Granada, with an estimated population of about 116,000 (2005), is Nicaragua's fourth most populous city. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America It is the oldest city founded by Europeans in Central America. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America This is after several cities in Mexico were priorly settled by Spanish, i. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. e. Veracruz and Mexico City, among others. Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that constitute the republic of Mexico. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico It is historically one of Nicaragua's most important cities. It is situated on the northwestern shore of Lake Cocibolca and was founded by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba on December 8, 1524. There were two Spanish Conquistadores at the start of the 16th century named Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. It has a rich colonial heritage, seen in its architecture and layout. Granada is commonly nicknamed the "Gran Sultana del Gran Lago" - the Great Sultan of the Great Lake.
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History
It was named after the Andalusian city of Granada by Hernández de Córdoba. Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain. This was done in honor of the defeat of the last Moorish stronghold, which had been Spanish Granada, by the Catholic King and Queen of Spain. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Granada, Nicaragua was historically the sister capital in Central America to Antigua, Guatemala. Antigua (ænˈtiːgə an-TEE-gah) is an Island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region the main Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest During the colonial period Granada maintained a flourishing level of commerce with ports on the Atlantic, through Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca) and the San Juan River. The San Juan River ( Spanish: Río San Juan is a 19206 Km (119 The city captured a great deal of attention from many pirates which assaulted the city on three occasions. [1] It was also where William Walker, the American filibuster, took up residence and attempted to take control of Central America as a ruling monarch. William Walker ( May 8, 1824 &ndash September 12, 1860) was an American filibuster, adventurer and Mercenary A filibuster is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution One of Walker's generals, Charles Frederick Henningsen, set the city ablaze before escaping, destroying much of the ancient city and leaving printed the words "Granada Was Here". Charles Frederick Henningsen (1815 — June 14 1877 was an Anglo - American writer Mercenary, filibuster, and Munitions expert [2][3]
For many years Granada disputed with Léon its hegemony as the major city of Nicaragua. León is the second largest City in Nicaragua, after Managua. The city of Granada was favored by the Conservatives, while Léon was favored by the Liberals. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal For many years there was conflict that at times became quite violent between the cities families and political factions. In the mid 1800s a compromise site was agreed on and the capital was finally established in between both cities at Managua. Managua is the Capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name
The city has been witness and victim to many the battles and invasions from English, French and Dutch pirates trying to take control of Nicaragua. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands For the most part Granada avoided damage during the years of conflict which existed in Nicaragua in the 1980s. Granada has shown to be a city of character and strength, surviving many of the adversities which it suffered.
Geography & ecology
Granada is located along the coast of the Lake Cocibolca, the world's twentieth largest lake, and the only freshwater lake to have sharks living in its waters. Granada is the capital city of the Department of Granada, which boarders Boaco and Managua to the north, Masaya and Carazo to the east and Rivas to the south. Managua is the Capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name Within the same department, the River Tipitapa which connects the Lake of Managua and Nicaragua passes through it in the north. It also has three volcanic lagoons; Manares, Genirzaro, and the famous Apoyo. Apoyo, which is shared with the Department of Masaya, is the largest volcanic lagoon in Nicaragua.
Granada is a very warm city year round, with very similar temperatures to Managua. This is due to similarities in geography with its close proximity to a lake and surrounded by high hills. Rain in Granada is approximately between 1,100-2,100mm annually.
The vegetation around Granada is a reflection of its climatology. Dry forests and also humid forests skirt the Mombacho volcano. Mombacho is a Volcano in Nicaragua, near the city of Granada. The volcano is also home to a wide array of fauna. Fauna is all of the Animal life of any particular region or time (See Wildlife of Nicaragua) The lake is also home to many creatures, both marine and freshwater creatures. The Wildlife of Nicaragua includes its Flora and Fauna. Nicaragua has a wide variety of Wildlife, most of which live in wildlife reserves It is the only fresh water lake in the world where sharks live (Nicaragua shark & Sawfish). The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull whaler, Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua Sawfishes are a family of marine animals related to Sharks and rays. Fishing in the lake is quite good and fisherman both commercial and recreational regularly catch guapote and mojarras, as well as sardines. Nicaragua has recently banned freshwater fishing of the Nicaragua shark and sawfish because of population declines. The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull whaler, Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua Sawfishes are a family of marine animals related to Sharks and rays. [4]
Other important cities and towns within the Granada district include Malacatoya, El Paso, El Guayabo, Diria, Macatepe, El Guanacaste, Nandaime and Diriomo, known nationally as the last city of witches. Mombacho volcano is the highest point (1,345m) within Granada; the now dormant volcano blew most of its cone into the lake forming the 365 Islets of Granada, from where the volcano provides an amazing view. The islets of Granada ( Spanish: Isletas de Granada) are located in Lake Nicaragua, just southeast of the city of Granada in Nicaragua It is also possible on a clear day to see Ometepe and Zapatera Islands. Ometepe is an island formed by two Volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Zapatera is a Shield volcano located in the southern part of Nicaragua. This latter island is the second largest island in Lake Nicaragua and it too is an inactive volcano. It is a nationally treasure, known for being the home of pre-Colombian statues and idols which were found on the island during the Spanish conquest, these are now exhibited in the Convento San Francisco Museum. The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences The Spanish colonization of the Americas was Spain 's conquest settlement and rule over much of the Western hemisphere.
