Honduras

[hong d? l? s?]
Republic of Honduras
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Republic of Honduras ( Spanish : Republica de Honduras) Honduras , located in Central America North, north facing Caribbean Sea South of the Pacific The Bay of Fonseca East and south alike Nicaragua and El Salvador Junction, west and Guatemala Bordering, it covers an area of 112,500 square kilometers. [21] The country is divided into 18 provinces, the capital is located Tegucigalpa (Tegucigalpa). In 2023, Honduras has a population of 10,594,000. [27] There are silver, gold, lead, zinc, copper and so on. [1]
Honduras Indian Place of residence. The year 1502 Christopher Columbus It landed here and took the name Honduras (meaning "Deep"). In the early 16th century Spain The colony. Independence was declared on 15 September 1821. He joined in 1823 Central American Federation It was formed after the dissolution of the Union in 1838 republique . [1]
Honduras is Latin America The least developed countries One of them. Agriculture is the leading industry of the national economy, and the industrial base is relatively weak. 2022 Gross domestic product $29.657 billion, Gross domestic product per capita $2,831, GDP growth of 4.1%. [1] [9]
State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, 26 March 2023 Qin Gang Held talks with Honduran Foreign Minister Alvaro Reina in Beijing and signed the agreement Joint Communique between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Honduras on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations . The two governments decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level from the date of the signing of the communique. [11] [13-14]
Chinese name
Republic of Honduras [1]
Foreign name
The Republic of Honduras (English)
La República de Honduras (in Spanish)
Abbreviated form
Honduras
continent
North America
capital
Tegucigalpa [1]
Major city
SAN Pedro Sula , La Ceiba , Hutikalpa Etc.
National Day
September 15, 1821
National song
"Your Flag is the light of Heaven."
Country code
HND
Official language
Spanish [1]
currency
Lempira [1]
Time zone
UTC-6
Political system
Presidential republic
National leader
Elise Ciomara Castro Samento [15] (President)
Population number
10,594,000 [27] (2023)
Population density
88.5 people/km2 [4] (2020)
Major nationality
An Indo-European , Indian , black people , The white race [1]
Major religion
Catholicism [1]
Land area
112500 km² [1]
Total GDP
$29.657 billion [21] (2022)
Per capita GDP
$2,831 [21] (2022)
International telephone area code
504
International domain name abbreviation
.hn
Road access
Drive on the right
National motto
"Freedom, sovereignty, independence."
Largest city
Tegucigalpa
The national flower
carnation
Land area ranking
101 in the world

Historical evolution

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From the 4th to the 7th centuries, western Honduras was Mayan civilization One of the centers. The year 1502 Columbus Honduran Gulf Islands As the beginning of Honduras' contact with Europe, the Spanish army began to conquer Honduras in 1524, and became a Spanish colony in the same year. From 1537 to 1539, Lempira led 30,000 Indians in an uprising against Spanish colonial rule. In 1539, Honduras was handed over to the Governor of Guatemala.
Honduras declared its independence on September 15, 1821, but was incorporated in 1822 First Mexican Empire . He joined in 1823 Central American Federation In October 1838, it withdrew from the Central American Federation and established a republic. Dictator of Honduras in Guatemala in 1840 Rafael Carrera With his support, conservative Francisco Ferreira established a dictatorial government. After 1853, there were frequent coups and civil wars between liberals and conservatives in Honduras, and the regime changed frequently. The destruction of the gold and silver mining industry has greatly affected economic development. From the 1840s, the British occupied the eastern part of Honduras and Baya Islands To build railroads and obtain leases on large tracts of land.
There have been 139 coups d 'etat in Honduras since its independence in 1821 until 1978 Latin America One of the countries with the most frequent coups. In the 1957 general election by the Liberal Party Ramon Villeda Morales He was elected president. In 1963, Oswaldo Lopez Arellano, commander of the armed forces, overthrew the Morales regime in a U.S.-inspired coup and was elected president in 1965. 1971 Kuomintang Ramon Ernesto Cruise He won the election, but soon after taking office, Arellano staged another coup. Commander of the Armed Forces, 1975 Juan Alberto Melga Castro To stage a coup and replace Arellano. In 1978, the commander of the Armed forces, Policarpo Paz Garcia, staged a coup and formed a military council headed by him.
On December 20, 2021 local time, Ciomara Castro Elected as the new president. [5]

