Honduras

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Americas, with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture — principally bananas, coffee, palm oil, and shrimp — and on remittances from Hondurans living abroad, primarily in the United States. The country was long dominated by the influence of the United Fruit Company, whose banana plantations gave rise to the phrase 'banana republic.' High inequality, weak institutions, and the violence of transnational drug trafficking organizations have driven one of the largest emigration flows in Central America.

The Copán archaeological site, near the Guatemalan border, was one of the great cities of the Classic Maya period, particularly renowned for its extraordinary sculptural tradition and its hieroglyphic staircase — the longest known Maya text. The Bay Islands, including Roatán, Utila, and Guanaja, lie atop the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and attract divers and backpackers from around the world. The Caribbean coast, particularly the Garífuna communities descended from African and Carib peoples, preserves a distinct cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO.