Honduras: flag, capital, currency and history

Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America, the Americas. Its capital is Tegucigalpa. The currency is the Honduran lempira. Languages spoken include Spanish.

Quick facts about Honduras

Official name: Republic of Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Region: Americas, Central America
Currency: Honduran lempira (HNL, L)
Languages: Spanish
Calling code: +504
Internet domain: .hn
Area: 112,492 km² (43,433 sq mi)
Land borders: Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua
Demonym: Honduran
National day: Independence Day, September 15

Flag of Honduras

Download the flag of Honduras as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇭🇳.

SVG (vector)

History of Honduras

Honduras was part of the Mesoamerican world, and the Maya city of Copan flourished in the west until the 9th century. Spanish expeditions followed Columbus's landing on the coast in 1502, and the territory became part of the Spanish colonial Captaincy General of Guatemala. Honduras gained independence from Spain in 1821 and joined the Federal Republic of Central America, which dissolved in the late 1830s. Political instability, foreign commercial influence and military rule marked the 20th century, and civilian elected government returned in the early 1980s. Tegucigalpa is the capital.

Key dates

1502Christopher Columbus lands on the coast of present-day Honduras.
1821Central America, including Honduras, declares independence from Spain on 15 September.
1838Honduras becomes a fully independent state as the Central American federation breaks apart.
1969Honduras and El Salvador fight a brief war, often called the Football War.
1982A civilian government under a new constitution takes office after years of military rule.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.