Zelaya

Department of eastern Nicaragua; area 59,094 sq km/22,816 sq mi; population (1995) 398,900. It is Nicaragua's largest department, covering nearly 50% of the total country, and includes part of the coastal lowlands known as the Mosquito Coast. The land slopes eastwards from the central mountains towards the Caribbean coast, and is drained by many rivers, including the Rio Grande, Coco, and Escondido. Zelaya is rather inaccessible, particularly from the west. Gold and silver are mined; exports include bananas, cocoa, and timber, including mahogany, black walnut, and rosewood. The capital is Bluefields, the country's main Caribbean coastal port.

There is heavy rainfall on the mountains' eastern slopes which are covered with oak and pine trees. Zelaya contains most of the country's timber reserves, although these are rapidly diminishing.