Tegucigalpa
Downtown Tegucigalpa as seen from La Tigra National park
Nickname: Tegus Tepaz
Country	Honduras
Department	Francisco Morazán
Municipality	Distrito Central
Founded	1578
Capital of the Nation of Honduras	1880
Government
- Mayor
Elevation	990 m (3,250 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	894,000
- Metro	1,200,000

Tegucigalpa IPA: [ˌteɰusiˈɰalpa] (Tegus for short), population 1,200,000 (2006) (metro area), is the capital of Honduras (together with Comayagüela), and the country's largest city. The name is derived from the Nahuatl Teguz-galpa, meaning "silver hills." Tegucigalpa is also the capital of Honduras's Francisco Morazán department. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1632x1232, 807 KB)View of Tegucigalpa, Honduras from La Tigra National Park. ... La Tigra National park (local Name : Parque Nacional La Tigra) was the first National Park of the country of Honduras (in 1980) ,and it has been protected since the early 1950s. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... Francisco Morazán is one of the departments of Honduras. ...

Geography

The former Presidential Palace

The city is located on a chain of mountains at 14°5′N 87°13′W, at an elevation of 3,250 feet (990 m). The Choluteca river, which crosses the city from south to north, physically separates Tegucigalpa and its sister city Comayagüela. The Picacho hill, a rugged mountain of moderate height (1,240 m), rises above the downtown area; several neighborhoods, both residential and shanty towns, are located on its slopes. The city is comprised of gentle hills, and the ring of mountains surrounding the city tends to trap pollution. During the dry season, when farmers burn their fields, a dense cloud of smoke lingers in the basin until the first rains fall. Presidential Palace, Tegucigalpa. ... Presidential Palace, Tegucigalpa. ...

Of all the major Central American cities, Tegucigalpa's climate is among the most pleasant due to its high altitude. Like much of central Honduras, the city has a tropical climate, though tempered by the altitude — meaning less humid than the lower valleys and the coastal regions — with even temperatures averaging between 19 and 23 degrees Celsius (66 to 74 °F). The months of December and January are coolest, whereas March and April—popularly associated with Holy Week’s holidays—are hottest and driest. Precipitation is spread unevenly along the year; during the Caribbean hurricane season (June to November), it may reach 920 mm (36 in) at the end of a normal day.

History

Tegucigalpa was founded by Spanish settlers as "Real Villa de San Miguel de Tegucigalpa de Heredia" on September 29, 1578 on the site of an existing native settlement. Before and after independence, the city was a mining center for silver and gold. The capital of the independent Republic of Honduras switched back and forth between Tegucigalpa and Comayagua until it was permanently settled here in 1880. It is said that the society of Comayagua, the long time colonial capital of Honduras, publicly disliked the wife of President Marco Aurelio Soto, who took revenge by moving the capital to Tegucigalpa. However, it is more likely that the change took place because President Soto was an important partner of the Rosario Mining Company, an American silver mining company, whose operations where based in San Juancito, about 40 km away from Tegucigalpa, and he needed to be closer to his personal interests. is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Comayagua is a town in Honduras, some 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula at 14. ... Comayagua is a town in Honduras, some 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula at 14. ... Marco Aurelio Soto was President of Honduras from August 27, 1876 until October 19, 1883. ... Rosario Mining Company The mountains around Tegucigalpa were largely known since the Spanish rule due to their gold and silver deposits, which helps to explain why this rugged area was visited by fortune seekers, from Central America, the US and elsewhere. ...

The city remained relatively small and provincial until the 1970s when immigration from the rural areas began in earnest. During the 1980s, several avenues and some traffic overpasses were built, as well as a few large buildings, something relatively new to a city characterized until then by two-story buildings. Tegucigalpa continues to sprawl far beyond its former colonial core, towards the east, south and west, creating large but desorganized new suburbs, called colonias.

The city's main buildings include the former Presidential Palace (now a national museum), a 20th-century Legislative Palace, the headquarters of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) [1], the campus of the National University of Honduras (founded in 1847), an 18th-century cathedral and the Basilica of the Virgin of Suyapa.

