Lenca

Lenca

Lenca at a market in La Esperanza, Honduras
Total population
453,670
Regions with significant populations
Honduras	Estimated 360,611 60% of Tribal Hondurans
El Salvador	Estimated 89,389
Languages
Honduran Spanish • Salvadoran Spanish • Lenca language
Religion
Roman Catholic, Sovereign Tribal Customs
Related ethnic groups
Pipil (Nahua), Cacaopera, Xinca, Chibcha

The Lenca, also known as Lepa Wiran, meaning “Jaguar People” or “People of The Jaguar” are an Indigenous people from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They historically spoke various dialects of the Lencan languages such as Chilanga, Putun (Potón), and Kotik, but today are native speakers of Spanish. In Honduras, the Lenca are the largest tribal group, with an estimated population of more than 450,000.^[1]