Honduras

Honduras

Official Languages
Spanish is the official language spoken in Honduras.  Along with Spanish, also spoken on a regular basis are Garifuna, Arabic, English and Miskito.  Out of those, English is the most widely used as a second language.  The people who speak English in Honduras are of Afro-Caribbean ascent.  These people are mostly found on the islands near the north coast of Honduras.  These are also called the Bay Islands.  Garifuna is spoken along the Caribbean coast.  This is a Creole that has elements of English, Spanish and French.  The Honduras’ Spanish is a little different as you will find some words that are not spoken by other Spanish speaking countries.  Only a few thousand people are found speaking indigenous languages on a regular basis and they are found speaking Miskito. 

History
When the Spanish arrived, the strongest and most used language was Mayan, although, there was great linguistic diversity from the indigenous tribes that were there at the time of the Spanish arrival.  By 1824, Spanish fighters were busy fighting with the indigenous people of Honduras.  The reason that there are less indigenous people found in Honduras is because during these wars with the Spanish, many died due to disease and becoming slaves.After the deterioration of the Mayan culture, different groups inhabited different areas of the territory of Honduras.  Their languages show a connection to the Toltecs and Aztecs of Mexico, Chibchas of Columbia and also some tribes in the Southwestern part of the United States.  The Lencas also lived in the western-central part of Honduras and spoke a language of unknown origin.

Interesting Facts

Accredited bilingual schools from primary school through high school provide a quality education.  Graduates are often accepted in U.S. Ivy League schools.  At most birthday parties throughout Honduras you will find people singing the happy birthday song in English.  The literacy rate is 56%-60%.  The population of Honduras is a little over 8 million people.  One war that they were in with El Salvador was named the Football War because it started during a football game.  Part of the reason that English is more widely used in Honduras is because the United States helped in the late 19^th century with banana plantations to help develop the northern regions.  Honduras literally means depths in Spanish.