Editor's note: Twitter reports suggest that the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that hit off the coast of El Salvador was felt in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala. We're watching for reports of damage. - Jillian
President Obama says he told Guatemala President Otto Perez Molina, Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren the US has a shared responsibility with Central America to combat drug trafficking - @jeffmason1
Photo: President Obama meets with Guatemala President Otto Perez Molina, Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren on undocumented migrants at US border - @jeffmason1
Honduras (/hɒnˈdʊərəs/), officially the Republic of Honduras (Spanish: República de Honduras [reˈpuβlika ðe onˈduɾas]), is a republic in Central America. It was at times referred to as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize. The country 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.
Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, prior to being conquered by Spain in the sixteenth century. The Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. The country became independent in 1821 and has since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability.
Honduras spans an area of about 112,492 km² and has a population exceeding eight million. Its northern portions are part of the Western Caribbean Zone. Honduras is best known for the production of minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, and sugar cane, as well as for its growing textiles industry, which serves the international market.