CARATASCA LAGOON

Spanish Laguna De Caratasca, lagoon in northeastern Honduras. The nation's largest lagoon, Caratasca extends inland from the Caribbean Sea for approximately 25 miles (40 km) and measures up to 55 miles (88 km) from northwest to southeast. It is linked to the Caribbean by a 3-mile (5-kilometre) channel, on the bank of which stands the village of Caratasca. Many islands, the largest of which is Tansn, dot its waters, and its low-lying shores are lined with dense tropical rain forests, which yield mahogany and cedar; shrimp are caught in the lagoon. The principal town is Puerto Lempira, on the southern shore.