miércoles, 30 de diciembre de 2015

Atlantida Tourism

The department of Atlantida was founded on February 24, 1902 taking part of the departments of Colon and Yoro.

Its creation took place in the Eighth Division Policy Honduras, as President of the Republic General Terence Sierra.

It is located in the north of the country and its territorial extension is of 4,251 km², the departmental capital is the port city of La Ceiba, the third largest city in Honduras. It has a population of approximately 450,000 inhabitants and its political division consists of 8 municipalities, 229 villages, 879 villages and more than 260 districts and colonies.

Olancho Tourism

Olancho department is the largest department in Honduras with 23.905 km².

It was created on June 28, 1825, when the territory was divided into seven departments during the First Political Division of Honduras.

Olancho department is located on the North Eastern part of the country and its population until 2012 was 530.644 inhabitants. Its vast territory is divided into 23 municipalities, 289 villages and 3,010 hamlets. Its provincial capital is the city of Juticalpa and Catacamas is the second largest and most important department, site where the famous city talgua caves.

Santa Barbara Tourism

History
The department of Santa Barbara was one of the seven departments originally created by the first head of state of Honduras, Attorney Don Dionisio de Herrera on 28 June 1825. Subsequently, he was President Domingo Vásquez made a division department and created the department Cortes on July 4, 1893. Its provincial capital is a city of Santa Barbara, the population of this department is approximately 400,000.

Ocotepeque tourism

Ocotepeque department is located in the western part of Honduras. Its territory is border bi because it limits the south with the Republic of El Salvador and West by Guatemala.

Copán

Copán is an archaeological site of the Mayan civilization located in Copan the department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the Isthmo- colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peolpe. In this fertile valley now lies a city of about 3000, a small airport, and a winding road.

Copán was occupied for more than two thousand years, from the Early preclassic period to the Postclassic. The city developed a distinctive sculptural style within the tradition of the lowland Maya, perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city's rulers.

The city has a historical record that spans the greater part of the Classic period and has been reconstructed in detail by archaeologists and epigraphers. Copán was a powerful city ruling a vast kingdom within the southern maya area. The city suffered a major political disaster in AD 738 when Uaxaclajunn Ub´aah Kawaiil, one of the greatest kings in Copán's dynastic history, was captured and executed by his former vassal, the king of Quirigua. This unexpected defeat resulted in a 17-year hiatus at the city, during which time Copán may have been subject to Quiriguá in a reversal of fortunes.

A significant portion of the eastern side of the acropolis has been eroded away by the Copan river, although the river has since been diverted in order to protect the site from further damage.

Location

Copán is located in western Honduras close to the border with Guatemala. Copán lies within the municipality of Copan ruinas in the department of Copan. It is situated in a fertile valley among foothills at 700 meters (2,300 ft) above mean se level .The ruins of the site core of the city are located 1.6 kilometers (1 mi) from the modern village of Copan ruinas, which is built on the site of a major complex dating to the Classic period.

In the Preclassic period the floor of the Copán Valley was undulating, swampy and prone to seasonal flooding. In the Early Classic, the inhabitants flattened the valley floor and undertook construction projects to protect the architecture of the city from the effects of flooding.

Copán had a major influence on regional centres across western and central Honduras, stimulating the introduction of Mesoamerican characteristics to local elites.

Native Animals & Plants in Honduras

Honduras, set in the Central American isthmus between Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, still lays claim to relatively large tracts of undeveloped landscape, from tropical rain forests to lagoon mangroves. This makes it is an excellent destination for ecotourists wishing to explore the wild side of this biologically rich region.

Vegetation Zones

The native vegetation profile of Honduras is diverse. A variety of tropical forests once flourished across broad areas, trending from lowland rain forest with massive buttressed trees to mist-socked cloud forests in the highlands. Among the latter ecosystems, the Central American montane forests -- an ecoregion defined by the World Wildlife Fund -- are distinctive with their blend of northern and southern plant families: Conifers like Guatemalan fir intermingle with tropical broadleafs. Patches of tropical dry forest persist in the coastal lowlands, while savanna abuts swamp and rain forest in Mosquitia. Rich pine-oak forests cover portions of the Honduran highlands. Remnant tracts of mangrove forest stud both the Pacific and Caribbean margins, especially in the Mosquito Coast.

