COUNTRY PROFILE

Honduras Flag, Capital and Country Facts

Honduras is located in Central America between Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. A long Caribbean coast faces a small Pacific access on the Gulf of Fonseca. The five stars of his flag are reminiscent of a former Central American Federation. Mountain ranges, Mayan sites and the forests on the Mosquito Coast show different sides of the country.

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Honduras Flag: Meaning & Country Facts · supplied learning collection

Honduras at a glance

Capital: Tegucigalpa
Quiz continent: North America
Languages in reference record: Spanish; other languages including Garífuna and Miskito
Currency: Lempira (HNL)
Population: 11,005,850 (2025, World Bank)
Area: 112,492 km²
Coastal setting: Not landlocked
ISO codes: HN / HND
Internet country suffix: .hn

Highest mountain: Cerro Las Minas, 2,870 m
Independence Day: 15 September 1821
Capital district: Distrito Central
Pacific access: Gulf of Fonseca
Mayan sites: Copán
Name of the currency: Lempira

Honduras Flag: Design, Meaning and History

Three equally wide horizontal stripes are blue, white and blue. In the white field are five blue stars in a cross-like X-arrangement: one in the middle and four around it. Coats of arms or writing are missing. The stars help distinguish Honduras from similar blue-white-blue flags of other Central American states.

The five stars are reminiscent of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua as members of the former Central American Federation. Blue is associated with Pacific and Caribbean, white with peace. Historical representations used different shades of blue. For the quiz, stripe sequence and five stars are therefore more reliable features than an impression of particularly light or dark blue.

Capital: Tegucigalpa

Tegucigalpa is the capital used in the quiz. In constitutional law, Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela together form the capital in the Distrito Central. The two urban areas are located on the Choluteca and are closely connected. This peculiarity explains why other reference works occasionally give both names, although Tegucigalpa remains the common short answer.

The city developed in a mountainous region with historical mining. The relief influences traffic routes and buildings more than on a flat coast. The contrast with the Caribbean coast is clear: the capital and administration are located inside, while port, island and rainforest areas have other economic and ecological priorities.

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Honduras: Geography, History and Culture

Mountains and highlands occupy large parts of Honduras. The Cerro Las Minas reaches 2,870 meters. In addition to a tropical location, the climate is strongly influenced by altitude and precipitation. The eastern lowlands of the Moskitia are significantly differently shaped and developed than the western highland regions. The Caribbean side also includes the Islas de la Bahía. The islands extend the state’s landscape beyond its predominantly mountainous mainland area and explain part of its maritime connections.

Spanish is an official language. Garífuna, Miskito and other communities have their own linguistic and cultural traditions. This diversity should not disappear into a single image of a Spanish-speaking population. The history of the Maya also belongs to the country, although large parts of today's population have other regional and historical references.

Honduras became independent from Spain in 1821 and later belonged to the Central American Federation. In the factbook archive stand of 2025, agriculture, clothing production and international remittances are part of the economic structure. For geography, the difference between the long Caribbean coast and the narrow Pacific access is particularly helpful: The state is located on two sea spaces, but not in a symmetrical position.

Copán

The Mayan site of Copán is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Their buildings and pictorial works document an important pre-Columbian urban history in the west of the country.

River Plátano

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a World Heritage Site. It protects a significant section of the eastern forest and river landscapes.

Gulf of Fonseca

Honduras has access to the Pacific and shares the Gulf with El Salvador and Nicaragua. The short coastline complements the much longer Caribbean coastal area.