Industrial production, small and mostly for local consumption, has increased since the 1970s with improved roadways. Products include textiles, clothing, sugar, cigarettes, lumber, plywood, paper, ceramics, cement, glass, metalwork, plastics, chemicals, tires, electrical appliances, and farm machinery. Some maquiladoras (duty-free assembly plants) have been established since the 1990s in an industrial park in the Amarateca valley, on the northern highway. Silver, lead, and zinc are still mined in the outskirts of the city. A maquiladora or maquila is a factory that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing and then re-exports the assembled product, usually back to the originating country. ...

Tegucigalpa: Two capitals in one

Replica of the Pre-Columbian Temple Pyramid in Concordia Park

For all practical purposes the capital of Honduras is Tegucigalpa, but some sources note that two “cities” share that designation. Chapter 1, Article 8, of the Honduran constitution states (translated), "The cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela, jointly, constitute the Capital of the Republic." Chapter 11, Article 295, translates, "The Central District consists of a single municipality made up of the former municipalities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela"; however, municipalities are defined in Honduras as political entities similar to counties, and they may contain one or more cities. In a decree of October 30, 1880, President Marco Aurelio Soto established a permanent seat of government in Tegucigalpa, and in 1907 the episcopal (now archiepiscopal) see was translated there. On March 15, 1938, General Tiburcio Carías Andino and the National Congress declared that Comayagüela was a barrio ("neighbourhood") of Tegucigalpa, the national capital. Today some government offices are listed with Comayagüela addresses, but the area is considered a part of Tegucigalpa. Pyramid in park in Tegucigalpa, photo by User:Infrogmation, 1980 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Pyramid in park in Tegucigalpa, photo by User:Infrogmation, 1980 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Hurricane Mitch

On October 30, 1998, the city was significantly damaged by Hurricane Mitch, which destroyed part of the Comayagüela section of the city, as well as other places along the riverbanks of the Choluteca river. The hurricane remained over Honduran territory for five days, dumping heavy rainfall late in the rainy season. The ground was already saturated and could not absorb the heavy precipitation, while deforestation and debris left by the hurricane led to catastrophic flooding throughout widespread regions of the country, especially in Tegucigalpa. is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Lowest pressure 905 mbar (hPa; 26. ... Choluteca is the regional center of southern Honduras. ... This article is about the process of deforestation in the environment. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ...

The heavy rain caused flash floods of the Choluteca river's tributaries, and the swollen river overflowed its banks, tearing down entire neighborhoods and bridges across the ravaged city. The rainfall also triggered massive landslides around El Berrinche hill, close to the downtown area. These landslides destroyed most of the Soto neighborhood, and debris flowed into the river, forming a dike. The dike clogged the waters of the river and many of the low-lying areas of Comayaguela were submerged; historic buildings located along Calle Real were either completely destroyed or so badly damaged that repair was futile.

Population

According to 2005 estimates, the city of Tegucigalpa has approximately one million people, but more than 1.2 million in its urban conglomeration. It is the third largest Central American metropolitan city, after San Salvador, and Guatemala City. However, it is the only regional national capital which cannot claim both the country's political and commercial power -- that is shared with San Pedro Sula. Like Managua, Nicaragua, Tegucigalpa was not established as a capital center by Spain. Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ... Nickname: Country Department Foundation June 1536 Government  - Alcalde (Mayor) Rodolfo Padilla Sunseri Area  - Urban 136 km² (52. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ...

The city-dwellers are predominantly Spanish-speaking Mestizos and Whites, the latter recently mixed with Arab immigrants from Palestine. There are indigenous (Amerindians) and Afro-Latin American people as well. Further information in Demographics of Honduras // The population of Honduras is 7. ...

Politics

The local government—at its level, by far the most important in the country—is headed by Ricardo Alvarez, the current mayor of Tegucigalpa, from the National Party of Honduras. Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela form one single district, called Distrito Central (DC for short), which is difficult to manage due to its large size and population and myriad needs, amidst widespread corruption and poverty. The National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras PNH) is a conservative party in Honduras. ...