Mammals

The remaining wild redoubts of Honduras still harbor some large mammals. Two large cats reign as top predators: the jaguar, a burly spotted feline with stocky limbs and powerful jaws; and the puma or cougar, a lithe tawny hunter that ranges from the Yukon south to Patagonia. Smaller cats include ocelots and margays. Two large mammals exceedingly common in North America also inhabit Honduras: the white-tailed deer and coyote. The country's largest terrestrial mammal is the Baird's tapir. Non-human primates include howler, capuchin and spider monkeys.

Reptiles

Among Honduras's most unique reptiles is the basilisk, a long-legged, crested lizard renowned for its ability to skate across water in bipedal fashion. More than 100 snakes inhabit the country; venomous kinds include the fer-de-lance. The country's heftiest reptile is the American crocodile, which in rare cases reaches 20 feet long; this pale-gray saurian is found sparingly across Central America and northern South America, and reaches its northern range in South Florida in the U.S.

Other Wildlife

Birdlife is plentiful in Honduras thanks to the country's varied habitats. The huge harpy eagle hunts its rain forests, picking off monkeys and sloths from the treetops. Another massive native bird is the jabiru, a tall, striking stork of thick black neck ringed in red and white feathers. Fish include a rich assortment of both freshwater and marine species, as well as a few, like the bull shark, that transcend both worlds, tracking up coastal rivers from ocean waters.

Viewing

National parks and other protected areas are the best places to see native Honduran vegetation and wildlife in their natural habitat. For example, visitors to the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve can sample the wildness of a Mosquitia watershed, that of the Plátano River, a location designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An impressive suite of habitats ranges from mangroves and coastal savanna to one of the region's greatest remaining swaths of tropical moist forest. Wildlife includes everything from manatees, sea turtles and American crocodiles to jaguars, giant anteaters and great curassows.

History of Honduras

was already occupied by many indigenous peoples when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. The western-central part of Honduras was inhabited by the Lencas, the central north coast by the Tol, the area eastand west of Trujillo by the Pech(or Payas) and the Mayans and Sumo. These autonomous groups maintained commercial relationships with each other and with other populations as distant as Panama and Mexico

Pre-Columbian era

Archaeologists have demonstrated that Honduras has a multi-ethnic prehistory. An important part of that prehistory was the Myan presence around the city of Copan, in western Honduras which is near the Guatemalan border. Copan was a major Maya city that began flourishing around 150 A.D. but reached its height in the Late Classic (700-850 A.D.). It has many carved inscriptions and Stelae. The ancient kingdom, named Xukpi, existed from the 5th century to the early 9th century, with antecedents going back to at least the 2nd century.

The Mayan civilization began a marked decline in their population during the 9th century, but there is evidence of people still living in and around the city until at least 1200. By the time the Spanish came to Honduras, the once great city-state of Copán was overrun by the jungle, and the surviving Chorti were isolated from their Choltian linguistic peers to the west. The non-Maya Lencas were then dominant in western Honduras.

Honduras in the nineteenth century

In the early 19th century, Napoleon's occupation of Spain led to the outbreak of revolts all across Spanish America. In New Spain, all of the fighting by those seeking independence was done in the center of that area from 1810 to 1821, what today is central Mexico. Once the Viceroy was defeated in the capital city –today Mexico City- in 1821, the news of the independence were sent to all the territories of New Spain including the Intendencies of the former Captaincy of Guatemala. Accepting this as a fact, Honduras joined the other Central American Intendencies in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. The public proclamation was done through the Act of Independence in 1821.

After the declaration of independence it was the intention of the New Spain parliament to establish a commonwealth whereby the King of Spain, Ferdinand VII, would also be Emperor of New Spain, and in which both countries were to be governed by separate laws and with their own legislative offices. Should the king refuse the position, the law provided for a member of the House of Bourbon to accede to the New Spain throne. Ferdinand VII, did not recognize the independence and said that Spain would not allow any other European prince to take the throne of New Spain.

