| No Link |
The city of Tegucigalpa was founded by the Spanish in 1578 but was not made the capital until 1880. The city was a centre for the silver and gold mining in the area, and in fact the name Tegucigalpa means "silver hill" in the local language. The name is often shortened to "tegus". The city was quite a small place up until the 1970s when rural immigration increased and many new buildings were built. Nowadays the city has a population of around 1.5 million and the outskirts of the town have been forced up the surrounding hills and cling precariously to the steep slopes. In 1998 the city was hit by a hurricane which caused severe flooding and landslides. Several areas of the city were destroyed, including many of the old historic buildings. Tegucigalpa lies at an altitude of 990m surrounded by a ring of hills. The climate is therefore one of the coolest of all Central American capitals. The city is divided in two by the Choluteca river, the area on the western side is known by its own name, Comayaguela and used to be a separate city. The two cities were officially united in 1938, although the area is still known by its old name. The Tegucigalpa side of the river is the richer area and most of the bars and restaurants are found here. There are banks all over the city, many with ATMs, including one on the northeast side of the Parque Central which accepts all types of cards. There are numerous internet cafes around the city centre, charging around US$ 1 per hour. On the Comayagüela side there is an internet cafe above the supermarket one block south of Hotel San Pedro. |
| - |
| Honduras Tegucigalpa |
