San Pedro Sula, Honduras

San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula (Sula Valley), about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With an estimated population of 802,598 people (2010 estimate) in its metro area, it is the second largest city in the country behind the capital Tegucigalpa, and is considered the industrial center of Honduras. It is the capital of the Cortés Department. The city serves as a major transportation hub for the rest of the country, while economically maintaining its base in light industry and the commercial production of coffee, bananas, beef, sugar cane, tobacco, and forestry.San Pedro Sula has a museum of archeology and history, which includes both Pre-Columbian artifacts and expositions detailing the evolution of the city. The cigar making business is important, as are garment assembly plants, known as maquiladoras. Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport (SAP) is one of the most important airports in Honduras due to its local and international connections. The first private university in Honduras was founded in San Pedro Sula in 1978, Universidad de San Pedro Sula (The accredited private university).