Lempira Department people who fought against the Spanish "conquistadores" in the early 16th century. Opals are mined near the town of Opatoro. The department covers a total surface area of 4,290 km² and, in 2005, had an estimated population of 277,910. Lempira Department Lempira is one of the 18 departments of Honduras, Central America, located in the western part of the country with borders with El Salvador. It was named Gracias department until 1943, and the departmental capital is Gracias. In colonial times, Gracias was an early important administrative center for the Spaniards. It eventually lost importance to Antigua, in Guatemala. Lempira
La Unión, Lempira La Unión, Lempira La Unión is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira. It is one of the smallest municipalities of the Lempira department; travel to La Unión is a challenge. One way is to go 75 km from Gracias city on the common road for La Iguala and San Rafael, about 3 km before San Rafael is a left turn. An additional 13 km must be travelled. Another way is via Santa Bárbara-El Nispero-San Jerónimo-San Rafael-La Unión; the first 3 locations are in Santa Bárbara department. Formerly La Unión was a village called "Pueblo Nuevo", in the jurisdiction