Honduras: "Free, Sovereign and Independent" Quiz

Answer: Belize

Central America is the narrow isthmus forming the southernmost part of the North American continent, and joining on to South America. It is composed of the countries of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Mexico, in whole or in part, is sometimes included. In Latin America, Iberia, and some other parts of Europe, the Americas are considered to be a single continent, and Central America is considered a region of this continent.

Honduras is roughly triangular in shape, with the base of the triangle formed by the northern coast on the Gulf of Honduras, an inlet of the Caribbean Sea. This coast stretches for 735 km (457 mi) from the mouth of the Rio Motagua on the west to the mouth of the Rio Coco in the east. The apex of the triangle is the southern coast on the Gulf of Fonseca, part of the Pacific Ocean, which extends for 153 km (95 mi).

Answer: A sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs

A key (also cay, caye, Spanish cayo) is formed when ocean currents carry sediment across the surface of a coral reef where it gets deposited. As layers of sediment build up, an island can form. If the sediment is mostly sand, the island is called a key; if the particles are large enough to be classed as gravel, the island is called a motu. Keys are common in the Caribbean, motus in the Pacific.

Honduras's territory also includes some Pacific islands, which are volcanic in origin.

Answer: Bottlenose dolphins

In the Bay Islands, near the southern end of the reef, there are bottlenose dolphins, whale sharks, manta rays, blue tang, and many reef fish such as parrot fish. Blue whales are found in deeper areas of the Atlantic, while electric eels and piranhas are river fish of South America.

Answer: Silver

Uranium and petroleum would have been of no interest to the conquistadors, even if they had been present. Bananas are a valuable agricultural product in Honduras, but it was silver and gold which were the main objectives of the Spanish settlers in the New World. Economically significant resources of Honduras include silver, gold, copper, lead, zinc, iron, antimony, coal, timber, fish and hydropower. Agriculture remains the single most important economic sector, accounting for over 20% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product in 2000.

Answer: 80%

The larger Caribbean lowlands in the north and the smaller Pacific lowlands bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (a strip averaging 25 km or 16 mi in width) are characterized by alluvial plains. The central highlands which form the majority of the country are mostly mountains, but there is a major depression that runs from the Caribbean (near San Pedro Sula) to the Gulf of Fonseca near the border with El Salvador.

This depression, which facilitates transport of goods and people across the isthmus, splits the country into two parts, with the smaller western range being approximately a fifth of the total area.

Answer: Cerro de Las Minas

The western mountains, which merge into those of Guatemala, are mainly covered with pine forests. The highest peak is Cerro do Las Minas (2,850 m or 9,350 ft), followed by Pico Congolon (2,500 m or 8,200 ft). The eastern mountains, which merge into those of Nicaragua, are generally lower, with the highest point in that range being Monte El Boqueron (2,485 m or 8,153 ft).

Answer: Rio Ulua

The largest river in Honduras is the Rio Patuca, but its most important river in economic terms is the Rio Ulua, which runs from the mountains in the middle of the country northwards through the fertile Sula Valley, location of significant agricultural endeavours, especially banana plantations, and enters the Gulf of Honduras near Puerto Cortes.

The Rio Coco and the Rio Negro both run along portions of the border with Nicaragua, while the Rio Goascoran separates Honduras from El Salvador.

Answer: Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

The Mosquito Coast gets its name from its principal inhabitants, the Miskito Indians, whose name was corrupted into Mosquito by European settlers. The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve extends from the coast into the highlands along the Platano River. It is a highly inaccessible area - you can reach the edge of the reserve by airplane to Palacios, or take a ferry from the end of the nearest road (at Limon) to Plaplaya.

Some guidebooks suggest catching a cross-country vehicle from Limon to Sangrilaya, then walking along the beach (and wading through several rivers) for a day or two in order to reach the reserve.

The reserve, established in 1982, encompasses over 5,200 sq km (2,000 sq mi) of mangrove swamps, lagoons, river, savannas and tropical rain forest (lowland and mountainous), and is full of diverse animal and plant life, much of which remains uncatalogued.

Answer: Maya

The site at Copan has many carvings and stelae (decorated commemorative stone slabs), providing valuable evidence of the cultural history of the region. It also has a large court for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame, a game with ritual associations (including human sacrifice at some points in its evolution), but the details of which are not well known.

The Mayan civilization covered the southern states of Mexico, including Chiapas, Tabasco and much of the Yucatan peninsula, as well as the present-day nations of El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, and the western part of Honduras. Copan was near the southern tip of its region.

Answer: Choluteca

On October 30, 1998, the city was significantly damaged by Hurricane Mitch. The heavy rain caused flash flooding of Choluteca's tributaries; the river overflowed its banks, destroying bridges and flooding portions of the city. The precipitation also cause massive landslides, which both destroyed houses and also blocked the river, increasing the flooding in nearby areas. The damage across Honduras from Hurricane Mitch was devastating for one of the poorest countries in the Americas, with its heavy reliance on agriculture. Approximately 70% of the crops, and 80% of the transport infrastructure were destroyed, along with over 30,000 houses. Approximately 5,000 people were killed, and over 10,000 injured.

Unfortunately, major flooding is a recurring problem - floods in 2008 again destroyed nearly half the nation's roads and bridges.