city, northwestern Honduras. It is situated in the Ulúa River valley, 37 miles (60 km) inland by highway and railroad from Puerto Cortés, on the Gulf of Honduras. The city, founded in 1536 by the Spanish, has been almost completely rebuilt. It is the centre of an important agricultural area that produces bananas for export and sugarcane, rice, corn (maize), sweet potatoes, cassava, and livestock for domestic consumption. It is also a commercial, financial, and distributing centre for northern and western Honduras. The country's chief industrial centre, San Pedro Sula has plants that manufacture foodstuffs, animal feed, textiles, clothing, hats, beer, soap, processed lumber, paper, furniture, plastics, paints, cement, glass, metalware, electrical appliances, bicycles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and a variety of other products. Hurricane Fifi in 1974 badly damaged the agricultural hinterland and certain industries. An industrial free trade zone opened in 1976. The city's growth slowed somewhat in the 1990s as the economy lagged, and many areas were severely damaged by Hurricane Mitch (Mitch, Hurricane) in 1998, though in most of the industrial areas the damage was only limited. A transportation centre, the city is a hub for highways and railroads and has an international airport. Pop. (2001) 439,086.