Honduras is a small country in Central America. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the south and Guatemala and El Salvador to the west.

Honduras has population of 5.3 million people, with an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent. 90 percent of the population is mestizo (a mixture of Indian and Spanish). Mestizos are culturally referred to as Ladino. Only 7 percent of the population is native Indian; most of the Indians live in isolated areas, such as the Mosquitia. The main Indian groups are Miskito, Payas, and Xicaques. 2 percent of the population is black, and 1 percent white (mainly Spanish). The blacks are mainly Garifuna. A very small segment of the population is Sambo, a mixture of black and Indian.

Honduras has a warm tropical climate throughout the year. There are three main climatic zones in Honduras, the Pacific coast, central highlands, and Caribbean lowlands. In central Honduras, the temperature becomes colder with higher elevation. There is rain for six months of the year, although the amount of rain is not excessive. The seasons are named by the amount of precipitation, rather than temperature. Invierno, or winter, is the rainy season (May through October). The drier months are called summer, or verano. The Pacific coast has a climate similar to the central region, but more extreme: the rainy season is wetter, the high temperatures are higher, and the dry season is drier. The Caribbean regions are very wet throughout the year. The meeting of the trade winds with the cool air from the Nombre de Dios mountains results in the higher than average rainfall. October through November is the rainiest period. The towns of Tela and La Ceiba average more ten feet of rain annually. By comparison, New York and Houston each average less than three feet per year.

Honduras is governed by a president, who is elected for four years. According to the constitution, the president can only be elected once. The judicial branch is independent. The legislature, the National Congress, is a unicameral body with 134 seats. All citizens 18 and older are required by law to vote. Two parties dominate the National Congress, although smaller parties are represented.

Honduras was absorbed into the Spanish Empire in the early sixteenth century. Columbus himself landed on the northern shores of Honduras. Spanish conquest began in earnest around the year 1524. Honduras was populated mainly by smaller Indian tribes, not a great civilization, such as the Maya. In 1539, Lempira, the last Indian chief was killed. Honduras was incorporated into the Kingdom and Captaincy-General of Guatemala. During the 1570's, silver was discovered in Honduras. Silver mining played a crucial role in the development of the Ladino culture. Ladinos are people of mixed Indian and Spanish race. Indians used for labor in the mines were brought from different villages throughout the country. They were forced to use Spanish to communicate with one another, and a new culture developed. When Guatemala declared independence in 1821, Honduras followed suit. Both became part of Mexico, when Mexican forces marched into Central America. When Mexico's leader fell from power, both became part of the United Provinces of Central America. When the United Provinces fell apart in 1838, both gained true independence. Both went through regime after regime. Honduras fell prey to external meddling. In Honduras, the United States gained real influence through the development of the fruit industry, especially bananas. In the early 1900's, banana traders in New Orleans began to look at Central America as a reliable source of commercial bananas. In many ways, the banana companies were more influential than local governments. In 1982, Honduras began peaceful civilian rule. Honduras has a democratically elected government with elections taking place every four years.

Spanish is the official language of Honduras. Indians speak a variety of tribal languages. Creole English (Patua) is spoken by about 10,000 people, mainly in the Bay Islands. English is a required course in secondary school, but few people are fluent.

Eighty-eight percent of the population is Roman Catholic, but Evangelical Christian denominations are rapidly growing. There are usually several different churches, even in the smallest towns. The Catholic Church has a huge influence on the culture. Many public holidays have religious themes, and every town and city has its own patron saint, for whom it holds an annual celebration.