Chichigalpa

Chichigalpa
—  Municipality  —
Chichigalpa Location in Nicaragua
Coordinates: 12°34′N 87°02′W
Country	Nicaragua
Department	Chinandega Department
Area
• Municipality	87 sq mi (225 km2)
• Metro	1.4 sq mi (3.5 km2)
Population
• Municipality	60,000 (est)

Chichigalpa is a town and municipality in the Chinandega Department of Nicaragua.

History

Pre-Columbian

It is presumed that Chichigalpa's first inhabitants arrived from the north. While their civilizations were not as advanced as those of the Aztecs and the Incans, they arrived at Chichigalpa due to a forced migration instituted by the Aztecs on weaker tribes. Of Toltec origin, the native people of Chichigalpa were the Niquiranos and Chorotegas.

Colonial Period

Geography

Area

The municipality covers an area of 225 km², but only about 3.5 km² make up the center of the municipality and its nearby surroundings. Chichigalpa is connected to the city of Chinandega by a paved road (15 km). The municipality connects to the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, through the Pan-American Highway. Chichigalpa forms part of the Western department of Chinandega. It is bordered to the north by the Cordillera Los Maribios (a mountain range), to the south by León, to the east by Posoltega, and to the west by the municipalities of El Realejo and Chinandega.

Climate

Chichigalpa is situated in tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw). The dry season last from November to April while the wet season extends from May to October. The average annual precipitation is of 1.34 mm (0.05 in). Temperatures are usually the highest in the month of April. The average temperature is 20°C (68°F). Relative humidity is 68% and strong winds blow in a northeast to south direction predominantly.

Today

Neighborhoods (Barrios)

The municipality is further divided into many neighborhoods (barrios):

• Candelaria
• Camino de Jesús
• Carlos Fonseca I, II
• Concepción
• El Pueblito
• Erick Ramirez
• Juan Jose Briceño
• La Parroquia
• La Cruz
• Los Lirios
• Mercedes
• Marvin Salazar I, II, III
• Modesto Ramón Palma
• Nueva Candelaria
• Nuevo Amanecer
• Quetzalia
• Ronald Altamirano II
• Reparto. 13 de Julio
• Santiago
• San Antonio
• Wells

References

Portales en la web:

- http://www.michichigalpa.com

Bibliography

• Historia del Municipio de Chichigalpa (translated into English). 2000.
• Sinopsis Histórica de Chichigalpa (translated into English).

this article incorporates text translated from Spanish Wikipedia