Jinotega

Jinotega

Jinotega, Nicaragua

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Jinotega

Location in Nicaragua

Coordinates: 13°10′N 86°00′W / 13.167°N 86.000°WCoordinates: 13°10′N 86°00′W / 13.167°N 86.000°W
Country  Nicaragua
Department Jinotega
Municipality Jinotega
City Jinotega
Founded 1891
Government
 • Mayor Leónidas Centeno Rivera
 • Vice Mayor Rosalpina Pineda Zeledón
Elevation 1,000 m (3,000 ft)
Population (2014)
 • City 51,073 [1]
 • Metro 429,240
 • Gentilic Jinotegano/a
Area code(s) Ni-Ji
Climate Aw
Website

http://www.alcaldiajinotega.gob.ni/ (in spanish)

http://monumental96.com/jinotega/ (in spanish)

The city of Jinotega (Spanish pronunciation: [xinoˈteɣa]) is the capital of the department of Jinotega in the north central region of Nicaragua.

The city located in a long valley surrounded by the cool climate and Dariense Isabelia ridge located 160km north of the capital Managua. Jinotega has a population of 123,548 inhabitants (city) and 417,372 department [CENSUS 2012]. Jinotega produces 80% of Nicaragua's coffee, which is exported to the United States, Russia, Canada and Europe.

Jinotega countryside
San Juan Cathedral in the city of Jinotega
The department of Jinotega, Nicaragua
Cathedral in San Rafael del Norte, a city in the department of Jinotega
Cities over 20,000 inhabitants in Nicaragua (1995 census)

Also in Jinotega are several rivers and a lake. Apanas, an artificial lake of 51 square kilometers that provides hydropower to much of the country Although there is some contradiction as to the origin of the name, Jinotega is generally known as "The City of Mists" (Ciudad de la Brumas) for the magnificent whisks of clouds continuously feathering through the top of the valley. Another generally accepted name is" The Eternal City of Men "(" City of Eternal Men " ).

Jinotega is bordered to the

Geography

Lake Apanas, north of Jinotega

The climate is subtropical and tropical in the high valleys, dry in summer, rainy in winter and cool in the mountains.

History

The Indian city of Jinotega existed before the Spanish arrived. It is unknown when the first Spanish settled in Jinotega. It had to be after the year 1581, because the Spanish Census of 1581 shows it was still an Indian town. Even in 1703 when missioner Fray Margil de Jesus visited Jinotega there were no permanent Spanish settlers there. However by 1731 there were some permanent ones, like Juan de Castro, othe Spaniard lastnames like Gadea, Duarte, Altamirano, Alburquerque, Fray Juan de Zeledon, and some soldiers. Zeledon is said to have invited some nephews to come here who let descendants who still live there: some of them are Zeledon of La Concordia, Umure and Ocotal Espeso and Pacsila, idilic communities located between the cities of Matagalpa and Jinotega.

Cattle pasture near downtown

According to locals, Jinotega was founded when five Spanish families moved north from Nueva Segovia by year 1700 to settle the "dry zone" or "zona seca" community of Jocomico, Naranjo, Umure, Ocotal Espeso, which lies bout 15 kilometers south of the city. The city of Jinotega was formed in the middle of a bowl-like mountainous area. In 1703 a large cross was placed by Spanish friar Margil de Jesus at the highest point of Chirinagua in the western edge of the city, now called Cerro de la Cruz. It is illuminated at night, and tourists organize hiking tours to this peak.

The name Jinotega derives presumably from the Nahuatl word "Xinotencatl". Linguists disagree on the meaning of this word. Some interpret it as "City of the Eternal Men", whereas others translate it as "Neighbors of the Jiñocuabos". The word "Neighbors" here should be understood as being like the ending "ville" or "land". The interpretation as "Neighbors of the Jiñocuabos" is more likely to be the right one, since Jiñocuabo is a tree (Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg.) praised by the natives for curative properties. In the Nahuatl-Language Jiñocuabo seems to mean "mangy tree".

The Jinotega region is perhaps the most war-torn region in Nicaragua's history. Its remote location as well as its proximity to the border with Honduras made it a haven for rebel forces throughout the last seven decades. The most intense battles took place in the Department of Jinotega between 1927 and 1934 under Augusto C. Sandino and his troops (popularly known as "los bandoleros") against the American occupation troops. Later, at the end of the 1970s, Jinotega was a place of bitter war between the troops of Anastasio Somoza Debayle and the civilian rebel population. Somoza was defeated on July 19, 1979. After a short period of peace, civil war began again between government troops of the new Sandinista regime and the Contra rebels who felt betrayed by the Sandinistas and were funded by the United States.

Economy

Starting from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jinotega was driven by the economics of coffee. Jinotega is still a major supplier of coffee for Nicaragua and for other countries. The basic grains (corn, beans, and wheat), vegetables (tomato, lettuce, onion, cabbage, parsley, radish, celery, broccoli, potatoes, taro, carrot, cucumber) and fruit species also contribute to its economy.

Hydroelectrical energy generated by Centro América Plant supplies energy for much of the country.

There are three universities in Jinetoga:[2]

Public Universities
Private University

Notable people

International relations

Jinotega is twinned with:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+population+of+jinotega%2c+nicaragua%3f
  2. ↑ http://www.altillo.com/universidades/universidades_nicaragua.asp

Further reading

Other books related to Jinotega

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jinotega, Nicaragua.