Copán Ruinas

Copán Ruinas
Town & Municipality
Main Plaza in Copán Ruinas
Copán Ruinas
Coordinates: 14°50′N 89°09′W / 14.833°N 89.150°W / 14.833; -89.150Coordinates: 14°50′N 89°09′W / 14.833°N 89.150°W / 14.833; -89.150
Country	Honduras
Department	Copán
Area
• Total	371 km2 (143 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	39,486
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	Central America (UTC-6)

Copán Ruinas is a municipality in the Honduran department of Copán. The town, located close to the Guatemalan border, is a major gateway for tourists traveling to the Pre-Columbian ruins of Copán. The Copán ruins house a UN World Heritage site and are renowned for the hieroglyphic staircase, stellae, and museum.

Every year in October, the town hosts the Conference on Honduras put on by Project Honduras. The conference is an opportunity for individuals and grassroots organizations to discuss ways to improve the quality of life in Honduras through addressing the social and economic needs of the country, primarily in the areas of education, healthcare, and community building. The theme of the Conference on Honduras on 18–20 October 2012 will be "Understanding the Security Situation in Honduras".

The town has many small language schools that offer classes for travelers. On a hillside just outside town is the bilingual (English/Arabic) Mayatan School, which was founded in 1991 to educate local children.