By request of Parliament, the president of the regency Agustín de Iturbide was proclaimed emperor of New Spain but the Parliament also decided to re name New Spain to Mexico. The Mexican Empire was the official name given to this monarchical regime from 1821 to 1823. The territory of the Mexican Empire included the continental intendencies and provinces of New Spain proper (including those of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala) (See: History of Central America).

lunes, 28 de diciembre de 2015

Cuisine

Honduran cuisine is a fusion of indigenous Lencacuisine, Spanish cuisine, Caribbean cuisine andAfrican cuisine. There are also dishes from theGarifuna people. Coconut and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional specialties include fried fish, tamales,carne asada and baleadas.

Other popular dishes include: meat roasted withchismol and carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with pickled onions and jalapeños. In the coastal areas and in the Bay Islands, seafood and some meats are prepared in many ways, some of which include coconutmilk.

Culture

Creative endeavors

The Cathedral of Comayagua.

The most renowned Honduran painter is Jose Antonio Velásquez. Other important painters include Carlos Garay, and Roque Zelaya. Some of Honduras' most notable writers are Lucila Gamero de Medina, Froylan Turcios, Ramón Amaya Amador and Juan Pablo Suazo Euceda,Marco Antonio Rosa, Roberto Sosa,Eduardo Bähr, Amanda Castro, Javier Abril Espinoza, Teófilo Trejo, andRoberto Quesada.

Hondurans are often referred to asCatracho or Catracha (fem) in Spanish. The word was coined by Nicaraguans and derives from the last name of the Spanish Honduran General Florencio Xatruch, who, in 1857, led Honduran armed forces against an attempted invasion by North American adventurer William Walker. The nickname is considered complimentary, not derogatory.

The José Francisco Saybe theater in San Pedro Sula is home to the Círculo Teatral Sampedrano (Theatrical Circle of San Pedro Sula)

Religion

Although most Hondurans are nominally Roman Catholic(which would be considered the main religion), membership in the Roman Catholic Church is declining while membership in Protestant churches is increasing. The International Religious Freedom Report, 2008, notes that a CID Gallup poll reported that 51.4% of the population identified themselves asCatholic, 36.2% as evangelical Protestant, 1.3% claiming to be from other religions, including Muslims, Buddhists, Jews,Rastafarians, etc. and 11.1% do not belong to any religion or unresponsive. Customary Catholic church tallies and membership estimates 81% Catholic where the priest (in more than 185 parishes) is required to fill out a pastoral account of the parish each year.^[49]^[50]

The CIA Factbook has Honduras listed as 97% Catholic and 3% Protestant.^[1] Commenting on statistical variations everywhere, John Green of Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life notes that: "It isn't that ... numbers are more right than [someone else's] numbers ... but how one conceptualizes the group."^[51] Often people attend one church without giving up their "home" church. Many who attend evangelical megachurches in the US, for example, attend more than one church.

Demographics

Honduras had a population of 8,143,564 in 2011.^[1] The proportion of the population aged below 15 in 2010 was 36.8%, 58.9% were aged between 15 and 65 years of age, and 4.3% were aged 65 years or older.^[45]

Since 1975 emigration from Honduras has accelerated as economic migrants and political refugees sought a better life elsewhere. A majority of expatriate Hondurans live in the United States. 2012 US State Department estimates^[46] suggested there are between 800,000 and 1 million Hondurans living in the United States, nearly 15% of the Honduran domestic population. The large uncertainty is due to the substantial number of Hondurans living illegally in the United States. The 2010 U.S. Census counted 633,401 Hondurans in the United States, up from 217,569 in 2000.^[47]

Economy

Economic growth in the last few years has averaged 7% a year, one of the highest rates in Latin America (2010). In 2010 50% of the population were below the poverty line.^[40] It is estimated that there are more than 1.2 million people who areunemployed, the rate of unemployment standing at 27.9%. According to theHuman Development Index, Honduras is the sixth poorest/least developed country in Latin America, after Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Guyana, and Bolivia.

