Tegucigalpa

Tegucigalpa, city and capital of Honduras, in the Central District, on the Choluteca River, in the south central section of the country. Situated at an altitude of about 975 m (about 3200 ft), it is the largest city and the principal commercial center of Honduras. Major manufactures include textiles, sugar, and tobacco products. Tegucigalpa is the site of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (1847); colleges of agriculture and music; the Honduran Academy; and the national library and archives. Points of interest include the National Museum, which contains natural history, ethnological, and archaeological exhibits; an 18th-century cathedral; the presidential palace; and the modern National Assembly building.

The community was established in the late 16th century and grew as a trading center for the silver- and gold-mining industries in the area. Tegucigalpa alternated with Comayagua as the capital of Honduras from the 1820s to 1880, when it became the permanent capital. In the late 1930s it was merged with the town of Comayagüela, across the Choluteca River, to form the Central District. The city is one of the few capitals in the world not served by a railroad. Population (2001 estimate) 1,089,200.