San Pedro Sula << sahn PAY droh SOO lah >> is one of the largest cities in Honduras. The municipality of San Pedro Sula has a population of 719,063. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. The city is the capital of the administrative department of Cortés. San Pedro Sula lies in the fertile Ulua-Chamelecón River Basin in northwestern Honduras.
San Pedro Sula’s economic activities include food processing; manufacturing cement, clothing, shoes, and textiles; and growing bananas and sugar cane. The city has an international airport; railway facilities; and a highway that connects it with Puerto Cortés, the leading port of Honduras.
The Spanish conquistador (conqueror) Pedro de Alvarado founded what is now San Pedro Sula in 1536. At that time, it was called Villa de San Pedro de Puerto Caballos. In the 1600’s, pirates often attacked the San Pedro area, which exported gold and silver from America. In the 1660’s, the French pirate François l’Olonnais and his men looted and burned San Pedro.
In the mid-1800’s, San Pedro Sula was a small town with less than 2,000 inhabitants. By the late 1800’s, it had grown significantly as a result of nearby banana plantations and the construction of a railroad linking it with Puerto Cortés. San Pedro Sula became a city with an active cultural life; well-educated people; and comfortable, elegant buildings.
