📰 Honduras · page 5

Most pollsters suggest an annual poll taken over several years would provide the best method of knowing religious demographics and variations in any single country.418 Still, in Honduras are thriving Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, Lutheran, Latter-day Saint (Mormon) and Pentecostal churches.419 There are Protestant seminaries.420 The Catholic Church maintains a presence through schools, hospitals, and pastoral institutions (including its own medical school) that it operates.421 Its archbishop, Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga, is also very popular with the government, other churches, and in his own church.422 Practitioners of the Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, Baháʼí, Rastafari and indigenous denominations and religions exist.[124]423

Education

Main article: Education in Honduras

About 83.6% of the population are literate, and the net primary enrollment rate was 94% in 2004.[125]424 In 2014, the primary school completion rate was 90.7%.[126]425 Honduras has bilingual (Spanish and English) and even trilingual (Spanish with English, Arabic, or German) schools and numerous universities.[127]426

The higher education is governed by the National Autonomous University of Honduras which has centers in the large cities.427 Honduras was ranked 119th in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.[128][129]428

Crime

Crime in Honduras is rampant, and criminals operate with a high degree of impunity.429 Honduras has one of the highest national murder rates in the world; cities such as San Pedro Sula and the Tegucigalpa have registered homicide rates among the highest in the world.430 The violence is associated with drug trafficking as Honduras is often a transit point, and with several urban gangs, mainly the MS-13 and the 18th Street gang.431 Homicide violence reached a peak in 2012 with an average of 20 homicides per day.[130]432 Official statistics from the Honduran Observatory on National Violence show the homicide rate was 60 per 100,000 in 2015 with the majority of homicide cases unprosecuted.[131]433 But as recently as 2017, organizations such as InSight Crime's show figures of 42 per 100,000 inhabitants,[132] a 26% drop from 2016 figures.434

Highway assaults and carjackings at roadblocks or checkpoints set up by criminals with police uniforms and equipment occur frequently.435 Although reports of kidnappings of foreigners are not common, families of kidnapping victims often pay ransoms without reporting the crime to police out of fear of retribution, so kidnapping figures may be underreported.[131]436

Violence increased after Plan Colombia was implemented and after Mexican President Felipe Calderón declared the war against drug trafficking in Mexico.[133]437 Along with El Salvador and Guatemala, Honduras forms part of the Northern Triangle of Central America, which has been characterized as one of the most violent regions in the world.[134]438 As a result of crime and increasing murder rates, the flow of migrants from Honduras to the U.S. also went up.439 The rise in violence in the region has received international attention.440

Roatán and the other Bay Islands have lower crime rates than the mainland.441 This has been attributed to measures taken by government and business in 2014 to improve tourist safety.[131]442 In the less populated region of Gracias a Dios, narcotics-trafficking is rampant and police presence is scarce.443 Threats against U.S. citizens by drug traffickers and other criminal organizations have resulted in the U.S. Embassy placing restrictions on the travel of U.S. officials through the region.[131]444

Culture

Main article: Culture of Honduras

National symbols

The flag of Honduras is composed of three equal horizontal stripes.445 The blue upper and lower stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.446 The central stripe is white.447 It contains five blue stars representing the five states of the Central American Union.448 The middle star represents Honduras, located in the center of the Central American Union.449

The coat of arms was established in 1945.450 It is an equilateral triangle, at the base is a volcano between three castles, over which is a rainbow and the sun shining.451 The triangle is placed on an area that symbolizes being bathed by both seas.452 Around all of this an oval containing in golden lettering: "Republic of Honduras, Free, Sovereign and Independent".453

The "National Anthem of Honduras" is a result of a contest carried out in 1914 during the presidency of Manuel Bonilla.454 Poet Augusto Coello wrote the anthem, with German-born Honduran composer Carlos Hartling writing the music.455 The anthem was officially adopted on 15 November 1915, during the presidency of Alberto de Jesús Membreño.456

The national flower is the orchid Rhyncholaelia digbyana, which replaced the rose in 1969.457 The change of the national flower was carried out during the administration of general Oswaldo López Arellano, thinking that Brassavola digbyana "is an indigenous plant of Honduras; having this flower exceptional characteristics of beauty, vigor and distinction", as the decree dictates it.458

The national tree was declared in 1928 to be simply "the Pine that appears symbolically in our Coat of Arms" (el Pino que figura simbólicamente en nuestro Escudo),[135] even though pines comprise a genus and not a species, and even though legally there's no specification as for what kind of pine should appear in the coat of arms either.459 Because of its commonality in the country, the Pinus oocarpa species has become since then the species most strongly associated as the national tree, but legally it is not so.460 Another species associated as the national tree is the Pinus caribaea.461

The national mammal is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which was adopted as a measure to avoid excessive depredation.462 It is one of two endemic species of deer.463 The national bird is the scarlet macaw (Ara macao).464 This bird was much valued by the pre-Columbian civilizations of Honduras.465

Celebrations

Further information: Public holidays in Honduras

National holidays include Honduras Independence Day on 15 September and Children's Day or Día del Niño, which is celebrated in homes, schools and churches on 10 September; on this day, children receive presents and have parties similar to Christmas or birthday celebrations.466 Some neighborhoods have piñatas on the street.467 Other holidays are Easter, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Day of the Soldier (3 October to celebrate the birth of Francisco Morazán), Christmas, El Dia de Lempira on 20 July,[136] and New Year's Eve.468

Independence Day festivities start early in the morning with marching bands.469 Each band wears different colors and features cheerleaders.470 Fiesta Catracha takes place this same day: typical Honduran foods such as beans, tamales, baleadas, cassava with chicharrón, and tortillas are offered.471

