Ocotepeque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ocotepeque
Municipality
Ocotepeque Location in Honduras
Country	Honduras
Department	Ocotepeque
Villages	9
Founded	1530
Area
• Municipality	177 km2 (68 sq mi)
Population  (2020 projection)
• Municipality	26,391
• Density	149.1/km2 (386.2/sq mi)
• Urban	16,575

Ocotepeque is a town and a local government area (called a municipality) in Honduras. It is the main town and capital of the Ocotepeque Department. This area is special because it shares borders with two other countries: Guatemala and El Salvador.

The department covers about 1,630 square kilometers (629 square miles) and is mostly covered by mountains. Many people here work in farming. They grow crops like coffee, corn, cabbage, sugar cane, and onions. Because Ocotepeque is close to the borders, it's a busy place for trade between the three countries. People from smaller towns nearby also come here to shop or go to school.

Where is Ocotepeque Located?

Ocotepeque is surrounded by other towns. To the north are Sinuapa and Concepción. El Salvador is to the south. Sinuapa is also to the east, and Santa Fe is to the west.

A bigger city called Santa Rosa de Copán is about three hours away by bus to the north. If you need to fly, the closest major airport in Honduras is in San Pedro Sula, which is about 5-6 hours away. The capital city, Tegucigalpa, has another big airport, but it's 10-12 hours away by bus. Ocotepeque is also about 3 hours from San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, which has its own major airport.

Cool Places to Visit in Ocotepeque

Streets of Ocotepeque

Ocotepeque is close to some interesting natural areas. The Trifinio Fraternidad Transboundary Biosphere Reserve is a huge nature park shared by Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. There's also the Güisayote Biological Reserve, which is about 35 minutes outside of town.

If you travel about 45 minutes from Ocotepeque, you can reach Esquipulas, a city in Guatemala. It has one of the oldest churches in Central America, which many people consider a very sacred place.

Ocotepeque has a few hotels, like the Hotel Internacional and Hotel Ocotepeque. You can get to Ocotepeque by bus from major cities using companies like Sultana and Congolon. These buses often travel along the western border of the country, connecting towns like La Labor, La Union, Cucuyagua, Santa Rosa de Copán, and La Entrada.

A Look at Ocotepeque's Past

Ocotepeque has a long and interesting history:

• The town of Ocotepeque was first settled in 1530.
• In 1825, it became part of the Santa Rosa area.
• It was officially called a "town" in 1843 and then a "city" in 1870.
• Later, in 1926, it became a district that included the towns of Sinuapa, Concepción, and Santa Fe.

• A big flood from the Marchala River destroyed the city on June 7, 1934. Because of this, Sinuapa became the temporary capital.
• After a year of rebuilding, a new town was created and named Nueva Ocotepeque. This new town became the main city of the department.
• By 1958, people just called the new city "Ocotepeque." The original flooded town became known as "Antigua Ocotepeque" (Old Ocotepeque). Today, only an old church and a large tree remain from the original town.

• In 1969, Ocotepeque and its mountains became part of the "Football War" battleground. This was a short, four-day conflict between Honduras and El Salvador. It started because of disagreements over land and was supposedly sparked by a tense soccer game between the two countries.

Who Lives in Ocotepeque?

According to a census in 2013, Ocotepeque municipality had 23,096 people. Most of them (about 90%) were Mestizo (people of mixed European and Indigenous heritage). About 6.5% were Indigenous, mainly Chʼortiʼ. There were also some White people and Black or Afro-Honduran people.

Learning in Ocotepeque

Ocotepeque is known for having many public schools. It has even been recognized for having the best public education in the entire country! Besides public schools, there are two private bilingual schools: Instituto San Francisco de Asís [1] and My Little Red House Bilingual School [2]. My Little Red House often welcomes volunteers to help teach English.

Famous People from Ocotepeque

• Ramón Villeda Morales was born in Ocotepeque on November 26, 1908. He later became the President of Honduras from 1957 to 1963.
• Javier Monthiel, a singer and composer, was born in Ocotepeque on April 11, 1967. He is known for popular songs like Así es mi tierra, Mujeres Latinas, Amiga, and Más allá del Corazón.

See also

In Spanish: Ocotepeque (Ocotepeque) para niños