Places of interest

There are several conventional tourist attractions in Tegucigalpa. Some places very interesting, such as: Parque La Leona, San Miguel City Cathedral, Villa Roy Museum, the former Presidential Palace, the Museum of National Identity, the National University, the Basilica of the Virgin of Suyapa, La Tigra National Park, Picacho Hill and its zoo, and Chiminikee (a science park and museum for children).

Statue of Jesus Christ in El Picacho City Park overlooking Tegucigalpa.

There are several charming colonial villages within easy driving distance from Tegucigalpa: Santa Lucia (12 km away), Valle de Angeles (21 km away), Ojojona, Yuscaran and San Juancito. Each has its own distinct character and sense of history and all of them make easy day-trips out of the city. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1632x1232, 590 KB)Statue of Jesus Christ in El Picacho National Park overlooking Tegucigalpa, Honduras. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1632x1232, 590 KB)Statue of Jesus Christ in El Picacho National Park overlooking Tegucigalpa, Honduras. ...

Around the city

Tegucigalpa, as a colonial city, has several barrios in the oldest districts of the city and Comayaguela, and colonias, in the new ones. None of them have well-defined limits, which tend to be up to the city-dwellers` will, or even town-centers. There are some main avenues, but not into downtown. Except for the latter (also called boulevards), like all the Central American cities, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason as to how streets are named, making orientation and driving rather difficult to first-time visitors to the city. Colonia Palmira, a wealthy neighborhood to the east of the city center on the Boulevard Morazan, hosts many of the foreign embassies as well as upscale restaurants. Lomas del Guijarro, Loma Linda Norte, and Miramontes have had the highest growth in the city. There are several hotels in which you can stay. Some of them are Mariott Hotel, Clarion Hotel, Intercontinental, Honduras Maya, Plaza Del Libertador, Plaza San Martin, Hotel Alameda, Excelsior Hotel and Casino. Some others are under construction.

Museums

There are a handful of history and art museums in the city: Identidad Nacional (recently founded), Nacional Villaroy, del Hombre, Historico Militar, Historia Natural and Galeria de Arte Nacional. Besides, Sala Bancatlan (Banco Atlántida) offers some arts exhibitions occasionally.

Shopping centers

The epicenter of shopping in Tegucigalpa currently revolves around Multiplaza, a multi-level indoor shopping mall that includes a major grocery store, a movie theater complex, restaurants, banking and of course, many retail shops. There are other commercial centers on the city's Eastern neighbourhoods, like: Plaza Miraflores, El Dorado, Las Cascadas, Centroamerica, Los Castaños and Metromall.

The city seems to be experiencing a retail 'renaissance' as additional shopping malls, as big or bigger than Multiplaza, have either recently been opened or are under construction (as of January 2007).

Bilingual schools and colleges

Hillcrest School, Acadamia los Pinares, American School of Tegucigalpa Elvel School, Discovery School [2] Dowall School, Lycée franco-hondurien, Macris School, Summer Hill School, La Estancia School, International School, Del Campo International School, Mayan School, Antares (for girls) and Aldebaran (for boys)[3], Hamilton School, and CEAD Christian School. American School of Tegucigalpa, Honduras The American School of Tegucigalpa is an college preparatory international school located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on a hill overlooking the city. ...

Universities

Tegucigalpa is the national education center, with most universities and higher education institutions based there.

a) State-Funded: Universidad Nacional Autonoma of Honduras[4] (UNAH), founded in 1847, and Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazan[5], founded in 1989 (UPNFM).

b) Privately Funded: Universidad Jose Cecilio del Valle [6], founded in 1978; Universidad Tecnologica Centroamericana [7] (UNITEC), founded in 1986 in Jacaleapa, member of Laureate International Universities; Universidad Católica de Honduras [8], founded by the Catholic Church in 1992; the Pan-American Agricultural School or Escuela Agricola Panamericana (widely known as Zamorano) [9], located in Zamorano valley, 30 km east of the city, founded in 1941; and Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras (UTH)[10], founded in 1986. The Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana (UNITEC) (Central American Technological University) is a private coeducational institution with campuses in the two main cities of Honduras: Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. ... Zamorano, also known as the Pan American School of Agriculture (Escuela Agricola Panamericana) is a U.S. University located in the Valle of rio Yeguare, in Honduras. ...

