Chontales () () is a
department in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
. It covers an area of and has a population of 191,856. The capital is
Juigalpa. Some of land overlooks
Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua) on the western side. The department is livestock and fishing based, and is also a producer of apples.
Geography
The Chontales Department is situated in the central-southwest part of the country. It is bordered by the
Boaco Department to the north, the
Río San Juan Department
Río San Juan () is a department in Nicaragua. It was formed in 1957 from parts of Chontales and Zelaya departments. It covers an area of 7,543 km2 and has a population of 137,189 (2021 estimate). The capital is San Carlos. The departm ...
to the south, the
South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region
The South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It was created along with the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region by the Autonomy Statute of 7 September 1987 through a division of the former Zelay ...
to the east and
Lake Cocibolca to the west. Chontales geographically primarily consists of the slopes around Lake Cocibolca, the
Serranía Chontaleña range and rolling hills that undulate towards the Caribbean plain. The
Cuisalá, a tributary of the
Mayales flows in the northwestern part of the department. The shoreline of Lake Cocibolca within the department is about , between the mouths of the
Tecolostote and
Oyate rivers.
Municipalities
The department is divided administratively into 10 municipalities:
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Acoyapa
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Comalapa
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El Coral
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Juigalpa
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La Libertad
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San Francisco de Cuapa
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San Pedro de Lóvago
San Pedro de Lóvago () is a city in the Chontales Department of Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,14 ...
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Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
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Santo Tomás
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Villa Sandino
Economy
The regional economy of Chontales is mainly based around livestock. The estates along the shore of the lake and along the road to Rama contain many plains and wet pastures to accommodate for cattle herds. The department is also a major producer of apples, producing over 743,000 apples according to one census, representing 8% of all agricultural land in Nicaragua.
Mining and fishing are also conducted in the department.
Landmarks
The department contains the
Arqueológico Gregorio Aguilar Barea, which has a number of indigenous artifacts attesting to the socio-cultural development of the people of Chontales throughout history. The Museo Comunitario Juigalpan María Ramos in Juigalpa reveals much about the history and identity of the region. The Reserva Natural de Amerrique is a nature reserve within the department, in a volcanic area.
References
External links
Political map of Chontales
{{Authority control
Departments of Nicaragua