Natural environment

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Regional location

Map of Honduras
Honduras has an area of 112,500 square kilometers. It is located in northern Central America. Face north Caribbean Sea South of the Pacific The Bay of Fonseca East and south alike Nicaragua and El Salvador Junction, west and Guatemala Border on. The coastline is 1,033 km long.

landform

More than three quarters of the territory is mountainous and plateau. The mountains extend from west to east, inland is Lava plateau There are many mountain valleys and coastal plains.

Climatic characteristics

Honduras has a tropical climate and a coastal plain Tropical rainforest climate . The average annual temperature is 23℃; Rainfall is abundant, the annual precipitation of the northern coastal zone and the mountain windward slope is as high as 3000 mm. Some areas will be in May to July under the "fish rain", because part of the sea of Honduras in May to July will form a tornado, the tornado swept the sea fish into the sky, and then rolled it to some areas dropped, it became fish rain.

Hydrological distribution

Major rivers in Honduras are The Patuca River , The Ulua River .

Natural resources

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The terrain of Honduras is mainly mountainous, with narrow plains along the coast. Forest area accounts for about half of the country's area, rich in high-quality wood. There are silver, gold, lead, zinc, copper and so on.

Administrative division

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regionalization

Honduras is divided into 18 provinces: The Atlantida , Cologne , Comayagua , Copan, Cortes , Jolutka , El Paraiso , Francisco Morazan, Gracias Ados , Intibuka, Gulf Islands , La Paz , Lempira, Ocotepec , Olancho, Santa Barbara , Barye , Yoro.

capital

Tegucigalpa (Tegucigalpa). Under the Constitution, the capital consists of the cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela, called the Central Region, with an area of 1,514 square kilometers and a population of 1,524 million. The average temperature in the hottest month (May) is 18-30 °C, and the average temperature in the coldest month (January) is 14-25 °C. [1]

National symbol

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Country name

The Republic of Honduras; The Republic of Honduras; Spanish: La Republica de Honduras for short.

flag

Flag of Honduras
Flag of Honduras Inaugurated on 18 January 1949, the flag is rectangular in shape, with a 2:1 ratio of length to width. From top to bottom, the flag is composed of three parallel and equal rectangles: blue, white and blue. There are five blue five-pointed stars in the middle of a white rectangle. The colours come from the colours of the original flag of the Central American Federation. The upper and lower blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea respectively; White symbolizes the pursuit of peace; The five five-pointed stars were added in 1866 to express composition Central American Federation The five countries can once again realize the desire to unite.

National emblem

Coat of arms of Honduras
Coat of arms of Honduras Opened in 1825, the national emblem of the huge stone Monsonik Pyramid symbolizes equality and justice, the left and right two square towers symbolize the independence and sovereignty of the country. The vast expanse of ocean indicates the geographical location of Honduras. The blue sky and rainbow in the background reflect the yearning and longing for the future. An oval white band bearing the words "Freedom, sovereignty, Independence, Republic of Honduras, September 15, 1821," in yellow Spanish, surrounds the pyramid, demonstrating the intensity of the spirit. Colorful arrows at the top represent the local indigenous people, and the horns filled with roses on both sides raise the rich natural resources. At the bottom, the pine, cypress and oak trees are evergreen, firmly growing strength and hope. The state calls upon the people to cultivate national consciousness through labor and honor. Mayan The houses are a symbol of Honduras' historic splendor Mayan culture The birthplace of...

