Honduras Travel Overview
Important facts
Capital: Tegucigalpa (See more on SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES.COM)
Official language: Spanish
Currency: Lempira
Continent: Central North America
Between surfers beach and Mayan temple
Ancient Mayan sites and diving paradise. Honduras offers many contrasts, unfortunately also due to its visible poverty.
Location
According to Countryaah, Honduras is in Central America. It borders on El Salvador to the southwest, Guatemala to the northwest, Nicaragua to the south and a long stretch of coastline of the Caribbean Sea to the north. In addition, Honduras has a small access to the Pacific Ocean in the south through the Gulf of Fonseca.
Vacation in Honduras
Due to its location in the Caribbean Sea, Honduras is ideal for swimming, snorkeling and diving in warm water. It is also a destination for surfers due to the access to the Pacific.
Security
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Central America. It has a bad reputation for travel safety. Here are a few recommendations: do not display your valuables and equipment openly, avoid dark and empty areas, do not stay in one place too long at night, e.g. when waiting in front of the hotel – inquire about the opening times of your hostel and should If you are asked by the police to follow it, you should only do so if you are accompanied.
Particularities
The extreme west of today’s Honduras was the settlement area of the ancient Maya. In Copán there are still some small pyramids, temples and steles that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Currency
Currency (sub-unit)
Lempira (100 Centavos)
ISO 4217 code
HNL / 340
Geography
Continent: North America
Region: medium
Geo coordinates: N 15 ° 11 ’60 ” W -86 ° -14′ -30.9″
Highest mountain: Cero Las Minas (2,870 m)
Total area: 112,090 km²
Mainland: 111,890 km²
National border: 1,520 km
Coastline: 820 km
Politics
Dependency: Spain until 1821
UN member since: 1945
Other political affiliation: Organization of American States
Form of government: Presidential Democracy
Houses of Parliament: unikameral
Party system: Multi-party system
State building: decentralized
Political culture: Subject culture
Particularities: The president is both head of state and head of government and cannot be re-elected.
Economy
Export goods: Bananas, coffee, wood
BSP: $ 8,799,000,000
GDP: $ 8,823,000,000
GDP purchasing power parity: $ 22,040,000,000
Economic growth: 4.4%
GDP share of agriculture: 13.7%
GDP share of industry: 31.8%
GDP share of services: 54.5%
Inflation rate: 9.3%
Unemployment: 27.3%
State budget revenue: $ 1924 billion
State budget expenditure: $ 2094 billion
National debt: 66.2%
Export: $ 1,934,000,000
Import: $ 4,475,000,000
Foreign debt: $ 6,072,000,000
Gold and currency reserves: $ 2,561,000,000
Electricity consumption: 5,226 million KWh
Oil consumption: 42,000 million m³
Cultivation area: 12.73%
Bovine: 1,717,000 pieces
Pigs: 497,000 pieces
Demographic data
Residents: 7,326,500
Residents in cities: 3,342,000
Minorities: Ladinos, indigenous people, Afro-Hondurans
Average age: 19.5 years
0-14 years: 39.9%
15-64 years: 56.7%
> 65 years: 3.4%
Population growth: 2.16%
Birth rate: 28.24 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 5.28 / 1,000 residents
Migration: -1.39 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 1.01
Fertility: 3.59 children / woman
Infant mortality: 25.82 ‰
Life expectancy men: 67.75 years
Life expectancy women: 70.98 years
Country codes
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: HN
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: HND
ISO 3166 numeric: 340
Top Level Domain: hn
IOC country code: HON
UN / LOCODE: HN
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Communication
Telephone connections: 416,000
Cell Phones: 509,000
Radios: 2,960,000
TV: 1,218,000
Computer: 148,000
Internet users: 294,000
Transportation
Railway lines: 699 km
Paved roads: 1,996 km
Cars: 436,000
Merchant fleet (ships over 1,000 GRT): 136
Health
Number of doctors: 5,460
Daily food intake: 2,450 kcal / resident
HIV- infected people: 75,000
Education
Illiteracy: 22%
History
Foundation: 900
Last sovereign since: 1821
Religion
Main religious group: Christians
Distribution of religions: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant
Crime
Prison inmates: 12,000
Military
Armed forces (troop strength): 14,000
Defense Spending: $ 57,000,000
GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
There are no direct flights from Frankfurt / M., Zurich and Vienna. Flight connections go with Lufthansa (LH) from Frankfurt via Houston and Miami. There are flight connections from Miami and Houston with Avianca (AV) and American Airlines (AA). There is also a connection via Atlanta. Onward flight from Atlanta with Delta Airlines.
Connections from Austria and Switzerland also go via London, Paris or Amsterdam and New York.
Departure fee
Approx. US $ 40 in cash. This does not apply to children under the age of 12 and travelers in transit who fly on within 12 hours.
Arrival by car
El Salvador and Nicaragua can be reached via the Pan-American Highway, and Guatemala via the western expressway. Visas must be obtained prior to travel. Waiting times must be expected at the border crossings. Long-distance
bus: Comfortable long-distance buses from private providers such as Ticabus (Internet: www.ticabus.com) go to all capitals in Central America. Hedman Alas (Internet: www.hedmanalas.com) offers connections to Guatemala. Advance booking is recommended.
Arriving by train
There are no rail connections to neighboring countries.
Arrival by ship
The largest ports on the Caribbean coast are Amapala, El Henecan, La Ceiba, Puerto Cortés and Roatán. However, these ports are usually only called by cargo and container ships.
Cruise ships sometimes dock on the island of Roatán, which has the ultra-modern new cruise port “Mahogany Bay” (Internet: www.mahoganybaycc.com).
There are shipping connections between Puerto Cortés and Placencia (Belize) and in summer from Omoa and Utila to Livingston (Guatemala).
ON THE GO
Overview
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[*] Including 2 hours of navigation.
Traveling by plane
The domestic airlines Isleña Airlines (WC) (Internet: http://www.flyislena.com/) and Aerolíneas Sosa (P4) connect Tegucigalpa with the provincial cities of the country on a daily basis. Isleña Airlines and Sosa Airlines offer flights to the island of Utila off the Caribbean coast.
There are over 30 airports for business and charter traffic. Even remote regions are regularly served by light aircraft.
On the way by car / bus
The road network covers 15,100 km, of which around 3,000 km are paved, most of the roads are gravel. Overall, the road network is badly damaged. The main road between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula is the only road that is in good condition. Weatherproof roads lead from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula, Puerto Cortés, La Ceiba and the most important cities on the Caribbean coast and the Golfo de Fonseca in the south. It is not advisable to drive after dark. It is advisable to use off-road vehicles away from the highways.
Long-distance buses, the main mode of transport, run regularly between the larger cities (de lujois the most comfortable price range). Early booking is recommended, fares are very cheap. The departures are mostly in the early morning, as the routes are often very long.
Taxis do not have a taximeter; flat rates apply within the cities. You are not always in a safe state. For longer journeys you should agree the fare in advance. There are also collective taxes, so-called colectivos.
Rental cars are available at the airports.
Documents: international or own driver’s license. Seatbelt compulsory.
On the go by train
There are only three railway lines in the north of the country, most of which are used for transporting bananas. However, visitors can travel on a banana train from San Pedro Sula and, with a little advance planning, switch to the coconut train to Cuero y Salado National Park.
On the way by ship
Ferries operate between the ports on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Details from the port authorities. From La Ceiba and Puerto Cortés there are connections to the Islas de la Bahía several times a week. Arrangements must be made with the boat owners.