Tegucigalpa (Spanish: Tegucigalpa) is the capital (since 1880) and the largest city of Honduras. Population 1,682,725 inhabitants (2006, metropolitan area). The third largest city in Central America (after Guatemala and San Salvador). The city is located among the mountains of the central part of the country, in the valley of the Choluteca River at an altitude of about 1000 m above sea level. Tegucigalpa is also the capital of the Francisco Morazán department.

Origin of the name
The most common version of the name Tegucigalpa comes from the words Tegusgalpa of the Nahuatl Indian language, which means “silver hills”.
The Guatemalan researcher, Favio Rodoso, put forward the version that Tegucigalpa in Nahuatl means a bird on the origin of the name Tegucigalpa. There were other hypotheses put forward by two Mexican experts, Ignacio Davila Garibi and Alfredo Barrera Vazquez, that the word Tegucigalpa comes from the Nualt Tecustlicallipan (Tecuztlicallipan), or “Residence of the rich” or Tecuhtzincalpan (Tecuhtzincalpan) or “Place of the house of Senor Amando”.

Words with the suffix -alpa exist in the Sumo language of the Misumalpa language family, which was widely spoken in Honduras before the arrival of the Aztecs.
None of the versions, except the official one, has yet been widely adopted.

Geography
The capital of Honduras is conditionally divided by the Choluteca River into two halves – mountainous and flat. The plain refers to the part of the city located on the slopes of Mount El Picacho, and several areas on the plateau of Comayagua.
The main feature of Tegucigalpa is its mild climate and fresh air. The city is constantly blown by mountain winds, and in addition, pine forests have been preserved on the slopes of the nearby mountains, bringing coolness to the inhabitants.

Hurricane Mitch
On October 22, 1998, the waters of the southwestern Caribbean Sea gave rise to a tropical depression, which grew into a tropical hurricane, called Mitch, a day later. Gaining power, Mitch rushed north and by October 26, his strength exceeded 12 points, generating continuous winds with speeds up to 290 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 320. On October 30, 1998, the city of Tegucigalpa was badly damaged as a result of this hurricane. Part of the Comayagua city area, as well as some other places along the Choluteca River, were destroyed. Rain and showers accompanied the hurricane for 5 days, saturating the ground with water and leading to landslides throughout the country, but most of all in the capital along the Choluteca River.

History
Tegucigalpa was founded on September 29, 1578 on the site of an existing Indian settlement. The original name of the city was San Miguel de Tegucigalpa de Heredia. At that time it was the center of silver and gold mines. The first capital of Honduras was the port city of Trujillo. Later, the capital was moved to the city of Gracias in the western department of Lempira. In the future, the capital was again transferred several times to Tegucigalpa, then to Comayagua. Tegucigalpa finally became the capital in 1880. One of the reasons for the final transfer of the capital to Tegucigalpa was the desire of the then President Marco Aurelio Soto to be closer to his mining business, which was located 40 km from Tegucigalpa.
The city remained small and provincial until the 1960s. In the 1930s, the city of Comayagüela, on the other side of the Choluteca River, was incorporated into Tegucigalpa. The city is now experiencing a boom, expanding beyond the colonial city and continuing to grow at a rapid pace, but rather chaotically. Today, the city is also growing thanks to economic migrants who come to the capital from the provinces in search of work and a better future.

Transport
Airport
Международный Airport Тонконтин (Toncontin) служит главным аэропортом для прилетающих и вылетающих из Тегусигальпы. The origin of this name is unknown. This airport is often criticized for being one of the ten most dangerous airports in the world. Due to its location next to a mountain range, its too short runway (before 2009 – 1863 m, now – 2021 m) and a difficult approach that requires large commercial aircraft to perform a tight hairpin to the left. Due to the terrain, the turn maneuver is carried out at low altitude. Efforts have been made over the years to replace Toncontin with Palmerola Airport in Comayagua, which is now an air base for the US Air Force and Honduras.
On May 30, 2008, a plane crash occurred at the airport, as a result of which a TACA airline plane slid off the runway and crashed into the embankment, destroying several cars. IN The crash killed 5 and injured 65 people. And this disaster was not the first. On October 21, 1989, a TAN-SAHSA Boeing 727-200 crashed into a mountain while landing, killing 131 of the 146 people on board. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has announced that within a few years all commercial flights will operate through Palmerola Airport.

Sights
The main attraction of the city is the Church of Iglesia de San Francisco. Most of the current church was erected in 1740, although the building itself began to be built in 1592. It has a majestic appearance and an interior in traditional Spanish style.

In front of the park area of ​​Parque Central stands the Cathedral of San Miguel, built for almost 20 years, from 1765 to 1782. It has a gilded altar and a carved stone cross, which are objects of pilgrimage for tourists.

The premises of the old University of Antigua Paraninfo-Universitaria are currently used as an art museum.

South of Parque Central, rises the complex of the National Art Gallery, or Paraninfo, with a collection of Central American art.

The National University was originally built as a nunnery. Next to the National University is the National Congress Complex, the country’s main government building. IN квартале западнее находится Президентский дворец, в котором размещается Исторический музей республики.

Particularly noteworthy is Caye Peatonal or Pedestrian Street, filled with shops, cafes and street stalls. To the west lies the cozy and shady Parque Herrera, on the south side of which is the complex of the National Theater Manuel Bonilla, built in 1915 and which is almost an exact copy of the Parisian building Ateni-Comic.

IN Парке-Ла-Конкордия выставлены точные копии скульптур майя культуры Копан, хранящихся в музеях страны. To the northwest you can find the small domed church of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores, built in 1732. Its facade is decorated with biblical scenes, and inside there is a unique altar, which, according to some residents, has miraculous properties. IN двух кварталах западнее Лос-Долорес находится особняк INилла-Рой, дом президента Хулио Лосано Диаса, в котором сейчас размещается Национальный музей антропологии и истории с обширной экспозицией по истории страны и маленькой библиотекой.

Morazán Square is also considered one of the central parts of the city and is used as a popular meeting place and venue for social events. The statue in the center of the square was erected in honor of the national hero Francisco Morazan. IN его родном доме сегодня расположена Национальная библиотека. On the eastern edge of the square rises the snow-white facade of the Cathedral of San Miguel, built in 1782.

To the north of Morazán Square are the old suburbs, which were once the area of ​​​​residence of wealthy emigrants. The hillsides of Cerro el Picacho are literally dotted with old buildings, reminiscent of the colonial past of the capital. IN Парке-де-лас-Насионес-Унидас возвышается самый молодой памятник столицы — массивный монумент Кристо-дель-Пикачо (1997 г), от подножия которого открывается захватывающая панорама города и окрестностей. To the east of the center begins a respectable area called Colonia Palmyra, where most of the foreign embassies, luxury hotels and rich residences of the capital are concentrated. In the east of the capital is Morazan Boulevard – the entertainment center of Tegucigalpa. Его часто называют также как Ла-Зона-INива. The boulevard borders the main stadium of the country – Estado Nacional.

The La Paz monument, visible south of the stadium, was built to commemorate the end of the 1969 “football war” in which about two thousand people died. Заслуживают внимания Музей военной истории в парке INалье — частное собрание предметов доколумбовых культур Америки — Сала-Банкатлан (открыт с 9.00 до 15.00) на бульваре Мирафлорес, Музей естествознания в комплексе Национального автономного университета Гондураса (UNAH) с обширной экспозицией различных экосистем страны.

The main market of the capital – San Isidro, stretches between the 6th avenida and Calle Uno from the Puente Carias river bridge.