Tegucigalpa

Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras and of the department of Tegucigalpa; situated 3200 ft. above sea-level, on the river Choluteca, and at the head of a railway to the port of San Lorenzo on Fonseca Bay. Pop. (1905) about 35,000. Tegucigalpa is the largest and finest city in the republic. The majority of its houses are of one storey, built round a central court; the windows are usually unglazed but protected by iron bars which project into the narrow cobble-paved streets. The focus of civic life is near the central park, in which stands a bronze equestrian statue of Francisco Morazan (1792-1842), the Hondurian statesman and soldier. Fronting the park is a domed cathedral, one of the largest and most ornate churches in Honduras. Other noteworthy buildings are the government offices, university, school of industry and art, national printing works, and law courts. A lofty ten-arched bridge over the Choluteca connects the city with its principal suburb, Concepcion or Comayaguela. Tegucigalpa became capital of Honduras, a status it had previously shared with Comayagua, in 1880. During the 18th century the neighbourhood was famous for its gold, silver and marble, but in modern times the mines and quarries have greatly declined in value, and farming is the chief local industry. In 1907 Tegucigalpa was occupied by the Nicaraguan invaders.