Gracias a Dios Department Departamento de Gracias a Dios | |
|---|---|
 Location of Gracias a Dios inHonduras | |
| Coordinates:15°16′N83°46′W / 15.267°N 83.767°W /15.267; -83.767 | |
| Country |  Honduras |
| Municipalities | 6 |
| Villages | 69 |
| Founded | 21 February 1957 |
| Capital city | Puerto Lempira |
| Government | |
| • Type | Departmental |
| • Governor | Kennedy Calderon (2022–2026) (LibRe) |
| Area | |
• Total | 15,876 km2 (6,130 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 94,450 |
| • Density | 5.9/km2 (15/sq mi) |
| GDP (Nominal, 2015 US dollar) | |
| • Total | $100 million (2023)[1] |
| • Per capita | $800 (2023) |
| GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
| • Total | $200 million (2023) |
| • Per capita | $1,800 (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CDT) |
| Postal code | 33101 |
| ISO 3166 code | HN-GD |
| HDI (2021) | 0.550[2] medium ·17th of 18 |
| Statistics derived from Consult INE online database: Population and Housing Census 2013[3] | |
Gracias a Dios (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈɡɾasjasaˈðjos]; "Thanks to God" or "Thank God") is one of the 18departments (departamentos) into whichHonduras is divided. The departmental capital isPuerto Lempira; until 1975 it wasBrus Laguna.[citation needed]
The department is named in honor of Christopher Columbus's landing in 1521. He is reported to have said"gracias a Dios hemos salido de esas Honduras" when he departed this part of Honduras for the Nicaraguan coast.
Once a part of theMosquito Coast, it was formed in 1957 from all of Mosquitia territory and parts of Colón and Olancho departments, with the boundary running along 85° W fromCape Camarón south. The department is rather remote and inaccessible by land, although local airlines fly to the main cities.[citation needed]
Gracias a Dios department covers a total surface area of 16,997 km2 and, in 2015, had an estimated population of 94,450.[citation needed]
Although it is the second largest department in the country, it is sparsely populated, and contains extensive pine savannas, swamps, andrainforests. However, the expansion of the agricultural frontier is a perennial threat to the natural bounty of the department.[citation needed]
The department contains theCaratasca Lagoon, the largest lagoon in Honduras.[citation needed]
At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Gracias a Dios Department had a population of 90,795. Of these, 81.15% wereIndigenous (79.70%Miskito, 0.95%Mayangna), 16.30%Mestizo, 1.58%Black or Afro-Honduran, 0.82%White and 0.15% others.[4]
Gracias a Dios is known to be a place of relatively high crime. Due to its remoteness and the Honduran government having a relatively low ability to fight crime, trafficking of narcotics is common in Gracias a Dios. Criminal organizations are also common in the area.[5]
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