Honduras was declared one of theheavily indebted poor countries by theWorld Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and was made eligible for debt relief in 2005.

Administrative divisions

Further information: Departments of Honduras and Municipalities of Honduras

The departmental divisions of Honduras.

Honduras is divided into 18departments. The capital city is Tegucigalpa in the Central District within the department ofFrancisco Morazán.

BY ERICKSON

Foreign relations

Honduras and Nicaragua had tense relations throughout 2000 and early 2001 due to a boundary dispute off the Atlantic coast. Nicaragua imposed a 35% tariff against Honduras due to the dispute.

In June 2009, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup d'état and taken to neighboring Costa Rica. Like several other Latin American nations, Mexico temporarily severed diplomatic relations with Honduras. In July 2010, full diplomatic relations were once again re-established.

The United States maintains a small presence at a Honduran military base; the two countries conduct joint peacekeeping, counter-narcotics, humanitarian, disaster relief, and civic action exercises. U.S. troops conduct and provide logistics support for a variety of bilateral and multilateral exercises—medical, engineering, peacekeeping, counter-narcotics, and disaster relief. The United States is Honduras' chief trading partner.

Political culture

In 1963 a military coup was mounted against the democratically elected president Ramón Villeda Morales. This event started a string of military governments which held power almost uninterrupted until 1981, when Suazo Córdova (LPH) was elected president and Honduras changed from a military authoritarian regime.

Today, the party system is dominated by the conservative National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras: PNH) and the liberal Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras: PLH). Since 1981 Honduras has had six Liberal Party presidents: Roberto Suazo Córdova, José Azcona del Hoyo, Carlos Roberto Reina, Carlos Roberto Flores, Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, and three National Party Presidents: Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero, Ricardo Maduro and Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

The current Honduras president is Porfirio Lobo.

By ERICKSON

Ecology

The region is considered a biodiversity hotspot because of the numerous plant and animal species that can be found there. Like other countries in the region, Honduras contains vast biological resources. Honduras hosts more than 6,000 species of vascular plants, of which 630 (described so far) are orchids; around 250 reptiles and amphibians, more than 700 bird species, and 110 mammal species, half of them being bats.^[38]

In the northeastern region of La Mosquitia lies the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a lowland rainforest which is home to a great diversity of life. The reserve was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1982.

Honduras has rain forests, cloud forests (which can rise up to nearly three thousand meters above sea level), mangroves, savannas and mountain ranges with pine and oak trees, and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. In the Bay Islands there are bottlenose dolphins,manta rays, parrot fish, schools of blue tang and whale shark.

by erickson

Flag of Honduras

This national flag of Honduras was adopted on March 7, 1866, based on the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America. In 1823 Honduras joined the United Provinces of Central America and adopted their flag. In 1866 it was amended; five cerulean stars were placed in the center to represent the five original Central American provinces. The colors and pattern are the same as the flag of the United Provinces of Central America.

The flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal width with an overall length:width ratio of 2:1. The two outer cerulean bands represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and also represent the blue sky and brotherhood. The inner white band represents the land between the ocean and the sea, the peace and prosperity of its people, and purity of thoughts.

The flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal width with an overall length:width ratio of 2:1. The two outer cerulean bands represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and also represent the blue sky and brotherhood. The inner white band represents the land between the ocean and the sea, the peace and prosperity of its people, and purity of thoughts.

by erickson

List of universities in Honduras

by ERICKSON

sábado, 26 de diciembre de 2015

Honduras Holidays and Festivals

As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, most Honduran towns will have an annual celebration to honor their patron saints. These Honduras holidays are large and lively, and include street parades and performances. The biggest event in the country loved by all Hondurans is the annual carnival held in La Ceiba. San Pedro Sula also hosts a large traditional festival called the Feria Juniana with lots of live music.