The national flower

National flower of Honduras carnation ( Dianthus family ), carnation (Scientific name: Dianthus caryophyllus That is, carnation, also known as lion head carnation, musk carnation, large flower carnation, Dutch carnation. for Dianthus family , Dianthus L. Plant found in Europe Temperate zone and Chinese mainland the Fujian (Province) , Hubei (Province) And other places, native to Mediterranean Region, is the most widely used in the world Flowers and plants One of them. Carnations include many variety with crossbreed , in greenhouse It can flower almost continuously. In 1907, it began to use pink carnations Mother's Day As a symbol, it is often used today as a flower dedicated to mothers. [1]

aphorism

Freedom, sovereignty, independence (Spanish: Libre, Soberana E Independiente) [18]

Population nationality

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In 2022, Honduras has a population of 10.221,000. [19] An Indo-European Accounts for 90%, and the rest are Indian 7%, African Americans 2% and European Americans 1%. [3]

political

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regime

Honduras is a republic, a democracy and a representative system. The National Assembly is the highest legislative body. The President is the head of state and head of government and holds the executive power of the state. The Cabinet is an executive branch of government directly headed by the president. In November 2009, Honduras held a presidential election. Lobo was elected president with 55.9% of the vote and took office on January 27, 2010. [2]
Since taking office, the Hernandez government has focused on improving people's livelihood and investment environment, increasing investment in education, health and other fields. In November 2017, Hernandez narrowly won re-election, but the opposition accused the ruling party of fraud, and mass demonstrations led to looting and curfews. He took office at the end of January 2018. The situation in Hong Kong has stabilized. February 15, 2022, former President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez Arrested at his home in the capital. [7]
On December 20, 2021, Ciomara Castro Elected the new president of Honduras. [5] On 27 January 2022, she was sworn in as the first female president of Honduras. [6]

constitution

The current Constitution of Honduras came into force on 20 January 1982. According to the Constitution, the country is a republic with separate legislative, judicial and executive powers. The President is the Head of State, head of Government and Supreme Commander of the Armed forces and is directly elected for a four-year term, renewable for one term. [1]

congress

The unicameral Parliament is the highest legislative body of the country and consists of 128 members. Members are directly elected to four-year terms. The current parliament was formed in January 2022 with 49 seats for the ruling Party of Freedom and Reconstruction, 43 seats for the National Party, 22 seats for the Liberal Party, 10 seats for the Save Honduras Party, 2 seats for other parties and 2 seats for independents. The current speaker is a member of the Save Honduras Party Luis Redondo LuisRedondo was elected in January 2022 for a four-year term. [8]

government

The government consists of 21 ministries, the main cabinet members are:
Key cabinet members
job
name
First vice president
Salvador Nasralla (Salvador Nasralla)
The second Vice President
Doris Gutierrez (Doris Gutierrez)
Third vice president
Renato Florentino (Renato Florentino)
Minister of Foreign affairs
Eduardo Enrique Reina (Eduardo Enrique Reina)
Minister of presidential affairs
RodolfoPastordeMariaCampos (Rodolfo de Mariacampos)
Minister of Interior, Justice and de-centralization
Thomas Vaccro (TomasVaquero)
Finance minister
Rixey Moncada (Rixi Moncada, female)
Secretary of defense
Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales (Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales)
Minister of security
HectorGustavoSanchezVelasquez (Hector Gustavos Anche Velasquez)
Minister of Economic Development
Freddy Alonso Serrato Valladares (Fredis Alonso Cerrato Valladares)
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Ratzi Medina (Lucky Medina)
Minister of energy
Eric Tejada Carvajal (Erick Tejada Carbajal)
Minister of labor
Sarai Selna (Sarahi Cerna, female)
Minister of health
Carla ParedesReyes (Karla Aredes Reyes, female)
Minister of science and technology
Luther Castillo Haley (Luther Castillo Harry)
Minister of education
Daniel Esponda (Daniel Esponda)
Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports
Gloria Annaleie Velez Osejo (Gloria Annarella Velez Osejo, female)
Minister of tourism
Yadira Gomez (Yadira Gomez, female)
Minister of Infrastructure and Public Services
OctavioPineda
Minister of agriculture
Laura Suasso (Laura Suazo, female)
Minister of Social Development
Jose Carlos Cardona (Jose Carlos Cardona)
Minister of Human Rights
Natale Roque (Natalie Roque, female)
Minister of information
Yves Alvarado (Ivis Alvarado)
Minister of youth
Sulmet Rivera (Zulmit Rivera, female)
Minister of women
Doris Garcia (Doris Garia, female)
Reference materials: [27]

