Interesting facts about Honduras

When you hear "Que ondas", it is the Honduran way of saying "what's up" and the saying is most likely coming from a native of Honduras. A country located in the heart of central America with a lush rainforest and a population of less than eight million people. Hondurans speaks the Amerindian dialect with Spanish as their official language. The country has her seat of power located in a city referred to in the five syllabic word, Tegucigalpa. Interesting facts about this are summed up under the following sub-heading.
Geography: with a border with Nicaragua on the south and some part of the pacific, it has Guatemala to the west and a very long border coast with the Caribbean sea on the north.

Climate: The country slopes as you move close to the northern coast. While the lowlands regions are subtropical, the climate is temperate in the rainforest the mountains in the hinterland.
History: The Mayan civilization flourished in Honduras Before the 15th century. After Independence from both Spain and Mexico in 1821 and 1822 respectively, she joined the United Provinces of Central America.
Interesting political history include the ouster of the Lopez administration in 1975 on the allegation of acceptance of bribes worth $250.000 by government officials and the election of Carlos Roberto Reina Idiaquez in 1993 the long time human right and political activist with a promise to exert civilian control over the powerful Honduran army among other things.
Culture: Honduran people are a mix of natve americans(red indians) and european settlers usually refered to as Mestizo, those in the coastal areas, have a composed culture. The people are relaxed and generally, like people in other Latin American Countries, they live close to the extended family and have a friendly and welcoming attitude to foreign visitors.
Music: Music in Honduras has a style unique to the people and it is characterized by a Spanish beat using the marimbas and guitars. However, they generally prefer music from Mexico or the United states with different rhythms.
Sports: Popular games in Honduras include, football, Baseball, Volleyball and Basketball among others. In all these games, football, the game of soccer, stands out. Honduran people love soccer and regularly appear in international competitions. Also popular among children is the game similar to "jacks" which they play using stones.
Food: Rice. Beans, Tamales and Corn constitute Honduran staples along with a soup of beef or chicken stock. Popular drinks include the black Coffee and soft drinks. Sauted plantain is one of the interesting and easily prepared foods. The plantains are cut in quarters with each quarter cut in half lengthwise. The plantain together with chilies is saut in butter over medium eat, turning frequently. It is removed when browned and sour milk is drizzled over the plantains and served.
Festivals and holidays: The people celebrate their independence on the 15th of September also Columbus day on the 12th of October. Apart from Christmas day which they celebrate in December and Easter which they celebrate between March and April, they also observe the Feast day of the Virgin of Suyapa on the 3rd of February which is in honor of the patron saint of Honduras. Carnaval at La Ceiba is also held during the third week of the month of May.
Honduras is the a tourist hub; ranging from the beautiful mountain trails to the ancient mayan ruins,from the lush rainforest to the breathtaking and beautiful beaches.She also boast of having one of thelargest coral reefs in the world
When you ask an Honduran how things are going the reply you will likely get is "Todo cheque" meaning "Its all cool". "Nos vermos" is a way saying "see you" in Amerindian dialect. But when the people want to appreciate you, they say "Bendiciones" meaning "God bless you" Mean while it is also used in some Christian circle to say "goodbye"
sources: Wikipedia, Compassion.com, CIA factbook