Semana Santa

Literally translating to “Easter Week,” this festival is a multi-day celebration in March or April every year depending on the Christian calendar. The best place to witness it is undoubtedly in the Honduran mountain town of Santa Rose de Copan, which is close to the Mayan Copan ruins. Here there are six separate parades reenacting biblical events from the Easter story, and the effort and detail is a true spectacle.

Punta Gorda Festival

A uniquely Honduran festival celebrating the Garifuna community, Punta Gorda takes place annually on April 12. It commemorates the day in which 4,000 Garifuna people were placed on the island of Roatan, thus commencing their settlement of the islands and Caribbean coast. Punta Gorda has the biggest celebration, with many gathering here to take part in the festivities.

Feria de San Isidro

Held annually in the town of La Ceiba the week preceding the third Saturday in May, this festival sees over a quarter million Hondurans flocking to the town to take part in the celebration. It is a lively fun-filled event full of street pageantry similar to Mardi-Gras in New Orleans.

Feria Juniana

Held the last week of June in San Pedro Sula, this festival has a host of live musical performances, eating and drinking. The climax is a parade down the thoroughfare of Avenida Circunvalacion on June 29.

National Garifuna Festival

Held on the third weekend of July, this festival celebrates Garifuna culture and draws in communities from Belize and Guatemala, as well as Caribbean Honduras. It is held in the town of Bajamar, near Puerto Cortes, and is a huge party of drinking and dancing.

Culture of Honduras

The wealth of cultural expression in Honduras owes its origins primarily to being a part of Latin America but also to the multi-ethnic nature of the country. The population comprises 85% Mestizo, 8% Caucasian, 6% Amerindian, and 1% Black. This influences all facets of the culture: customs, practices, ways of dressing, religion, rituals, codes of behavior and belief systems.

Popular culture

Popular culture in Honduras, as in most countries, is expressed not so much through sophisticated artistic creations, but rather by popular events that draw big crowds. In Honduras, such artistic and cultural events are held on specific days of the year and through special celebrations. They have a special kind of dance and music the Hondurans hold proudly. They have gatherings to sing and dance; they call it "punta".
Hondurans celebrate national holidays and special events in the form of carnivals, fairs and parades throughout the year. For instance, in La Ceiba the annual carnival is a week-long celebration with music, exhibitions and special food, culminating in the most popular carnival in the country: "The Carnival of Friendship".

Colored sawdust makes a Paresh design during Holy Week in Comayagua.

The Feria Juniana (June Fair) of San Pedro Sula includes different musical concerts performed throughout the week. Visitors can also attend sporting events and a variety of exhibitions.
Puerto Cortés celebrates its fair in August with a "Venice" theme which includes parades of gondolas and other boats in the bay, and an evening fireworks display launched from boats.

Being a predominantly Catholic country, Honduras gives special attention to the celebrations of Holy Week. In some regions of the country, such as Comayagua, Choluteca, Copán and Intibucá, processions are held, especially during Thursday and Good Friday. Through these events, Hondurans commemorate the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for humanity by reenacting the events that happened during the week between Palm Sunday and Jesus Christ crucifixion.
Probably the most outstanding event is the creation of the sawdust carpets. People will decorate the trail where Jesus will walk through (to his crucifixion) to make the walk less painful for Christ. Some people - particularly the inhabitants of the North and South Coast - use this week as an opportunity to visit beaches, rivers and swimming pools, due to the stifling heat that reigns during Parkman Days.
Hondurans celebrate Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve on 24 and 31 December respectively. During these celebrations, the majority of Honduran homes cook special dishes to mark the occasion. Favorites include tamales wrapped with banana leaves, roast pigs' legs, and pastries. All of these celebrations are complemented at the end of the night with fireworks and firecrackers.
Other celebrations of special interest to Hondurans include Mothers' Day, Children's Day, Labor Day, Teachers' Day and Friendship Day.

