HONDURAS, liein-drs7'rils, Sp. pron. On-diro' ries. A republic of Central America, bounded by the Caribbean Sea on the north and northeast, Nicaragua on the southeast. Salvador and the Paeilie Ocean on the southwest, and Guatemala on the west (Nlap: Central Annerieit, I) 3). .Area, estimated at over •6,000 square miles. It is a mountainous country, a plateau in the interior, with leW• coast lands. The only plains of impor tant extent are along the muses of both ocean*, and on the lower courses of a few rivers. The widening of river valleys in the interior results in small plains, many of Hoene at a considerable ode 111011rItairis occupy a proportionately larger area than in neighboring I:n•tion:11a, lent the ranges are inferior in extent and height, though sonic peaks rise to about 8000 feet. Vol canoes have recently played a sinaller rile than in any other country of Central America, though there are an important number of extinct vol canoes, one of which formed the island of Sacate grainh• in the (lid( of Fonserea. In the western half of Honduras, young eruptive rocks cover as large an area as all the other geological forma tions together, while in the eastern half very little of the surface is formed of volcanic outpourings of recent geological times. though the older erup tive rocks are largely represented, particularly in the north. The coasts have a long Minot is and a small Pacific frontage. The Atlantic ports are Truillo, Ceiba, and Puerto Cortres. Amapala has one of the best natural harbors on the l'aeifie coast. The water parting between the Atlantic and Pacific rivers is far to the south, so that most of the drainage is to the Atlantic Ocean.
Sonic of the Atlantic rivers are navigable, among them being the Coeo or Segovia (known also as the Wanks), which forms part of the boundary with Niea•agua.
In the interior the climate is healthful. and on the whole temperate. The coast lands, owing, to their small elevation, have a much higher tem perature. Honduras. swept by the trade winds receives an enormous quantity of rain. and the tropical vegetation is very luxuriant. The broad Atlantie en:est:11 lowland., however, reeeive much less rainfall than the mountain regions of the in terior, where most of the water Vapor brought by the east winds is condensed. The result is that though the eastern lowlands are ern-eyed with vast forests of mahogany, cedars, and other cabi net woods, in which also sarsaparilla and other medieinal plants abound. vegetation in the east is not so luxuriant as in the regions inland, where there are boundless forests of pines rind other conifers so dense that one may travel for days without being able to sec more, than 100 yards in any direction. The Paeilie coast is driest, and a dry period prevails from November to May. The Atlantie coast is not healthful for the white race, and its products are mainly those of the forest and tropical fruit.. The interior. from 1500 to 7000 feet, produces tropical prod ucts in the lower zone, coffee in the middle zone, and the produets of temperate climates in the upper belt. Numerous relies of a former civiliza tion are found in sonic districts, most of them being the ruins of temples and other religious edifices.
For fauna, see NEOTROPICAL REGION.