judiciary

It consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the District Court. The Supreme Court is composed of 15 justices who serve seven-year terms. Chief justice Reveka Raquel Ovando Rebeca Aquel Obando, elected in February 2023. Interim Prosecutor General Hoel Zelaya (JohelZelaya). The President of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General are elected by the National Assembly for a four-year term, renewable. [27]

Political party

Main political parties in Honduras
Serial number
Party name
Party information
1.
Freedom and Reconstruction Party (Partido Libertad y Refundacion)
The ruling party. It was formed in 2011 in a split from the Liberal Party. The party is headed by former President Manuel Zelaya.
2.
Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) (Partido Nacional)
Also known as the "Blue Party", the largest opposition party. It was formed in 1902 in a split from the Liberal Party. Party President David Chavez.
3.
Liberal Party (Partido Liberal)
Also known as the "Red Party", the main opposition party. Founded in 1881. Party chairman Yani Rosenthal.
(4)
Save Honduras Party (Partido Salvador de Honduras)
The ruling coalition party. Founded in 2019, the party is chaired by Vice President Salvador Nasralla.
Reference material [27]

dignitaries

Iris Chiomara Castro Samento: President. Born on September 30, 1959, he received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She is the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya and a member of the same Liberal party. In 2009, when Serbia was ousted by a military coup, he organized a mass movement to protest in the streets. After returning to Hong Kong in 2011, Seca and Ka broke away from the Freedom Party and founded the Freedom and Reconstruction Party. Ka ran unsuccessfully for president and vice president of the Freedom and Reconstruction Parties in the 2013 and 2017 elections respectively; In the November 2021 election, he formed a coalition with the Save Honduras Party and won the election, taking office in January 2022 for a four-year term. [15]

economy

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General situation

One of the least developed countries in Latin America. Agriculture is the leading industry of the national economy, and the industrial base is relatively weak.
The main economic data for the first three quarters of 2023 are as follows:
Gross Domestic Product: $34.34 billion
Gross Domestic Product per capita: $3,289
GDP growth rate: 3.7%
Inflation rate: 6.9%
Unemployment rate: 7.4% [27]

agriculture

For the production of coffee, Honduras' geographical conditions are no less favourable than those of its neighbouring coffee-producing countries such as Guatemala and Nicaragua . However, Honduras is not well known in the consumer market due to the lack of strong support for the solution and transportation of raw beans. Honduras exported $24,424,000 of coffee in 2010.
There are 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations in Honduras, dominated by small coffee merchants, most of which are less than 3.5 hectares, and these coffee merchants account for 60% of Hong's production. In the coffee garden, coffee beans are collected by hand and then carefully processed to meet the needs of the market and meet the different tastes of consumers. Honduras harvests 3 million bags of coffee every year, providing the world with perfect coffee and unique coffee flavor, quantity and quality, and has become the second largest coffee exporter in Central America and the tenth largest in the world.

foreign trade

Mainly exports coffee, bananas, palm oil, shrimp, sugar, tobacco and other crops and zinc, lead, silver and other mineral products, the main export countries for the United States, the European Union and Central American countries; The main imports of machinery, electronic equipment, chemical products, fuels, lubricants, industrial manufactured goods and food, the main import source countries for the United States, the European Union, Central American countries and Japan. In the first three quarters of 2023, Hong exported US $8.968 billion and imported US $13.178 billion, reducing the trade deficit by 3.3% year-on-year. [27]

currency

The official currency of Honduras is Lempira (Lempira), $1 ≈24.83 Lempira (September 2022). [1] [8]

culture

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Language

The official language of Honduras is Spanish .