Ethnic cultures

The predominant ethnic group in Honduras are the mestizo - people of mixed native and European (mostly Spanish) ascent. Mestizos account for over 93% of the population of Honduras. There are several other minority ethnic groups. Amongst them are people who descend from native tribes that lived in the area before the Spanish arrived: Lencas, Chortís, Tolupanes, Pechs (also called Payas), Tawahkas, and Miskitos.
There is also a group called the Garífunas who descend from African slaves from the Caribbean islands.
According to the 2001 census the Amerindian population in Honduras included 381,495 people (6.3% of the total population).^[1] With the exception of the Lenca and the Ch'orti' they still keep their language.
Six different Amerindian groups were counted at the 2001 census:^[1]

the Lenca (279,507 in 2001;4.6% of the total population) living in the La Paz, Intibucá, and Lempira departments;
the Miskito (51,607 in 2001; 0.8%) living on the northeast coast along the border with Nicaragua.
the Ch'orti' (34,453 in 2001;0.6% of the total population), a Mayan group living in the northwest on the border with Guatemala;
the Tolupan (also called Jicaque, "Xicaque", or Tol; 9,617 in 2001; 0.2% of the total population), living in the department of Yoro and in the reserve of the Montaña de la Flor and parts of the department of Yoro;
the Pech or Paya Indians (3,848 in 2001; 0.1% of the total population) living in a small area in the Olancho department;
the Sumo or Tawahka (2,463 in 2001; <0.1%)

Lenca culture

Society 'Lenca' forms the largest indigenous group, gave strength to the Spanish conquerors, who had to resort to various tricks and tactics to subdue them.

The cacique Lempira, a Honduran national heroes, was part of the Lenca tribe. His death at the hands of Rodrigo Ruiz, marked the final conquest of the Honduran territory by the Spaniards.

On the cultural side, the Lenca language and have lost most of their religious practices, though still practice peace pacts among them, as well as offerings to their ancestral gods, and some of them still retain their original way of dressing. Their staple food comes from basic grains, especially corn; where they contributed culturally to Honduras the 'Chicha'. While in the artistic and economic level they are characterized by the Lenca pottery.

ONASIS

Garifuna culture

by onasis

Cultural diversity in Honduras

Honduras is a multiethnic and multicultural country with a heritage of more than 12,000 years of history, the first societies that inhabited the country. 6% of the Honduran population is indigenous to different ethnic groups, among them are the siguientes.1

The Mayan civilization founded since the second d. C. the city Copan, was ruled by the dynasty Yax Kuk Mohasta the X century AD. C. widely developed many disciplines such as sculpture, painting, astronomy, mathematics, music and literature. They also developed agriculture, shipping, fishing, domestication of animals and livestock, being direct descendants are the Chortis.

The Lenca society who live in the central and southern regions.

Tolupanes society inhabited the north of the country.

Pech society, living in the east of the country.

Tawahka society, living in the east of the country near where today is Nicaragua.

Chortís society inhabited the west of the country, where 500 years earlier ruled the Mayan empire.

Chorotega society, living in the south of the country.

After the colony new groups were formed in the country:

The Garifuna society.

The company misquita.steven champion M.Ventura

Creole society, established in the Bay Islands.

BY ONASIS

Honduras Culture

Popular culture in Honduras as in most countries, consists of artistic creations where large audiences or attend shows. Such artistic and cultural exhibitions are held during certain days of the year through special events.

Throughout the year held in Honduras, employers different fairs among which are:

The La Ceiba Isidra Fair, an event that lasts one week and culminates with the 'Great Ceibeño Carnival' or 'Carnival of Friendship' the most popular in the country.

The Hondurans also celebrate; the Fair Juniana 'San Pedro Sula distinguished by their concerts.

So too; Honduras celebrates the Feria de Agosto in Puerto Cortes, which resembles the experience lived in Venice with gondolas and boat parades to Buenos Aires along the bay and where are released, fireworks can be observed from any Puerto point Cortés.La fair Catacamas

Olancho.

By :onasis

Heroic and meritorious

FIRE OF HONDURAS

Mission: We are an institution that helps prevent, combat and investigate fires, helping to natural and legal persons and protecting their lives and property in case of fire, disasters and calamities.

