Somoto, Madriz
Somoto | |
---|---|
Municipality | |
Coordinates: 13°28′N 86°34′W / 13.467°N 86.567°W | |
Country | Nicaragua |
Department | Madriz |
Area | |
• Municipality | 180 sq mi (466 km2) |
Population (2022 estimate)[1] | |
• Municipality | 40,322 |
• Density | 220/sq mi (87/km2) |
• Urban | 21,211 |
Climate | Aw |
Somoto (Spanish pronunciation: [soˈmoto]) is a city and a municipality located in the hills of northern Nicaragua, and capital of the department of Madriz. It is around 20 km (12 miles) south-west of Ocotal and 51 km (32 miles) north-west of Estelí. It sits on the Pan-American Highway around 16 km (10 miles) from the Honduran border crossing at El Espino.
Founded in pre-Columbian times by
It is known as La Flor de Henequén (the Flower of Henequen) as a result of the cultivation of this crop in the city's environs. It is also renowned for its production of rosquillas somoteñas, crispy corn biscuits with a variety of flavours.[3]
History
Somoto was settled by
Somoto was granted town status in January 1867 and city status in March 1895. It has been the capital city of Madriz since that department's separation from Nueva Segovia in November 1936.[4]
Somoto's
The famous Nicaraguan singer-songwriters and brothers
Tourism
Somoto still has fewer than 10 hotels and is not a major stop on the Central American backpacker circuit. Tourists visit Somoto primarily to go tubing in the Monumento Nacional Cañón de Somoto. The Cañón de Somoto is featured on the 50 cordoba banknote and has been mentioned in both the Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor.
Somoto is often credited with being the birthplace of the Rosquilla. A traditional Nicaraguan snack, Rosquillas are made by making rings of cornmeal with a cane sugar center and baking them in large wood-fired cob ovens. Day tours of the Rosquilla factory in Somoto can be arranged and may include samples and a hands-on lesson in their preparation and history.
International relations
The
Somoto also has links with the following:
- Lasarte-Oria, Basque Country, Spain
- Llodio, Basque Country, Spain
- Leganés, Madrid, Spain
- Vic, Catalonia, Spain
- Fougères, Brittany, France
Sports
The
References
- ^ Citypopulation.de Population of Somoto municipality
- ^ a b City of Merced,Merced-Somoto History Archived 2012-08-01 at archive.today
- ^ Via Nica, History of Somoto Rosquillas
- ^ a b Alcaldía de Somoto, History
- ^ Parroquia Santiago de Somoto
- ^ Via Nica, Cacaulí Sanctuary
- ^ Biografías y Vidas,Carlos Mejía Godoy