Roatan
| Roatan | ||
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| Waters | Caribbean Sea | |
| Archipelago | Islas de la Bahía | |
| Geographical location | 16 ° 23 ′ N , 86 ° 25 ′ W | |
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| length | 60 km | |
| width | 8 kilometers | |
| surface | 125 km² | |
| Residents | 30,000 240 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Coxen Hole | |
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Roatán is an island in the Islas de la Bahía in the Caribbean . It is located about 65 km north of the coast of Honduras . In the east lies the neighboring island of Guanaja , in the southwest Útila .
With an area of 125 km², Roatán is the largest of the Islas de la Bahía - its length is 60 km and its width 8 km. A mountain ridge covered by tropical vegetation characterizes the island. There are a few sandy beaches and there are coral reefs around the island . To the east, there are some small islands, so-called cays : Morat , Barbaretta , Pigeon Cay and Barefoot Cay .
The capital of the island is Coxen Hole . Other cities include French Harbor , West End and Oak Ridge . The island has about 30,000 inhabitants, most of whom speak both Spanish and English.
The main source of income is tourism - in 2006 250,000 tourists came to the island, which is located near the Belize Barrier Reef , one of the largest coral reefs in the northern hemisphere. Fishing also plays a role.
Divers love the great variety of corals around Roatán. The crystal clear warm water and spectacular, colored walls, small canyons and caves complete the diving experience. You can regularly see large perch , moray eels , turtles , rays and, in the spring months, a whale shark every now and then .
The population consists u. a. from Garifuna , who, originally from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent , were resettled by the British from the island of Baliceaux to Roatán in 1797 ; also from Caracol , descendants of the English-speaking immigrants who came from the Cayman Islands since 1830 .
In 1850 the British declared the islands their colonial territory, but they withdrew again in 1860.
In 1998, the island was badly affected by Hurricane Mitch .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dive Areas - Honduras , Globetrotter Travel Service, accessed May 31, 2011