religion

In Honduras, 95.8% of the population believes in it Catholicism .

mores

The Honduran custom is even more bizarre: "sell your wife." In some towns and villages in northwestern Honduras, men can "divorce" their wives and sell them at fairs, or exchange them with other people's wives. A bought wife can be put up for auction again. This somewhat frightening custom is also a Mayan relic. In those days Mayan All the captured men were killed as sacrifices to the gods, while the women could be used as wives or exchanged. There is nothing the government can do about this deep-rooted custom. Today, according to the law, such transactions can only be held in a specified "person gathering" and only once every three months.

Festivals

Festivals
Festivals
date
New Year
January 1st
Easter
April 13-16
Pan American Day, Bastilla Day
It's on April 14th every year
International Workers' Day
The first of May
Independence Day
It's on September 15th every year
Morasan Day
It's on October 3rd every year
Honduras Discovery Day
It's on October 12 every year
Army Day
October 21st
Christmas
December 25th
Holy Week
The Thursday and Friday preceding Easter in March or April (" Holy Week ") is the most important religious holiday of the year in the countries of Central America Legal holidays One is that people use this time to travel, visit friends and family, or participate in religious celebrations.) [22]

Military affairs

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As of 2012, the Honduran army had approximately 12,000 troops. Carry out Compulsory military service It was converted in 1995 Volunteer service . In 1999, the Honduran army joined the restoration of security in the country. The government opened a new US-supported naval base in Galadagas on the eastern Caribbean coast in April 2010. Meanwhile, on July 14th the prime minister, Ganauati, announced in the Gulf Islands in the Caribbean that a new base would be built there.

traffic

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aviation

Honduras has four International airport The capital Tegucigalpa , SAN Pedro Sula , La Ceiba Taranka Airport. National Air Transport and Honduras Air Services have routes to the United States, Mexico And some countries in Central America.

railway

Transportation in Honduras is mainly by rail. The railway has a total length of 1,780 km, of which 1,004 km is operational, concentrated in the northern coastal areas, part of which is dedicated to bananas and sugarcane transport.

highroad

Honduras north-south traffic links mainly rely on roads, connecting the capital and the main port, the road length of about 20,000 kilometers, mainly Pan-American highway And the highway between the two oceans. Domestic taxi fares in Honduras start at $0.35 per person and rarely exceed $4 to $5 in urban areas. Buses are convenient, cheap and frequent.

Sea transport

There are major ports in Honduras Cortes , Terra Seaports of Seba and Trujillo.

society

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education

Primary school in urban Honduras lasts seven years. Rural primary school lasts three years. Before the age of 14 China compulsory education . There are 10 institutions of higher learning in the country, of which the National Autonomous University of Honduras was founded in 1846. [1]

People's livelihood

32% of Hondurans live in poverty. The average life expectancy in 2011 was 73.1 years for children under 5 years of age mortality rate 24‰. There are 94 hospitals, 274 medical stations, 1,101 clinics and 5,789 beds in the country. tuberculosis , malaria , AIDS The number of patients is the highest in Central America.
On December 5, 2023 local time, the Honduran National Bureau of Statistics released a poverty survey report on the country from 2022 to 2023, showing that the poverty rate in Honduras has decreased by 9.5% in the past year. The data show that compared to the situation a year ago, the poverty rate at the national level in Honduras has dropped from 73.6 percent to 64.1 percent. [25]

diplomacy

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Foreign policy

Honduras stands for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect for territorial sovereignty. To promote democracy and defend human rights; We attach importance to developing relations with the United States, the European Union, Japan and other developed countries, and maintain traditional friendship with Latin American countries. Supporting regional integration processes; Support international counter-terrorism cooperation.
On November 7, 2023, Honduran Foreign Minister Alvaro Reina said that the United States should respect the national sovereignty of Honduras, and the Hong side rejected the unfounded accusations made by the US senator on Hong's internal affairs. [24]

