Richard AmmonTegucigalpa (population 1.25 million) is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country’s largest city. The defining event in recent Honduran history, and that of Tegucigalpa also, is Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the country in 1998. Mitch reportedly set the country back 50 years. Tegus is still recovering from the massive flooding of the river, and equally massive landslides, both triggered by the rampant deforestation of the hills surrounding the city.
Tegucigalpa is divided presently into "barrios" and "colonias". The latter represent relatively recent 20th-century middle class residential suburbs that are continuously spreading while the former are old inner-city neighborhoods. Most of the city’s outskirts are "barrios marginales", shantytowns that house the poorest elements of Honduran society. The marked difference between social classes in Honduras is evident in Tegucigalpa with its largely improvised growth.
Tegucigalpa home to a bustling community of LGBT groups and activists, seen here in photos 41-74. Read the story.
