Capital of
Honduras; situated at an altitude of 975 m/3,199 ft in the highlands of south-central Honduras, on the River Choluteca at the foot of the extinct El Pichacho volcano; population (2001) 769,100. Industries include textiles, chemicals, and food-processing, mostly for domestic consumption. It was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century as a gold- and silver-mining centre, and replaced Comayagua as capital in 1880.
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