On Christmas Eve people reunite with their families and close friends to have dinner, then give out presents at midnight.472 In some cities fireworks are seen and heard at midnight.473 On New Year's Eve there is food and "cohetes", fireworks and festivities.474 Birthdays are also great events, and include piñatas filled with candies and surprises for the children.475

La Ceiba Carnival is celebrated in La Ceiba in the north coast in the second half of May to celebrate the day of the city's patron saint Isidore.476 People from all over the world come for one week of festivities.477 Every night there is a little carnaval (carnavalito) in a neighborhood.478 On Saturday there is a big parade with floats and displays with people from many countries.479 This celebration is also accompanied by the Milk Fair, where many Hondurans come to show off their farm products and animals.480

Art

Main article: Art of Honduras

The most renowned painter is José Antonio Velásquez.481 Other important painters include Carlos Garay, and Roque Zelaya.482 Notable writers include Lucila Gamero de Medina, Froylán Turcios, Ramón Amaya Amador and Juan Pablo Suazo Euceda, Marco Antonio Rosa,[137] Roberto Sosa, Eduardo Bähr, Amanda Castro, Javier Abril Espinoza, Teófilo Trejo, and Roberto Quesada.483

The José Francisco Saybe theater in San Pedro Sula is home to the Círculo Teatral Sampedrano (Theatrical Circle of San Pedro Sula) Honduras has experienced a boom from its film industry for the past two decades.484 Since the premiere of the movie "Anita la cazadora de insectos" in 2001, the level of Honduran productions has increased, many collaborating with countries such as Mexico, Colombia, and the United States.485 The most well known Honduran films are El Xendra, Amor y Frijoles, and Cafe con aroma a mi tierra.486

Folklore

Main article: Honduran folklore

Legends and fairy tales are paramount, such as Lluvia de Peces (Rain of Fish).487 The legends of El Cadejo and La Llorona are also popular.488

Music

Main article: Music of Honduras

Punta is the main music of Honduras, with other sounds such as Caribbean salsa, merengue, reggae, and reggaeton all widely heard, especially in the north, and Mexican rancheras heard in the rural interior of the country.489 The most well known musicians are Guillermo Anderson and Polache.490 Banda Blanca is a widely known music group in both Honduras and internationally.491

Media

Main article: Media of Honduras

At least half of households have at least one television.492 Public television has a far smaller role than in most other countries.493 The main newspapers are La Prensa, El Heraldo, La Tribuna and Diario Tiempo.494 The official newspaper is La Gaceta.495

Cuisine

Honduran cuisine is a fusion of indigenous Lenca cuisine, Spanish cuisine, Caribbean cuisine and African cuisine.496 There are also dishes from the Garifuna people.497 Coconut and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes.498 Regional specialties include fried fish, tamales, carne asada and baleadas.499 Other popular dishes include meat roasted with chismol and carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with pickled onions and jalapeños.500 Some of the ways seafood and meats are prepared in coastal areas and in the Bay Islands involve coconut milk.501

The soups Hondurans enjoy include bean soup, mondongo soup (tripe soup), seafood soups and beef soups.502 Generally these soups are served mixed with plantains, yuca, and cabbage, and served with corn tortillas.503 Other typical dishes are the montucas or corn tamales, stuffed tortillas, and tamales wrapped in plantain leaves.504 Honduran typical dishes also include an abundant selection of tropical fruits such as papaya, pineapple, plum, sapote, passion fruit and bananas which are prepared in many ways while they are still green.505

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Honduras.[138]506 Honduras's first international competition began in 1921 at the Independence Centenary Games featuring neighboring countries in Central America.[139]507 The highest division of football is The Honduran National Professional Football League (Spanish: La Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras), which was established in 1964.[140]508 The league is recognized on a continental level, as C.D.509 Olimpia–the only Honduran club to win the competition–won the CONCACAF Champions League in 1972 and 1988.[141][142]510 The Honduras national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Honduras) is considered one of the best nations in North America, as the country last won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1981 and placed third in 2013.[143][144]511 On a global scale, Honduras has competed in the FIFA World Cup three times in 1982, 2010, and 2014, although Los Catrachos have yet to win a game.[145][146][147]512

Baseball is the second most popular sport.[148]513 Honduras's first international competition began in 1950 in the Baseball World Cup, which was the most prestigious global competition at the time.[149]514 The country lacks a division in baseball, likely due to the absence of competition in international baseball since 1973.515 The Honduras national baseball team (Spanish: Selección de béisbol de Honduras) is shy of being a top ten nation in North and South America due to infrequent scheduling, although competition is consistent and growing at the youth level.[150][151]516 Inspiration at the youth level came from Mauricio Dubón being the first born and raised Honduran to start in Major League Baseball, who is currently competing today.[152]517

All other sports tend to be minor at best, as Honduras has not won a medal in the Olympics and has not made notable results in other world championships.[153]518 However, Hondurans have consistently entered track & field and swimming games at the Summer Olympics since 1968 and 1984, respectively.[154]519 Occasionally, Honduras has competed in combat sports ranging from judo to boxing at the Summer Olympics as well.[155][156]520 Gender inequality is present in the sports industry, as teams like the Honduras women's national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Honduras Femenina) has yet to qualify in global and continental tournaments and softball being nearly nonexistent in the country.[157][158]521

See also

Outline of Honduras

Water crisis in Honduras

External links

President of the Government of Honduras

Cabinet of Honduras

National Congress of Honduras

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

The Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT), Official tourism site