GRACIAS

city, southwestern Honduras. It lies in the valley of the Mejocote River, at the foot of Las Minas Hill in the Celaque Mountains. Founded in 1536, it is one of the oldest cities in Honduras. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was a major mining and administrative centre, but it declined in the 18th century. Destroyed in 1915 by an earthquake, it has been rebuilt. Gracias is now the commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural lands. Celaque National Park, with the highest peak in Honduras, is nearby. Pop. (1988 prelim.) city, 3,678; (1990 est.) mun., 19,067.