Honduras

Honduras is a Central American country with Tegucigalpa as its capital and largest city. Before Spanish colonialism in the sixteenth century, Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, notably the Maya. Spanish brought Catholicism and the Spanish language, which is the dominant language today, as well as many customs that mixed with the indigenous culture. Since independence in 1821, Honduras has been a republic, although it has experienced a lot of social strife and political instability and continues to be one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. The area is considered a hotspot for biodiversity, as it is home to many species of plants and animals. As in other countries in the region, it has vast biological resources. There are over 6,000 species of vascular plants in Honduras, of which 630 are orchids. There are some 250 reptiles and amphibians, over 700 bird species and 110 mammal species, with about half of them bats. The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a lowland rainforest that is home to a great diversity of wildlife, is located in the north-east of La Mosquitia. The reserve was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. Species of birds are varied and abundant in the country, with more than 20 species of hummingbird, Black-Throated Trogon, Pale-Billed Woodpecker, Spectacled Owl, Mottled Owl, Keel-Billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Yellow-Crowned Amazon, Finsch's Parakeet and King Vulture. The mammals include the Baird's Tapir, jaguar, cougar, ocelot, raccoon and Giant Anteater.