Nueva Segovia Department Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Nueva Segovia

Department

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Nicaragua

Capital

Ocotal

Area

• Department

3,491 km² (1,348 sq mi)

Population

(2021 estimate)

• Department

275,291

• Density

78.857/km² (204.240/sq mi)

• Urban

131,619

ISO 3166-2

NI-NS

Nueva Segovia is a department in Nicaragua. It is like a state or a province. It covers an area of about 3,491 square kilometers. That's roughly 1,348 square miles. In 2021, about 275,291 people lived there. The main city and capital of Nueva Segovia is called Ocotal.

The Story of Las Segovias
Cities and Towns
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The Story of Las Segovias

Las Segovias is a special region in northern Nicaragua. It includes five departments: Estelí, Jinotega, Madriz, Matagalpa, and Nueva Segovia. This area has natural borders formed by mountains and rivers.

Natural Borders of the Region

To the north, mountains near Dipilto, Jalapa, and Mozonte mark the edge. These mountains reach all the way to the Coco River. In the south, the region is bordered by mountains around La Trinidad and San Nicolás. These mountains slope down to valleys between Sébaco and El Sauce.

To the east, river valleys near La Concordia, Jinotega, San Sebastián de Yalí, and Wiwilí de Jinotega form the boundary. On the west, the border follows a mountainous area that extends towards the Pacific Ocean. This western part includes Estelí, San José de Cusmapa, and San Juan de Limay.

Early Inhabitants and Spanish Arrival

Before Europeans arrived, the region was home to Native American groups. These included the Mayangnas and Matagalpa peoples. Later, groups like the Nahua from Mexico and the Chorotega from Cholula also settled here.

Nueva Segovia was one of the first parts of Nicaragua that the Spanish colonized. The conquistadors built cities like Vieja and Antigua. They set up a system called the Corregimiento. This system helped them manage the local people. A corregidor was like a mayor who ran a district. They used the local people to mine gold and other minerals for Spain. This period greatly reduced the number of native people living in the area.

How Departments Were Formed

After Nicaragua became independent, it created its first constitution in 1858. This constitution set up seven departments. These included Chinandega, Chontales, Granada, León, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, and Rivas.

Over time, some of these departments were divided. For example, the Department of Jinotega was created from Matagalpa in 1892. At the same time, the Estelí Department was formed from Nueva Segovia. Nueva Segovia was divided again in 1936 when the Madriz Department was created.

Sandino and the Region

In 1926, during a time when the United States occupation of Nicaragua was happening, Las Segovias became important. It was the center of a guerrilla warfare movement. This movement was led by Augusto César Sandino. He worked with local people to gather information and support his fight.

In 1933, peace talks were held in the region. Sandino asked the new president, Juan Bautista Sacasa, to create a large independent department. This department would cover the entire Las Segovias area. Sandino wanted to manage this department himself, controlling both civilian and military matters. However, the government did not agree to his plan. Instead, they offered his former troops a small area by the Coco River where they could farm.

Cities and Towns

Here are the main cities and towns, also known as municipalities, in Nueva Segovia:

Nueva Segovia Department facts for kids

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