Puerto Lempira
Encyclopedia
Puerto Lempira is the capital of the Gracias a Dios department in northeastern Honduras
, located on the shores of the Caratasca Lagoon
. Though it does not have paved roads, it is the largest town in the La Mosquitia
region.
The town is named for the 16th century leader of the indigenous Lenca peoples, Lempira
, who directed an ultimately unsuccessful resistance against the Spanish conquistador
forces in the 1530s.
Puerto Lempira became the departmental capital in 1975, prior to which it was Brus Laguna
. In the 1980s, the town became a center for CIA operations against the Sandinistas
.
Its population as of 2001 was 4,012.
Puerto Lempira is sister city to Plattsburgh, New York, USA
, and has been since 2011. They also have a sister city in Finland
, which is Oulu
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...
, located on the shores of the Caratasca Lagoon
Caratasca Lagoon
The Caratasca Lagoon is a large lagoon in the department of Gracias a Dios in northeastern Honduras. Puerto Lempira, the capital of the department, lies on its shores....
. Though it does not have paved roads, it is the largest town in the La Mosquitia
La Mosquitia
La Mosquitia refers to the northeastern part of Honduras along the Mosquito Coast. It is an underdeveloped region of tropical rainforest accessible primarily by water and air. Its population include indigenous groups such as the Miskito, the Pech, Rama, Sumo, and Tawakha. The Río Plátano Biosphere...
region.
The town is named for the 16th century leader of the indigenous Lenca peoples, Lempira
Lempira (Lenca)
Lempira was a war captain of the Lencas of western Honduras in Central America during the 1530s, when he led resistance to Francisco de Montejo's attempts to conquer and incorporate the region into the province of Honduras....
, who directed an ultimately unsuccessful resistance against the Spanish conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
forces in the 1530s.
Puerto Lempira became the departmental capital in 1975, prior to which it was Brus Laguna
Brus Laguna
Brus Laguna is a municipality in the Honduran department of Gracias a Dios. The municipality's population is about 11.000 inhabitants....
. In the 1980s, the town became a center for CIA operations against the Sandinistas
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
.
Its population as of 2001 was 4,012.
Puerto Lempira is sister city to Plattsburgh, New York, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and has been since 2011. They also have a sister city in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, which is Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....