organizations are working to establish protected areas, enforce anti-poaching laws, and educate the public about the importance of preserving the country’s natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Honduras is home to the fascinating White Bat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo: Geoff Gallice – Honduran tent bat<\/a> CC BY 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) is native to the rainforests of Honduras and Nicaragua. This little bat is completely white with large ears and a distinctive snout, and has a wingspan of only about 8 inches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The white bat is unique among bat species in that it builds tent-like shelters to live in made from large leaves that it folds and secures with its teeth and claws. The Honduran white bat is an endangered species due to habitat loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Honduran cuisine is a fusion of indigenous Lenca, Spanish, Caribbean, and African cuisine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The indigenous Lenca people have their own unique style of cooking, quite different from that of the Spanish settlers. The most typical Honduran dishes include baleadas \u2013 a flatbread stuffed with scrambled eggs, beans, cheese and other ingredients \u2013 and tajadas \u2013 ripe plantains that are sliced into strips and fried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main ingredients in Honduran food include corn, beans, plantains, beef, pork and chicken. Seafood is also popular in Honduras. Fish like snapper (huachinango), sea bass (corvina ) and tilapia (mojarra) are frequently used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Honduras is a bird watcher’s paradise with several species found nowhere else in the world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo: Lena<\/a>, CC BY 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Honduras is home to a number of bird species that are found nowhere else in the world. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n