Granada has many beaches on Lake Nicaragua, and are very popular around Semana Santa (Holy week). Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter.
Economy and tourism
- See also: Tourism in Nicaragua
Granada has long been a center of commerce, including timber, gold and silver. Tourism in Nicaragua has grown considerably recently and it is now the second largest industry in the nation Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Granada's economy continues to grow as it is becoming the national tourism hub. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Though Granada remains Nicaragua's fourth largest city, it is widely known for preserving some the finest colonial-era architecture in the country.
A real estate boom had been underway for several years, with many European and Americans purchasing and renovating the area's homes for retirement or holiday homes and several foreign realtors establishing offices, but that boom slowed in 2007. The prior escalation of real estate prices in Granada and other parts of Southwestern Nicaragua has led to a shift of investor attention toward Northern Nicaragua and the cities of Matagalpa, Leon, Corinto and the surrounding beaches of Leon and Corinto.
Museums have opened, including one of the finest in the country, the private Mi Museo, and new hotels and restaurants are proliferating at a fast clip.
Granada, though now highly dependent on tourism, also has fertile agricultural land within the municipality. Major production of organic coffee and cacao, cattle, plantain and bananas occurs within its boundaries. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom CACAO is a research Java Virtual Machine developed at Vienna University of Technology. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking in contrast to the soft sweet Banana (which is sometimes called the For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation.
Culture
- See also: Culture of Nicaragua
Granada is like most of the Nicaraguan Pacific; primarily populated by a Spanish-speaking majority of Mestizos followed by whites. Nicaraguan culture has several distinct strands The west of the country was colonized by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish -speaking Latin American Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin There are also people from the USA, Canada, Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and France residing in Granada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This is primarily due to Granada's booming tourist economy. Recently, the number of foreigners seeking colonial homes for purchase has brought a growing number of Europeans and Americans to Granada. Real estate prices are comparatively low although increasing regularly. This influx of foreigners is influencing culture and commerce in Granada.
Infrastructure
Most of Granada's streets are quite narrow due to the city's layout before the advent of motorized vehicles. Due to this, many streets are one-way which can add a challenge to visitors traveling by car. After many years of neglect, primarily due to the economic collapse of the nation in the 1980s, most of Granada's buildings and infrastructure began to deteriorate. Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids Roads and public utilities were severely un-maintained. Gradually, more investment has been directed in re-establishing much of Granada's infrastructure and public utilities. A public utility (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the Infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using
The city government has directed fund towards recognition and restoration of many of Granada's historic structures. Building restoration describes the process of the renewal and refurbishment of the fabric of a Building. The Spanish government has provided financial cooperation for the refurbishment of the city, one of the projects which currently are transforming Calle La Calzada into Peatonal (foot traffic only) Street. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [5]
References
- ^ granadanicaragua.net History
- ^ Festival En Granada, Nicaragua
- ^ Theodore Henry Hittell, History of California (N. J. Stone, 1898), 797.
- ^ Nicaragua bans freshwater shark fishing amid dwindling population numbers
- ^ elnuediario.com.ni Project for 'Calle La Calzada'
External links
- Travel
- Hotel,transportation, restaurant, tours
- Granada City Tourism Page
- Granada: hotels, restaurants, activities, photos
- Granada: Nicaragua's Grandest City
- Granada: hotels, restaurants, real estate, attractions
- Wikitravel Granada
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