Vision: 2018 Being an institution that provides technical and professional service capabilities to meet the demands of the population in case of disasters, accidents, disasters, and other public disasters, ensuring the life and property of citizens.

Breaking news

* Vehicular accident in CA-5 highway to San Pedro Sula.

* Vehicle Accident (motorcycle), Buffalo Cortés industry.

* Vehicle Accident on Highway CA-5 that leads to Tegucigalpa.

* Fire in house in Barrio San Jose, Ocotepeque.

* Vehicular accident in Tulian Campo, Omoa.

* Opening of new fire station.

BY :ONASIS

Honduras Travel Guide

Key Facts

Area:

112,090 sq km (43,278 sq miles).

Population:

8.6 million (2014).

Population density:

76.7 per sq km.

Capital:

Tegucigalpa.

Government:

Republic.

Head of state:

President Juan Orlando Hernández since 2014.

Head of government:

President Juan Orlando Hernández since 2014.

Electricity:

110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style flat two-pin plugs (with or without grounding pin) are used.

The second-largest country in Central America – and also one of the poorest – Honduras is once ugly and beautiful. Behind the reefs and rainforests, it has the unfortunate claim to being the murder capital of the world and the high crime risk means visitors should be cautious at all times. Some may advise against visiting altogether, but to do so would be to miss out – for Honduras has much to offer those adventurous enough to visit.

The Bay Islands are perhaps the country’s biggest drawing card. The archipelago offers some of the best diving in Central America, not to mention the chance to swim with dolphins and come face to face with whale sharks. The less adventurous can lounge in hammocks and soak up the party vibe, if that sounds too wild.

Back on the mainland, sweeping Caribbean beaches are scattered with charming towns such as Trujillo, with its pirate history, and traditional Garifuna villages, whose Afro-Caribbean culture is an integral part of the national identity. The great Pico Bonito National Park boasts jaguars, monkeys and countless bird species, while the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, teems with exotic wildlife and indigenous communities.

BY :ONASIS

Hondurans around the world

Artists

America Ferrera. TV and film actress, born in Los Angeles, California, in 1984. OK - so she is not culturally Honduran, but she is ethnically Honduran, as both her parents were Hondurans. America has starred in 17 American films, including End of Watch, and has appeared in half a dozen TV series, including CSI and The Good Wife. She is most recognizable for playing the lead character in the American TV show Ugly Betty. And for those of you who like animated films, America voiced the character Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and several TV shows spin-offs from the films. It has been reported that in late 2014, America travelled to Honduras to search for potential locations for a new film, but apparently also to reconnect with her family and its history.

Carlos Mencía - Comedian, musician, actor, born in San Pedro Sula. Succeded at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, California and went on to appear in the Arsenio Hall Show, comedy specials on HBO and Comedy Central, in which he had a show called Mind of Mencia, the ratings of which for a time were second only to those of South Park. Mencía has also appeared in several films, including The Heartbreak

Kid and Our Family Wedding.

Daniel Zacapa. Born in Tegucigalpa, in 1954, but raised in the west coast of the U.S.A. Method actor, specializes in playing Latin-American or Italian characters. Has appeared in episodes of 40 American TV series (including The Mentalist, Star Trek: Voyager, CSI Miami, Prison Break, Seinfeld, and Hill Street Blues), as well as 30 films (including Seven, The Mexican, and Tequila Sunrise)

Guillermo Anderson - musician, born in La Ceiba, 1962. Studied literature, theatre, and music in California. While still in the US, Guillermo started acting ans working in theatre for children, but returned to Honduras in 1987 to begin a series of cultural exchange projects including artists from different countries. Eventually he branched out to music and started recording his own origina work, developing his own style that incorporates the characteristic rhytms of the Garifuna people of northern Honduras and the Caribbean with other contemporary music styles. Guillermo composes his songs, as well as providing the lead vocals and guitar. Visit Guillermo's website:

