Tegucigalpa

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Tegucigalpa
Coordinates: 14 ° 6 ′  N , 87 ° 12 ′  W
Map: Honduras
marker
Tegucigalpa​
Tegucigalpa on the map of Honduras
Honduras-CIA WFB Map.png
Location of Tegucigalpa in Honduras
Basic data
Country Honduras
Department Francisco Morazan Department
City foundation September 29, 1578
Residents 1,055,729  (2013)
- in the metropolitan area 1,157,509
City insignia
Flag of Tegucigalpa.svg
Detailed data
surface 1514 km 2
Population density 697 inhabitants / km 2
height 940  m
Waters Río Choluteca
prefix +504 22
Time zone UTC −6
City Presidency Ricardo Álvarez
Website lacapitaldehonduras.hn
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Image wanted BW

Tegucigalpa ( Spanish pronunciation [ teɣusiˈɣalpa ] or [ teɣuθiˈɣalpa ]) is the capital of Honduras and with around 1,000,000 inhabitants also the largest city in the country. Together with Comayagüela it forms the central district and is also the capital of the Francisco Morazán district .

It is located in the southern part of Honduras in a high basin on the banks of the Río Choluteca at around 940 meters above sea level.

origin of the name

The general public of Tegucigalpa firmly believes that the name of their city comes from the Maya - Nahuatl name Taguz Galpan, which means silver mountain. This interpretation is used by most Hondurans and official institutions as the origin of the name. Some scholars believe that the city got its name from settled Spanish conquerors. They found rich silver ore deposits in the hilly surroundings of Tegucigalpa. Another theory is that the name comes from the term "Tecuztli-Calli-Pan" used by the Maya Nahuatl. This idiom can be translated symbolically as “a place where nobles have their horses”.

City structure

Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela are divided into barrios and colonias . The country's new middle class is represented in the colonias , while the poor are settled in the barrios in the old city center. Most of the outskirts are barrios marginales , slums that are inhabited by the poorest. The difference between the social classes in Honduras is largely evident in Tegucigalpa.

Both the barrios and the colonias have no boundaries or city centers. There are a few boulevards, but none of them extend into the city center. As in most Central American cities, the naming does not seem to be very structured, which makes orientation quite difficult and presents a first-time visitor to the city with special challenges when driving.

Most of the embassies and some exclusive restaurants are located in Colonia Palmira , a very affluent district east of the city center on Boulevard Morazán. The colonies of Lomas del Guijarro , Loma Linda and Miramontes are also very exclusive residential areas. A colony is a residential area that is only accessible to residents and that is guarded by armed security personnel. The most important hotels of the city are also located in this district: The Marriott Hotel, Loud Hotel, Hotel El Centenario, Intercontinental, Maya de Honduras, Plaza Del Libertador, Plaza San Martín, Hotel Alameda, Excelsior Hotel and the casino are located here.

story

Aerial view of Tegucigalpa
Climate diagram of Tegucigalpa

The area around Tegucigalpa was already settled before the arrival of the first Spaniards in the mid-16th century, and the city already bore its current name. Nevertheless, September 29, 1578 is considered the official foundation day. At the time of the European conquest, the Lenca people lived in the area. Their language is now extinct and very little is known about their culture.

After the Spanish found silver in Tegucigalpa, the theory arose that the city's indigenous name could mean “Silver Mountain”. However, this is unlikely as the Lenca themselves did not mine silver. Other theories suggest that the name could mean “place where people meet” or “colored stones”.

In the 19th century, two other ethnic groups mixed with the indigenous and European populations: Arabs and Chinese. These two population groups are still present in the city today.

The two universities of Honduras were founded in 1847 and 1978.

For a long time, Tegucigalpa and Comayagua alternated as the capital of independent Honduras. It was not until October 30, 1880 that Tegucigalpa was finally the capital of the Republic of Honduras and also the capital of the Francisco Morazán province .

Around 1930 the city of Comayagüela , which is on the other side of the Choluteca River, was incorporated. In the constitution, which has been in force since 1982, Comayagüela is still mentioned as the capital together with Tegucigalpa.

Attractions

Basílica de Nuestra Patrona la Virgen de Suyapa

There are several tourist attractions in the Central District:

  • the La Leona Park (Parque La Leona)
  • the Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael (San Miguel Arcangel) of the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa
  • Villaroy Museum (Villa Royal)
  • the former presidential palace (now a museum)
  • the museum of national identity
  • the national university
  • the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Suyapa (Basílica de Nuestra Patrona la Virgen de Suyapa)
  • Tigra National Park
  • the Picacho hill with the Christ monument and the zoo
  • Chiminikee (a science park and museum for children).

In the center of the city there are some old churches ( Cathedral of St. Michael, La Merced, Los Dolores Church ). The Church of San Francisco is the oldest building in the city and is believed to date from 1590.

The La Leona park offers a beautiful view of the old town. In the Calle Mendiete is the birthplace of Francisco Morazán , a Honduran national hero, the 1830-1840 president of Central America was. He campaigned for free elections and public schooling before he was shot in 1842.

The National Museum Villa Royal houses a collection of pre-Columbian exhibits, including some vintage cars that were once used by Honduran dictators.

Museums

There are a number of museums devoted to Honduran history and art, including: the Museo Identidad Nacional, Museo Nacional Villaroy, Museo del Hombre, Museo Histórico Militar, Museo Historia Natural, and the Galeria de Arte Nacional . In addition, the Centro Cultural de España en Tegucigalpa - CCET or the Sala Bancatlan (Banco Atlántida) , which occasionally shows art exhibitions.

Shopping centers

In Tegucigalpa there is the Multiplaza, a multi-level shopping center that includes a grocery store, a movie theater complex, restaurants, banks and of course many retail stores. Newer shopping centers are Las Cascadas and MetroMall with a large movie theater complex.

Smaller malls can be found all over the city including Los Castaños, El Dorado and the new Los Proceres center.

population

According to an estimate from 2005, Tegucigalpa has about 1.25 million inhabitants. The townspeople are mostly Spanish-speaking mestizos with a small minority of Latin American residents. There is also a minority of Chinese and Arabs, the latter mostly from Palestine, as well as indigenous and Afro-Honduran residents.

In a ranking of cities according to their quality of life, Tegucigalpa ranked 189th out of 231 cities worldwide in 2018.

Industry

In the 16th century, Tegucigalpa was an important place for gold and silver mining . Today the textile , sugar and cigarette industries are predominant.

Infrastructure

Tegucigalpa is one of the few capitals in the world without a railroad .

The city's airport, Toncontín , is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world because of its location. The airport is very close to the city and has an extremely short runway, which makes the approach very difficult. Larger aircraft are therefore forced to a narrow, so-called hairpin turn on the left, which must be flown at a very low altitude. Due to these challenges, for example, pilots of American airlines receive additional training units specially tailored to Toncontin.

Healthcare

Hospitals

  • Viera Hospital and Clinic
  • San Jorge Hospital and Clinic
  • Centro Médica Hospital
  • private children's hospital
  • Cardiopulmunar Alameda Clinic
  • Centro Oftalmológico Santa Lucía
  • Centro de Maternidad y Diagnóstico
  • Honduras Medical Center
  • Hospital La Policlínica
  • Centro Médico Hondueño
  • Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social IHSS
  • School hospital "Hospital Escuela"

sons and daughters of the town

Town twinning

Web links

Wiktionary: Tegucigalpa  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Tegucigalpa  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Tegucigalpa  - travel guide

supporting documents

  1. ^ "Distrito central: Informacion del municipio" ( Memento from August 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive )