Carazo (department)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Carazo () is a
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in
Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
. It covers an area of 1,081 km2 and has a population of 198,395 (2021 estimate). The capital is
Jinotepe Jinotepe () is a city and municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas. Toponymy Jinotepe comes from the náhuatl "xilotl" (“tender corn”), "tepetl" (“hill”) y "-k" (“place ...
.


Geography

Much of the department consists of a large plain sloping gently down towards the Pacific Ocean. The main urban centres are
Diriamba Diriamba is a city and a municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua, with a population of 64,757 (2020 estimate). It is located 41 km south of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Geography The city's elevation (just above 500 meter ...
and
Jinotepe Jinotepe () is a city and municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas. Toponymy Jinotepe comes from the náhuatl "xilotl" (“tender corn”), "tepetl" (“hill”) y "-k" (“place ...
in the interior. The adjoining departments are
Managua ) , settlement_type = Capital city , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Nicara ...
,
Masaya Masaya () is the capital city of Masaya Department in Nicaragua. It is situated approximately 14 km west of Granada and 31 km southeast of Managua. It is located just east of the Masaya Volcano, an active volcano from which the cit ...
,
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
and Rivas. The climate is
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
with the temperature varying between 28 and 32 °C (82 and 90 °F). The hottest months are April and May. The rain falls mainly between May and October and the rest of the year is dry.


Economy and tourism

The inland part of the department produces a variety of agricultural crops including high quality coffee and near the ocean the subtropical climate suits citrus trees and sugar cane. Livestock and cereal crops are also produced there and stone of volcanic origin is quarried. The Pacific coast offers beaches with tourist facilities. Other tourist destinations include the Salto de la Culebra Waterfall, and the Centro Ecoturístico La Máquina, a private nature reserve, both near
Diriamba Diriamba is a city and a municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua, with a population of 64,757 (2020 estimate). It is located 41 km south of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Geography The city's elevation (just above 500 meter ...
. The Museo Ecológico de Trópico Seco is a museum in Diriamba which has displays on the flora and fauna of the department.


Wildlife Reserve Río Escalante-Chacocente

The Río Escalante-Chacocente Wildlife Reserve is situated near Santa Teresa and is one of the most important dry tropical reserves in Nicaragua. A half kilometre stretch of beach attracts large numbers of
olive ridley sea turtle The olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in th ...
s (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), known locally as paslama turtles. These come on land on several consecutive nights at certain phases of the moon between July and December to dig holes in the sand and lay their eggs. Park rangers are on hand to prevent the eggs being collected and sold locally for food. The incubation period is about 48 days and after that time, millions of juvenile turtles dig their way out of the nests and try to make their way down to the sea. Predatory birds engage in a feeding frenzy at this time, so to keep them safe, some of the eggs are transported to special nursery areas where the young turtles can be protected when they hatch. Other beaches in the park have
Hawksbill sea turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is largel ...
s (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') and
green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
s (''Chelonia mydas'') nesting. The park is 4,645 hectares in area and has simple accommodation facilities in tents or at a hostel. Trails lead through the park and there are a wide variety of trees, flowering plants, birds and animals to be seen.


Municipalities

#
Diriamba Diriamba is a city and a municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua, with a population of 64,757 (2020 estimate). It is located 41 km south of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Geography The city's elevation (just above 500 meter ...
#
Dolores Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name) Dolores may also refer to: Film * ''Dolores'' (2017 film), an American documentary by Peter Bratt * ' ...
# El Rosario #
Jinotepe Jinotepe () is a city and municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas. Toponymy Jinotepe comes from the náhuatl "xilotl" (“tender corn”), "tepetl" (“hill”) y "-k" (“place ...
# La Conquista # La Paz de Carazo #
San Marcos San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to: Towns and cities Argentina * San Marcos, Salta Colombia * San Marcos, Antioquia * San Marcos, Sucre Costa Rica * San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú) ...
# Santa Teresa


References

{{Authority control Departments of Nicaragua