Honduras is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country, distributed as follows: 2% white, 3% negro (Garifuna), 6% Indian and 90% “mestizos”. This ethnic diversity is an integral parts of the beauty of Honduras.

The Lencas

The lencas consist of three major tribes-care, Cerquin and Poton

-The care tribe is found in the Intibuca, La Paz, Lempira and Santa Barbara

-The Cerquin tribe are located in the southern part of the Depts. Of Lempira and Intibuca

-The Poton are mostly established in the country of El Salvador, West of the Lempa River.

The majority of these communities are found in the higher elevations of Honduras.  The Lencas number 140,000 people.  Unfortunately their dialect has practically closed to existe, as only a handful of elder by members of the tribe speak it.

Some communities presently classified as Lenca are the following:  La Paz, Marcala, Yaula, Santa Elena, Chinanda, Opatoro and La Iguala, Belen, La Campa San Manuel, Colohuete, Santa Cruz Erandique, San Andres y Gualince.

Los Maya-Chortis

This ethnic group is located in the Departament of Coopan, their dialect is extinct, as they have adopted Spanish as their Cauguisge, at present, there are an estimated 4,200 descendats of the Mayan in Copan Ruinas, El Cedral, Buenos Aires, Llanetillos, Hacienda Grande, El Quebracho, El Arrizalito, kEl Tigre, etc.  Their basic diet consist of corn (maize)  and beans, which they cultive themselves.

The Garífunas

This ethnic group is established all along the Atlantic Coast Honduras. 

Their  main villages are Nueva Armenia, Sambo Creek, Corozal, Triunfo de la Cruz, Rio Esteban, Rio Coco, etc. They number are 650,000 members in 50 communities , and and are bilingual as they speak Spanish and their dialect. They make their livelihood by fishing, handcrafts and casaba (which is their main food staple).

The Miskitos

The Misquitos as Zambos are a mixture of negro and Indian.  There are 55,500 misquitos and they in habit the dept of Gracias a Dios.

They  use the rivers as a means of communications and transportation.  Thir dialect is strongly influenced by the English language, a bit of Spanish and a few words in Tawahka. 

The misquito culture is very male dominated women take care of the house work, children and cooking, the men fish, hut and cultivate the soil.

The Pech

Pech means People in spnish.  This ethnic group is found in the higher elevations of the depts.. of Olancho and Colon and in parts of Gracias a Dios. 

There are approx. 2,500 Pech in 13 villages and depend on agriculture, mostly yucca, beans and corn for their live lihood.

The Tawahka

Unfornutately, this tribe is gradually dying, what is left of this culture can be found along the misquito coast. 

They are a trilingual people, as they speaks tawahka, misquito and Spanish.  Their economy is based on agriculture, such as yucca plantains, malanga, banana, etc.

The Tolupanes

The tolupan people are also known as Xicaques theylive in 28 tribes in the dept. of Yoro and are also found in Mountain de la Flor (Flower Mountain) and the Dept. Of Francisco Morazan.

Tol is the official dialect spoken by the tolupan people, but it has been heavily influenced by other tongues.  It is not widely spoken.  There are about 1,000  members of this tribe..

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