Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. In the past, it was sometimes referred to as "Spanish Honduras" to differentiate it from British Honduras, which later became modern-day Belize. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea.
Politics of Honduras takes place in a framework of a multi-party system presidential representative democratic republic. The President of Honduras is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the National Congress of Honduras. The party system is dominated by the conservative National Party of Honduras and the Liberal Party of Honduras. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Telecommunication in Honduras started in 1876 when the first telegraph was introduced, continued development with the telephone in 1891, radio in 1928, television in 1959, the Internet in the early 1990s, and cellphones in 1996.
The music of Honduras is very varied. Punta is the main "ritmo" of Honduras with other sounds such as Caribbean salsa, merengue, reggae, and reggaeton all widely heard especially in the North, to Mexican rancheras heard in the interior rural part of the country. Honduras' capital Tegucigalpa is an important center for modern Honduran music, and is home to the College for Fine Arts.
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, 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.
Roatán is an island in the Caribbean, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) off the northern coast of Honduras. It is located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, and is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras.
The Honduras national football team nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is governed by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras (FENAFUTH). To date, the team has qualified three times for the FIFA World Cup, in 1982, 2010 and 2014.
Honduras National Congress has 128 members (diputados); they serve four-year terms.
The National Party of Honduras is a political party in Honduras founded on February 27, 1902, by Manuel Bonilla Chirinos. Historically it has been one of the two most influential parties in the country. The party's platform is based on Christian humanist doctrine, and its five main principles are common wealth, dignity of the human person, equality, solidarity and subsidiarity.
Drinking water supply and sanitation coverage in Honduras has increased significantly in the last decades. However, the sector is still characterized by poor service quality and poor efficiency in many places. Coverage gaps still remain, particularly in rural areas.
Law enforcement in Honduras is split among three law enforcement organisations.
In Honduras, there is an important potential of untapped indigenous renewable energy resources. Due to the variability of high oil prices and declining renewable infrastructure costs, such resources could be developed at competitive prices.
The National Autonomous University of Honduras is the national public university of Honduras. Founded in 1847, it has over 140 programs from the Bachelor's level to the Doctorate, and is the largest and highest ranked University in Honduras.
Education in Honduras is free to the public. The system begins in pre-school, continues in elementary school, secondary school, then the university years. The public education in Honduras also coexist with private schools and universities.
Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado, often known as JOH, is the fifty-fifth and current president of Honduras, who assumed office on January 27, 2014, after winning the 2013 Honduran general election. He began his second presidential term on January 27, 2018.
Tegucigalpa, colloquially referred to as Téguz, is the capital and largest city of Honduras along with its twin sister, Comayagüela.
Gender inequality in Honduras has been less marked since the 1980s with a better quality of life for many, especially women. In the 2011 Human Development Report, Honduras placed 121st out of 187 countries. Honduras is ranked 101 of 159 countries in 2015 for its Gender Inequality Human Development Index (.461) with an overall value of 0.511 out of 1 in terms of HDI
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal is the highest electoral authority, both at the administrative and jurisdictional level in the Republic of Honduras.
