San Pedro Sula is a city in the nation of Honduras. It is in the northwest of the country, some 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of about 486,000 people (2002 estimate), it is the second largest city in the country behind the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, and is considered the economice heartland of Honduras. It is the capital of Honduras's Cortés Department.
The city has a museum of archeology and history, which includes Pre-Columbian artifacts. The cigar making business is important here, as are factories for making clothes. San Pedro Sula International Airport (SAP) is the major airport in Honduras.
History
San Pedro Sula was founded on June 27, 1536, by Pedro de Alvarado with the name Villa de San Pedro de Puerto Caballos. It came to be referred to as "San Pedro Sula" within 5 years after its location in the Sula valley. It was a small provincial city with a population of 1,714 until the arrival of the railroad to the Caribbean Sea in 1888. After this the city grew rapidly to become Honduras's main business and industrial center.
