Honduras

In Central America, with the Caribbean Sea on the north/northeast, bordered by Guatemala on the north, Nicaragua on the south, and El Salvador to the west.

Tegucigalpa, which is also the largest city. Nicknames for the capital are Tegus and Teguz.

The motto is "Libre, Soberana e Independiente" ("Free, Sovereign and Independent") and the 1915 national anthem translates to "Your flag is a splendor of sky." The coat of arms of Honduras features a Masonic eye at the center as well as a volcano, and notes the day of the country's independence from Spain: Sept. 15, 1821. The five stars on the flag represent the five original Central American provinces: El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Spanish

With nearly 8 million people, the population is relatively young with a median of 20 years. Nearly half live in urban centers. Ninety percent of the population is mestizo, a mix of Native American and European. Nearly all are Roman Catholic.

Christopher Columbus landed off the coast of Honduras in 1502, sparking three centuries of Spanish colonial rule over the indigenous Lenca and Maya people. After 1821 independence came the Federal Republic of Central America, followed soon after by the independent Central American states seen today.

Bananas and coffee are export staples, but natural disasters can easily damage these. Thus, the country has been taking gradual strides to diversify the economy more. The country's GDP per capita is 149th in the worl at $4,400. Remittances represent a fourth of GDP. Unemployment is nearly at 28 percent, putting Honduras at 173rd in the world, and more than half live below the poverty line. Still, its economic growth has seen some of the best rates in Latin America.

About 2.8 million men and women fit for military service, but military expenditures only account for 0.6 percent of GDP. Even though Honduras is a democratic state, the military still holds political sway.

A democratic constitutional republic with five registered political parties.