Honduras Flag and Meaning
Flag of Honduras
Honduras Flag Meaning
The Honduran flag was adopted on February 16, 1866. The flag contains three equal horizontal bands. The bands at the top and bottom are blue and the band in the middle is white. In the center of the white ribbon are five five-pointed stars that are blue, one is in the center of the flag, two to the right of the center star and two to the left of the center star. The five blue stars in the center of the flag represent the members of the former Central American Federation. The members of the federation were Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and of course Honduras.
All of these countries use their own modified version of the Central American Federation’s flag. The white ribbon in the Honduran flag represents the country’s position between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Honduras Overview
Population | 6.4 million |
Currency | lempiras |
Area | 112.090 km² |
Capital city | Tegucigalpa |
Population density | 57.0 residents/km² |
HDI location | 106 |
The country is 80% covered by mountains and rainforest. Most of the population and economic activities are therefore gathered on the coast to the Caribbean and in the southern highlands near the border with El Salvador. Central America’s most extensive banana plantations are found in the low-lying area facing the Caribbean. In the south, coffee, tobacco and corn are grown. Deforestation, improper use of land and uncontrolled development contribute to the deterioration of the land.
Dictatorship supported by US and EU.
The People: The majority of Hondurans are ethnically a mixture of Mayans and Europeans. 10% of the population is Native American and 2% are of African origin. The “Garifunas” are a mix between runaway slaves and the indigenous population. They live in the coastal area off to the Caribbean and the islands where they have retained their original culture.
Religion: Catholics (85%), Protestants (10%)
Languages: Spanish (official), garifuna, several Native American languages such as lenca and miskito.
Political parties: Socialist-oriented Alianza Liberal Popular (ALIPO). Partido Nacional (National Party, PN), conservatively oriented. Partido Liberal (Liberal Party, PL). Movimiento Nacional Rodista (National Rodist Movement, MNR), former president Suazo Córdova’s party. Movimiento Democrático Revolucionario (Democratic Revolutionary Movement, MDR). Partido de Innovación y Unidad (Party for Renewal and Unity, PINU). Partido Demócrata Cristiano (Christian Democrats, PDC). Partido de Acción Socialista de Honduras (Honduras Socialist Action Party, PASOH). Partido Comunista Marxista-Leninista (Communist Party – Marxists-Leninists, PCML). The guerrilla is assembled in the Dirección Nacional Unificada (United National Leadership, DNU) consisting of the Fuerzas Populares Revolucionarias (Revolutionary forces,
Social organizations: Confederación de Trabajadores de Honduras (CTH), Honduras’ country organization was founded in 1964 and is affiliated with the Latin American Workers Union ORIT. Furthermore, there are the Central Christian de Trabajadores (CGT), the Federation of Unitariania of Trabajadores (FUT), the Federación de Sindicatos de Trabajadores de Honduras (FESITRAH) and the Federación Independiente de Trabajadores (FIT). The farmers are organized in the Frente de Unidad Nacional de Campesinos de Honduras (FUNACAMPH) and the Consejo Coordinador de Organizaciones Campesinas de Honduras (COCOH). Committee of the Apoyo of Indigenous Honduras (Support Committee of the Indigenous People of Honduras). The Committee for the Defense of the Human Rights (CODEH) is the country’s human rights organization. The Comité de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH) is the organization of family members of arrested and disappeared in the country. The Federación de Estudiantes Universitarios de Honduras (FEUH) is the Honduras Student Organization.
Official name: República de Honduras.
Administrative division: 18 departments
Capital: Tegucigalpa, 1,200,000 residents (2009).
Other important cities: San Pedro Sula, 616,500 residents; La Ceiba, 108,900 residents; El Progreso, 106,500 residents; Choluteca 93,100 residents (2000).
Government: The November 2017 presidential election was won by Salvador Nasralla, but the bourgeoisie opposed his takeover of power and instead left the previous president, Juan Orlando Hernández, in office. The country has a long tradition that only the leaders of the United States and the bourgeoisie want to actually become rulers. Parliament has one chamber – the National Congress – with 128 seats.
National Day: September 15 (Independence Day, 1821)
Armed Forces: 18,800 soldiers, 13,200 recruits (1995).
Paramilitary forces: 5,500 members of the Fuerza de Seguridad Pública (Public Security Forces, FUSEP) which is a military-like police force.