Chinandega Department
Chinandega
Departamento de Chinandega | |
|---|---|
|
Flag Coat of arms | |
Location within Nicaragua | |
| Country | Nicaragua |
| Capital | Chinandega |
| Area | |
| 4,822 km2 (1,862 sq mi) | |
| Population (2021 estimate) | |
| 441,897 | |
| • Density | 91.64/km2 (237.4/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 288,830 |
| ISO 3166 code | NI-CI |
Chinandega (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃinanˈdeɣa]) is a department in Nicaragua, located on the border with Honduras. It covers an area of 4,822 km2 (1,862 sq mi) and has a population of 441,897 (2021 estimate). The indigenous inhabitants of Chinandega are the Chorotegas and the Nahuas, and was the location of the pre-Columbian Nahua kingdom of Teswatlan. The capital is the city of Chinandega.
Largely agricultural, it produces rum from sugar cane; other products are bananas, peanuts, shrimp and salt.
The port of Corinto, in Chinandega, is the most important in Western Nicaragua.