Relations with China

On March 26, 2023, China and Honduras established diplomatic relations. [12]
The main visits of the Chinese side include: Yu Ping, Vice Chairman of the Council for the Promotion of International Trade (October 2008), Dong Songgen, Vice Chairman of the Council for the Promotion of International Trade (September 2011) and Zhang Xiangchen, Assistant Minister of Commerce (October 2014).
Hong's main visits include: Democratic Unionist Party mission (December 2008), Minister of Industry and Trade Miguel Escalante (September 2010, Hong National Pavilion Day at the Shanghai World Expo), Minister of Energy Martinez and Minister of Environment Cuillard (February 2011). Business visit), multi-party delegation (June 2012), former President Lobo (May 2014), Acting Foreign Minister Ochoa (January 2015, China to attend the first ministerial meeting of China-CELAC Forum).
On March 25, 2023 local time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Honduras issued a statement announcing the severing of "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan. [10]
On March 26, 2023, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Qin Gang held talks with Foreign Minister of Honduras Alvaro Reina in Beijing and signed a memorandum of Agreement. Joint Communique of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Honduras on the establishment of diplomatic Relations ". The two governments decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level from the date of the signing of the communique. [11] [13]
On the morning of June 11, 2023, the Embassy of Honduras in China opened in Beijing. Honduran Foreign Minister Alvaro Reina and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang jointly inaugurated the embassy. [16]
In the meantime, the two sides jointly published the" Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Honduras ". In July, Wang Shouwen, international trade negotiator and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, visited Hong. In September, Yan Aoshuang, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Zhigong Party, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress and chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Zhigong Party, Jin Xingming, vice chairman of the Shanghai Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference, and Lu Yansong, Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency, visited Hong Kong respectively. Hong Kong Vice Minister of Economic Development Redondo visited China. [17] [20] [26]
According to Chinese Customs statistics, the trade volume between China and Hong Kong in 2023 was 1.91 billion US dollars, of which China's exports were 1.83 billion US dollars and imports were 80 million US dollars, up 21.1%, 18.2% and 177.6% respectively year-on-year.
In June 2023, a delegation of Honduran entrepreneurs visited China. In July 2023, the two sides jointly announced the official launch of China-Hong Kong free trade Agreement negotiations. So far, three rounds of negotiations have been held and positive progress has been made. In the same month, the two sides jointly held the first meeting of the Joint economic and Trade Committee. [28]
From April to May 2023, a delegation of journalists from the mainstream media of Honduras visited China. There are currently 26 Honduran scholarship students studying on the mainland. Xinhua News Agency and CCTV have bureaus in Hong Kong. [20]
Relations with Israel
On November 3, 2023, Honduran Foreign Minister Alvaro Reina announced that the Honduran government had decided to recall its ambassador to Israel due to the "serious humanitarian situation facing Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip." [23]

travel

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The Great Blue Hole of Honduras

Satellite photo of the Great Blue Hole
Great Blue Grotto It is the largest underwater cave in the world, located about 96.5 kilometers off the coast of Belize, near Lighthouse Reef. The Great Blue Hole has a circular appearance and is about 304 meters in diameter and 145 meters deep. It is one of the ten geological wonders of the world. The Big Blue hole for Limestone cavern Formed at low sea level Ice age Later, due to the rise of the sea, the roof of the cave collapsed and became an underwater cave. It is dark blue due to the depth of 145 meters.

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve Platano River Biosphere Reserve, Spanish: Reserva de la biosfera de Rio Platano, English: The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve) is a protected area on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, covering an area of 5,250 square kilometers, roughly along the Platano River. The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve is home to many endangered species and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982 and twice on the list of World Heritage in Danger. The reserve is a tropical rainforest of mountainous and lowland areas with more than 2,000 species of plants and animals. The region is also part of the Central American Biological Corridor, which runs from Mexico south to Central America.