Like other areas of Mexico and Central America, Honduras was the home of the Maya, who may have been living in that area as early as 1000 BC. One of the most advanced civilizations in ancient America, the Maya were known for the monumental architecture of their great cities, with Copan being a prime example. Their densely populated city-states had an ordered class system with defined occupations and trades.

Christopher Columbus, on his fourth and last voyage to the New World, landed on Guanaja (one of the Bay Islands) and on the north shore of the mainland in 1502. Spain soon colonized all of Central America, though it had to overcome the fierce opposition of Native American tribes. These included the Lenca, whose great chief Lempira is now a Honduran national hero. Other Europeans also took an interest in Honduras: British pirates were based on the Bay Islands beginning in the 1500s. Great Britain continued to control the islands and the Caribbean coast until 1859, which is why English is widely spoken there today.

Honduras achieved independence in 1821, along with the other four states of the Central American Confederation (Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua). The confederation soon broke up, and Honduras became an independent nation in 1838. Thereafter, conflict between conservative and liberal forces kept the country in turmoil, with numerous coups and rebellions. In the 1850s, William Walker, an adventurer from the U.S., tried to take over Central America. Hondurans helped foil his plans and executed him in 1860.

By the 1900s, Honduras was the quintessential banana republic - bananas provided 66% of the country's exports, and U.S. companies held 75% of Honduran banana fields. These powerful companies - supported by U.S. troops on occasion - were partly responsible for the development of Honduras' strong military and repressive government agencies. In the 1980s, Honduras became involved in the struggle between the U.S. and the Sandinista government in neighboring Nicaragua. Many of the Contra rebels who fought against the Sandinistas were based in Honduras.

The country faced a crisis of a different sort in 1998, when Hurricane Mitch struck. At least 5,600 people were killed, 1.4 million lost their homes, and the country's businesses - particularly agriculture - were dealt a harsh blow. Repairs and rebuilding began shortly after the storm's passing, however. Today, visitors will see little if any evidence of the damage, though the economic and psychological effects of the storm are still being felt.