Ceiba, La

Ceiba, La (lä sā`bä), city (1997 est. pop. 96,000), N Honduras, capital of Atlántida dept., on the Caribbean Sea. It is the commercial and processing center of a rich agricultural region dominated by the pineapple and banana plantations of the Standard Fruit and Steamship Company, which is based in the city. The surrounding plantations were nearly ruined by disease in the 1930s but have largely recovered. Coconuts and citrus fruits are also exported. La Ceiba is located at the foot of Peak Bonito (7,989 ft/2,435 m) and is the primary departure point for the Islas de la Bahía. More than 1,000 people were killed when Hurricane Fifi hit the city in 1974.