Transportation

Airport

Toncontin International Airport serves as the major airport in and out of Tegucigalpa. The origin of this name is unknown. This airport is frequently criticized for being one of the most dangerous in the world (due to its location next to a sierra, its short runway, and difficult approach). Thankfully, major renovations, both cosmetic and physical, have taken place and continue (as of January, 2007). For those who have not flown in and out of Tegucigalpa within the last couple of years, there is a marked change -- from the terminals themselves to the immigrations/customs area. The hope is that additional air service carriers will choose to fly in and out of Toncontin. Efforts have been made for years to replace it with Palmerola airport in Comayagua, currently a Honduran and American Air Force base. Toncontín has been improved by the work of CAT (the Airport Corporation of Tegucigalpa) which is owned by TACA of El Salvador and by INTERAIRPORTS, a company hired by the government of Honduras to manage the four airports of the country. Latest Information about Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras as published by the weekly newspaper Honduras This Week; 10. ... For exotic financial options, see Mountain range (options). ... Palmerola is a joint United States and Honduras military base near Comayagua in Honduras. ... Comayagua is a town in Honduras, some 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula at 14. ...

Airlines at Toncontin:

• American Airlines, to Miami only, daily
• Grupo TACA,(flights to San Salvador, San Pedro Sula and Miami mainly)
• Continental Airlines, to Houston only, daily
• Copa Airlines, to Panama and San Jose (CR), daily
• Atlantic Airlines de Honduras, to Managua, Nicaragua, La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula, Roatan, Belize City, Belize

American Airlines, Inc. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Grupo Taca is the flag airline of El Salvador, comprised of a group of five combined Central American airlines. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nickname: Country Department Foundation June 1536 Government  - Alcalde (Mayor) Rodolfo Padilla Sunseri Area  - Urban 136 km² (52. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) is a U.S. certificated air carrier. ... Houston redirects here. ... Copa Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Panama, based in Panama City, Panama. ... Atlantic Airlines de Honduras is an airline based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras, Central America on the Caribbean Sea. ... Nickname: Country Department Foundation June 1536 Government  - Alcalde (Mayor) Rodolfo Padilla Sunseri Area  - Urban 136 km² (52. ... Roatán, located between the islands of Utila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras Bay Islands. ... Belize City, Belize is the largest city of the Central American nation Belize, and its former capital. ...

Sports

Tegucigalpa is home to Club Deportivo Olimpia and Club Deportivo Motagua, members of the Honduran National Soccer League. Between the two teams, they have won more than 30 Championships, and play their home games at Estadio Nacional Tiburcio Carias Andino. Club Olimpia Deportivo is a Honduran football and baseball club, which plays in Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. ... Club Deportivo Motagua is a Honduran football club, located in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, and plays in the Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino. ... Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. ...

There are also inter-city school sports championships.

There is a Coliseum used mainly for basketball but is also used as a music concert venue. There is also what is called a "Villa Olimpica" to practice Olympic sports such as boxing, archery, tennis and tae-kwon-do; it is located close to the National University.

Sister cities

• Madrid, Spain
• Lima, Peru
• Taipei, Taiwan
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Guatemala City, Guatemala
• Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Peru. ... For other uses, see Lima (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country Region City seat Xinyi District (信義區) Government  - Mayor Hau Lung-bin (KMT)1 E9 Area  - City 271. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Nickname: Location in Brazil Coordinates: , Country Region State Minas Gerais Founded 1701 Incorporated (as city) December 12, 1897 Government  - Mayor Fernando da Mata Pimentel (PT) Area  - City 330. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Coordinates: , Country State Foundation 1542 Government  - Mayor Alfonso Petersen Farah ( PAN) Area  - City 187. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Guatemala. ... Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ...

External links

• [11]
• Airplane landing at Tegucigalpa Airport before renovations
• Interactive Map of Tegucigalpa

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