The Bay Islands (Spanish: Islas de la Bahía; pronounced [ˈislas de la βaˈi.a]) is a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Collectively, the islands form one of the 18 departments of Honduras. The departmental capital is Coxen Hole, on the island of Roatán.
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👉 Bay Islands Department in the context of Caribbean
The Caribbean is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north and also the west through Central America, and South America to the south, it comprises numerous islands, cays, islets, reefs, and banks.
It includes the Lucayan Archipelago, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles of the West Indies; the Quintana Roo islands and Belizean islands of the Yucatán Peninsula; and the Bay Islands, Miskito Cays, Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, Corn Islands, and San Blas Islands of Central America. It also includes the coastal areas on the continental mainland of the Americas bordering the region from the Yucatán Peninsula in North America through Central America to the Guianas in South America.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Bay Islands Department
- 👉 Bay Islands Department in the context of Caribbean
- Bay Islands Department in the context of Roatán
- Bay Islands Department in the context of Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport
- Bay Islands Department in the context of Utila
- Bay Islands Department in the context of Guanaja
- Bay Islands Department in the context of José Santos Guardiola, Bay Islands
Bay Islands Department in the context of Roatán
Roatán (Spanish pronunciation: [ro.aˈtan]) is an island in the Caribbean, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) off the northern coast of Honduras. The largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, it is located between the islands of Utila and Guanaja. It is approximately 59 kilometres (37 mi) long, and less than 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) across at its widest point. The island consists of two municipalities: José Santos Guardiola in the east and Roatán, including the Cayos Cochinos, in the west. The island was formerly known in English as Ruatan and Rattan.
Bay Islands Department in the context of Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport
Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Manuel Gálvez) (IATA: RTB, ICAO: MHRO) is an international airport located on the island of Roatán, in the Caribbean Sea 50 kilometres (31 mi) off the northern coast of Honduras. Roatán is in the Bay Islands Department of Honduras.
The airport serves national and international air traffic of the island, the nearby cities and for the region. The airport is named for Juan Manuel Gálvez (1889-1972), the former president of the Republic of Honduras in 1949–1952. It was known previously as Roatán International Airport.
Bay Islands Department in the context of Utila
Utila (Spanish: Isla de Utila) is the smallest of Honduras' major Bay Islands, after Roatán and Guanaja, in a region that marks the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest in the world. It has been documented in history since Columbus' fourth voyage.
Bay Islands Department in the context of Guanaja
Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras and is in the Caribbean. It is about 70 kilometres (43 mi) off the north coast of Honduras, and 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the island of Roatan. One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonacca or Low Cay (or just simply, The Cay), is near the main island, and contains most of the approximately 5,538 people who live in Guanaja. The densely populated cay has been described as the Venice of Honduras because of the waterways that run through it. The other two main settlements on Guanaja are Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight. Smaller settlements includes Pelican Reef, East End and North East Bight.
The primary source of income for the islanders is fishing and shrimping. Tourism is confined to a handful of small resorts that cater to divers, snorkelers and adventure travellers. The island's warm, clear waters support an extensive coral reef that is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and second only to the Great Barrier Reef off the coasts of Australia. Currently, there is still access to fresh water on Guanaja, and several waterfalls can be seen. Since 2021 the entire island and its cays have been designated as a protected Ramsar site.
Bay Islands Department in the context of José Santos Guardiola, Bay Islands
José Santos Guardiola is a municipality in the Bay Islands Department of Honduras. It is located on the island of Roatán. The name of the municipality is in honor of Brigadier General José Santos Guardiola Bustillo, President of Honduras between 1856 and 1862. The capital of the municipality is Oakridge.
The municipality was created by presidential decree, issued in 1960.