Matagalpa

Department of west-central Nicaragua, lying in the Sierra Dariense mountains, which rise to over 1,000 m/3,000 ft; area 6,794 sq km/2,623 sq mi; population (1995) 383,800. The department produces 20% of the nation's coffee output, and has gold and silver mines and a diverse agricultural base, including livestock rearing and cotton growing. The town of Matagalpa is the capital of the department, which is crossed by the Inter-American Highway.

Matagalpa

Mountain town and administrative capital of the department of Matagalpa in west-central Nicaragua, lying 97 km/60 mi northeast of Managua; population (1997) 49,100. Industries include flour milling, coffee processing, and the manufacture of textiles. The nearby Selva Negra is one of Nicaragua's best walking areas.

Matagalpa has an old colonial church and a cathedral. The town was badly damaged during the Revolution of 1978–79, but is undergoing reconstruction.

There were three indigenous groups here when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century: the Molaguina, also known as Laborio, the Nahuatl-speaking people and the Guanuca.