Tegucigalpa
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Tegucigalpa
(tāgo͞osēgäl`pä), city (1997 est. pop. 897,000), capital and largest city of Honduras, in a small valley in the mountains of S central Honduras. The city has diverse light industry, including the production of textiles, sugar, and cigarettes. Old Tegucigalpa, built on a steep hill, retains many quaint colonial aspects, with narrow streets and sidewalks, overhanging balconies, and stair-stepped streets. Across the Choluteca River lies Comayagüela, the more modern but less affluent section; the city's population has expanded greatly there in the last few decades. Founded late in the 16th cent., Tegucigalpa was a colonial center of silver and gold mining. With independence from Spain (1821), it became the stronghold of the liberals under Francisco MorazánMorazán, Francisco, 1799–1842, Central American statesman, b. Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He led the revolutionary army that overthrew (1829) the regime of Manuel José Arce and was proclaimed president of the Central American Federation in 1830.
..... Click the link for more information. . The city vied with Comayagua as the republic's capital, not securing the title permanently until 1880. Its university was founded in 1847. There is an international airport, but the city is not served by a railroad. Tegucigalpa was significantly damaged by a hurricane in 1998.
Tegucigalpa
the capital of the Republic of Honduras and the chief political, economic, and cultural center of the country. Tegucigalpa is located in the Choluteca River valley at an elevation of about 1,000 m. The climate is tropical. The average temperature in January is 19.6°C, and in July, 22.6°C. Annual precipitation totals 1,047 mm. Population, 317,000 (1974).
Tegucigalpa is a highway junction and has an international airport. The city has the food-processing, textile, clothing, leather footwear, sawmilling, and tobacco industries. Construction materials and matches are also produced.
Tegucigalpa was founded by the Spanish in the late 16th century, when silver was discovered in the region. In the 18th century silver and gold mining and the quarrying of marble led to a rapid population increase. On Nov. 2, 1880, the capital of Honduras was moved from Comayagua to Tegucigalpa.
Tegucigalpa is characterized by a grid layout and numerous streets of stairs with brightly painted one-story adobe houses. In the heart of the city is F. Morazán Park, which has a monument to Morazán. Close to the park is the Cathedral of San Miguel (mid-18th century; completed 1765 by the architect I. Kiros). In Market Square is the Church of Los Dolores (1732–1815). In the mid-20th century many modern buildings and complexes were erected, including the National Theater, the Parliament, and the Presidential Palace.
Tegucigalpa is the site of the Autonomous National University of Honduras, the Pan-American School of Agriculture, the National School of Music, the Honduran Academy, and the Hondu-ran Academy of Geography and History. The city has seven scientific research institutes, including the Institute of Engineers and Architects of Honduras, the Honduran Institute of Inter-American Culture, and the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Honduras. The National Library of Honduras and the National Museum are also located in Tegucigalpa.