Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, before the Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century. The Spanish introduced Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. Honduras became independent in 1821 and has since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability, and remains one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, the northern part of what was the Mosquito Coast was transferred from Nicaragua to Honduras by the International Court of Justice.
The nation's economy is primarily agricultural, making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The lower class is primarily agriculturally based while wealth is concentrated in the country's urban centers. Honduras has a Human Development Index of 0.625, classifying it as a nation with medium development. When adjusted for income inequality, its Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index is 0.443. (Full article...)
Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca is a Honduran folkloric ballet troupe in La Esperanza. It was founded in 2008 and presents dances and costumes that reflect the traditional culture of Honduras. This dance troupe hosts an annual folk dance festival, El Grande de Grandes, and represents Honduran culture internationally. It also mentors nascent dance groups in villages, towns, and cities of Honduras. In November 2015, the National Congress of Honduras designated Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación (cultural heritage of the nation), and subsequently designated Ambassadors of Art and Culture by executive decree.
The original name of the group was Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca. In 2016, the group was registered in Honduras as a non-profit organization under its current name of Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca. In the name, Oro Lenca (Lenca Gold) references the indigenousLenca people that enrich the culture of Intibucá. The dance group's performances, relating to Honduran and indigenous dance and culture, are meant to resurrect and sustain the historical indigenous, creole and colonial traditions of the region. Ballet Folklórico refers to traditional dance in Honduras that began its resurgence in the 1950s, initiated by the work of Honduran folklorist and native son of La Esperanza, Rafael Manzanares Aguilar. (Full article...)
Image 15First coat of arms of Honduras given by the emperor Charles I of Spain an 5th of the Holy Roman empire. By the time of the colonial era Honduras suffered a demographic change due the arrival of Spanish immigrants (from History of Honduras)
Image 16Coat of arms of the Miskito royal family. (from History of Honduras)
Image 17Lenca vessel from the Classic period depicting an ear of corn in its sheath (from Honduran cuisine)
Image 41Train station in La Ceiba during the 1920s. The locomotives were one of the main means of transportation in Honduras during the 20th century. (from History of Honduras)
Image 42In 1986 Honduras bombed two Nicaraguan towns. (from History of Honduras)
Image 43The railroad transportation suffered a lot of economic issues and disadvantages during the 2000s, it was not until 2010 passenger trains where reactivated. (from History of Honduras)
Image 44Mayan representative hieroglyphic of the Yax Kuk Mo Dynasty that later would become the emblem of the Kingdom of "Oxwitik" also known as Copán. (from History of Honduras)
Image 71European pirates, especially British, French, and Dutch attacked Honduran towns during the colonial era.
Image 72The church of la Merced in the city of Comayagua was the first Cathedral of Honduras in 1550 and is the oldest Honduran church still standing. (from History of Honduras)