José Antonio Velázquez - painter. (1906 -1983). Velásquez is considered the first primitivist painter in the American continent. Velázquez had no formal artistic trainig at all and developed his very own distinctive painting style, which was characteristacally simple - perhaps even childlike -with a reduced (but bright) color palette, broad strokes, limited application of perspective or proportion of human figure, and yet he managed to produce charming results. His preferred subject was landscapes of Honduran villages, portraying the colonial architecture, the everyday activities of the townfolk, rural flora, blue skies, and the forest-covered mountains. The small town were he eventually settled down in southeastern Honduras, San Antonio de Oriente, was the specific subject of many of his paintings. Today his paintings are collectibles of considerable value both in Honduras and beyond. Velásquez's style is frequently copied in Honduras, not only by young paintors, but also has inspired work of wood carvers that use his paintings as a template for their work.

José Zúñiga - actor. Born in Honduras, but raised in New York City. Appeared in his first Holywood film in 1988 and since then has been cast over 40 films (including ConAir, Constantine, Mission: Impossible III, Ransom, and Next) and almost 50 TV series (including CSI, Law & Order, That's Life, New York Undercover, Burn Notice, and Castle). He is usually typecast as a detective or other officer in a branch of law enforcement. He has been nomiated twice for an ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Award.

Luis Moncada - actor. Born in Honduras in 1977, but raised in Los Angeles, California. Was once member of an L.A. gang and served time in prison. After prison, Moncada was working as a security guard in a film studio in California, when one of the directors saw his tattos and offered him a small part in a film. Since then, Moncada has appeared in no less than 28 episodes of American TV shows (including CSI: Miami and Castle) and half a dozen films, including Collateral and Fast and Furious. He usually plays gangsters and thugs. He had a recurring role in the series Breaking Bad, in which he played assassin Marco Salamanca.

Scientists and Researchers

Juan Fernando Gálvez - IT and Communications Consultant, NASA. Raised in Tegucigalpa, Juan Fernando studied communications in Florida, and after graduation obtained an entry level job in NASA's Johnson Space Center, in Houston. He started with maintenance of camera systems used to monitor astronauts during their training. Later he worked in recording and distributing video from several space shuttle missions, including Atlantis, Discovery, Endeavor, and Columbia. By the late 1990s, Gálvez was producing several of NASA's press events, including an ocassion in which Walter Cronkite interviewed veteran astronaut and US senator John Glenn, who was in orbit at the time. In 2003, when NASA lost Columbia, it was Gálvez who acted as press representative to break the news to the public. In his 25 years with NASA, Gálvez has worked in other departments, including his more permanent post in IT, where he has been in charge of more than 100 servers and looking after the needs of more than 10,000 users. For his excellent work in this area, in 2014, NASA awarded Mr. Gálvez a medal for exceptional achievement .

Salvador Moncada - pharmacological researcher. Born in Tegucigalpa in 1944, to a Honduran father and a British mother. Studied medicine at Universidad de El Salvador (in El Salvador) and later obtained a PhD from the Department of Pharmacology, Royal College of Surgeons, in London. Was director of Research at Wellcome Laboratories and then moved to University College London, were he setup the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research. Dr. Moncada's collaborated in research work that not only explained how drugs like aspirin function as analgesics, antipyretics and anti-inflammatories, but also how they help prevent cardiovascular problems, and also how they cause gastric problems. Dr. Moncada has earned too many medical prizes and awards to list here, and has been given honorary degrees by no less than 20 universities, and holds several patents. In 2010, he was awarded a Knighthood for Services to Science.

Ricardo Agurcia Fasquelle - archeologist. Studied archeology at Duke University and Tulane University, is generally credited with being the first formal Honduran archeologist. He has co-authored several books with respected American archeologists (e.g., William Fash) on the Maya culture and the Maya ruins at Copán. He is credited with discovering and documenting one of the most beautiful and complex temples in the Copán archeological site: the Rosalila Temple. Mr. Agurcia has championed the protection of Honduras's archeological heritage and is a prominent member of Asociación Copán, which is specifically dedicated to the study and preservation of the archeological and natural heritage in the Copán valley.