Tegucigalpa

Tegucigalpa (pop. 678,000), capital and largest city of Honduras, situated on the Choluteca River and on the slopes of Mt. Picacho in southern-central Honduras. Founded by the Spaniards in the late 1570s as a gold- and silver-mining center, in 1880 Tegucigalpa replaced Comayagua as the national capital. The 2 cities, on opposite banks of the Choluteca, merged in 1938. Today Tegucigalpa is a major manufacturing and agricultural hub, as well as the governmental center. The National University of Honduras is on the outskirts of the city.

See also: Honduras.