Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 66

San Pedro Sula - History, Sister cities

15º26N 88º01W, pop (2000e) 404 000. Industrial centre of Honduras, and capital of Cortés department; second largest city in Honduras; airport; railway; trade in bananas, coffee, sugar, timber; textiles, zinc roofing, furniture, cement, plastics, steel rolling.

San Pedro Sula

Seal of San Pedro Sula

Flag of San Pedro Sula
Area
 • City proper
 • Metropolitan area

km²
km²
Economy
 • GDP per capita (2005)
 • Budget (2005)

(PPP)
Population;• Total (2006) 800,000
 • Density


(, urban area) /km²
Mayor Rodolfo Padilla Sunseri
Demonym English: Saint Peter Sula
Spanish: San Pedro Sula
Time zone [[UTC]-6
Geographical co-ordinates

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Sister cities Portland, Oregon, USA

San Pedro Sula is a city in the Central American republic of Honduras.

San Pedro Sula is known as the Industrial Capital of Honduras, due to the many factories, plantations, and businesses concentrated around the city.

History

San Pedro Sula was founded on June 27, 1536, by Pedro de Alvarado with the name Villa de San Pedro de Puerto Caballos. San Pedro becomes San Pedro Sula in the 18th century, after undergoing many transformations of its name.

The Spanish didn't consider the area around San Pedro to be a healthy place to live, preferring the higher, dryer valleys to the west and south. The building of a rail line between San Pedro and the coast, and connecting the banana plantations to the ports of Tela and Puerto Cortes spurred the development of San Pedro as an industrial city.

San Pedro, whose name has evolved over the years to San Pedro Sula (after the mines to the west), was officially recognized as a city by the Congress of Honduras on October 8, 2002, long after it had grown to be the industrial capital of Honduras, and the second largest city in the country.

San Pedro Sula is located at 15°31′10″N, 88°01′50″W

Sister cities

Portland, Oregon, USA

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