Tegucigalpa
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| Tegucigalpa | |
 |
|
| Nickname: Tegus | |
| Country | Honduras |
|---|---|
| Department | Francisco Morazán |
| Municipality | Distrito Central |
| Founded | 1578 |
| Capital of the Nation | 1880 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | |
| Elevation | 990 m (3,250 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - City | 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' Francisco Morazán department.
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[edit] Geography
The city is located on a deforested mountain basin 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.
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 &mdashmeaning 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.
[edit] 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.
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 poorly organized new suburbs, called colonias. A huge ring of shantytowns surrounds the city, particularly in the northwest sector(Comayaguela).
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.
[edit] Tegucigalpa: Two capitals in one
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.
[edit] 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.
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.
[edit] Population
According to 2005 estimates, the city of Tegucigalpa has appriximately 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.
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
[edit] 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.
[edit] Places of interest
There are few conventional tourist attractions in Tegucigalpa. Some places may be considered 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).
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.
[edit] 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. Cerro Grande, the barrio located on a large mountain flanking Tegucigalpa and on the Olancho Highway, is one of the poorest and least stable communities in the region.
At first glance, Tegucigalpa does not seem to be 'tourist-friendly.' However, upon further inspection and making one's way off the beaten paths, there are charming neighborhoods with tree-lined, curving streets, pleasant (locally owned) coffee shops, restaurants of many different ethnicities and generally speaking, friendly city-dwellers willing to show off their city. However, tourists should exercise extreme caution to safeguard valuables. Tegucigalpa has recently been plagued by small crimes against tourists, including theft, assault, harassment, scamming and other annoyances. One should exercise caution not to carry expensive or flashy jewelry, not show off excessive amounts of cash, hide cameras, passports, and other valuables that can easily be taken. The best advice is to travel in groups of three or four to present a harder target, and be able to watch your buddy's back. If something does happen, surrender all valuables immediately without moving quickly but under no circumstances should you enter a vehicle or building alone with assailants if they try to force you in. If they do, you should run for it.
[edit] Museums
There are a handful of small and museums in the city, all in desperate need of funding: 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.
[edit] 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).
[edit] Bilingual schools and colleges
Acadamia los Pinares, American School of Tegucigalpa Elvel School, Discovery School [2] Dowall School, Lycée franco-hondurien, Macris School, La Estancia School, International School, Del Campo School, Mayan School, Antares (for girls) and Aldebaran (for boys)[3], Hamilton School, and CEAD Christian School.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Terrestrial communications
Within Tegucigalpa, those who commute to and from work will generally travel by bus; as of yet there are no suburban trains or trams. A hundred poorly maintained private buses are the main form of public transportation, along with many taxis in various states of disrepair, which drive along congested lanes. The city streets are narrow, designed at the mercy of the hilly terrain, where pedestrians and animals share the roads with motorists. Additionally, the lack of traffic lines, street names and traffic lights is evident. The fastest way to get from one part of the city to another is along the peripheral road, which surrounds Tegucigalpa in an 'O' (known as "El Anillo Periférico"). The city is also connected to the state highway, where travellers one can go to the north (towards San Pedro Sula, or even Guatemala City, 360 km away) or the southeast (towards Nicaragua, 243 km away and San José, 574 km, and Panama City, 1,012 km) and southwest (towards San Salvador, 220 km away).
[edit] 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 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.
Airlines at Toncontin:
- American Airlines, to Miami only, daily
- Grupo TACA, owned by El Salvador (flights to San Salvador and Miami mainly)
- Continental Airlines, to Houston only, daily
- Copa Air, to Panama and San Jose (CR), daily
- Atlantic Airlines, irregular flights to Managua, Nicaragua
[edit] 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.
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.
[edit] Sister cities
Madrid, Spain
Taipei, Taiwan
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Guadalajara, Mexico
[edit] External links
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- Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
- Aerial image from TerraServer
- Satellite image from WikiMapia
