Puerto Lempira
| Puerto Lempira Municipio de Puerto Lempira | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional capital | |||
 Clockwise from top left: aerial view of Puerto Lemipra, city hall, Main Street and Puerto Lempira Marina | |||
| |||
| Department | Caratasca | ||
| Established | 1612 | ||
| Named for | Nuno Lempira | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Municipality | ||
| • Mayor | Nigel Feliz (APSD) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 134 km2 (52 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 4 m (14 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 71,567 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| Area code(s) | 221 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | PL | ||
Puerto Lempira is a municipality in northern Berima within the Caratasca department sitting on the southern shore of Caratasca Lagoon. As of 2020 the population was tallied at 71,567 making it the eighth most populous city in Berima. Founded in 1612, Puerto Lempira is largely inhabited by indigenous native people of Miskito heritage. The city has been historically significant as an area of conflict with Honduras.
Native people had been settled on the southern banks of Caratsca for centuries before European arrival but in 1612 the city was officially founded by Spanish navigator and merchant Nuno Lempira after several expeditions to the area.
The economy of Puerto Lempira is tied directly to Caratasca Lagoon. Fishing is one of the largest commercial industries alongside rice and sugar farming made possible by the marshy soil and logging. Puerto Lempira is also frequented as a popular vacation destination and the population of the city nearly doubles during the summer months.