Honduras, one of five original Central American states, became a separate republic in 1839 following independence in 1821. It is perhaps least-known of the five. Located centrally in the isthmian area, pre-historic Honduras was the site of a swirling encounter of major cultures-Nahua, Maya, Chibcha. A similar maelstrom has been the bloody internecine warfare of the past century and a half. Mountainous, long inaccessible, exploited rather than developed, Honduras nevertheless possesses a remarkable cultural history, and its share of distinguished leaders such as Francisco Morazan, often compared to George Washington and Simon Bolivar. Honduras has a wealth of natural resources, from minerals amd timber to agriculture and fisheries. Literally devoted to banana culture, its political and military patterns have earned the term "banana republic"; its poverty is second only to that of Haiti in the Western hemisphere. Events of the 1980's decade brought Honduras to the fore-front of world attention because of the Contra-Sandinista border encounters and the extensive United States military build up, economic power, and political influence.