Siguatepeque
Encyclopedia
Siguatepeque is a small town in the Central Mountains of Honduras
, Central America
at 1100 metres above sea level and surrounded by mountains.
Located almost exactly halfway between Honduras' two largest cities of San Pedro Sula
and Tegucigalpa
, it is a major stopping point for rest and refreshment for Honduran and international inter-city traffic.
The town is at the centre of a regional vegetable and fruit production area, ensuring a year-round supply of fresh cheap produce.
1689 as a religious centre for retreats and monastic training, the population of the town grew through the intermarriage of colonists, the indigenous Lencas and the Mexican Nahuatl
immigrants. Allegedly, the name means ‘mount of beautiful women’ in the Nahuatl Mexican dialect. The name Siguatepeque is made up of two words in Nahuatl
: Cihuatl: Woman and Tepec:Mount, the mount of women. Siguatepeque is located more than 1,000 metres above the sea level.
In 1861 the town became a municipality in its own right, and a city in 1926.
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
at 1100 metres above sea level and surrounded by mountains.
Located almost exactly halfway between Honduras' two largest cities of San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula , about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean. With an estimated population of 638,259 people in the main municipality, and 802,598 in its metro area , it is the second...
and Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
, it is a major stopping point for rest and refreshment for Honduran and international inter-city traffic.
The town is at the centre of a regional vegetable and fruit production area, ensuring a year-round supply of fresh cheap produce.
Climate
The climate is mild. There are three seasons. During the wet and fairly cool season between May and November, enough rain falls in the area to ensure luxurious vegetation, while it escapes the excessive humidity of the far hotter and wetter lowland areas. A cooler interlude (November to February) provides seasonal contrast, with temperatures occasionally down to 8°C (40°F) as cold fronts enter from the north. This is followed by a dry season (February to May), with temperatures achieving a pleasantly warm peak of 32°C (95°F). Cool winds flow down from the local Calenterique forest and from the immense Cordillera Montecillos, a Biological Reserve on the southern edge of the valley. Even in the hot season air conditioning is unnecessary, with a fan almost always being enough. In the winter heating is rarely needed.History
Founded by the Spanish inSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
1689 as a religious centre for retreats and monastic training, the population of the town grew through the intermarriage of colonists, the indigenous Lencas and the Mexican Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
immigrants. Allegedly, the name means ‘mount of beautiful women’ in the Nahuatl Mexican dialect. The name Siguatepeque is made up of two words in Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
: Cihuatl: Woman and Tepec:Mount, the mount of women. Siguatepeque is located more than 1,000 metres above the sea level.
In 1861 the town became a municipality in its own right, and a city in 1926.
Trivia
- Siguatepeque is considered the exact geographical center of continent the AmericasAmericasThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. - One of the famous local food is known as Alcitrones.