Nicaragua Cities

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Nicaragua Cities by Population

124 cities shown of 124 total Nicaragua cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Managua 973,087
2. Leon 144,538
3. Masaya 130,113
4. Tipitapa 127,153
5. Chinandega 126,387
6. Matagalpa 109,089
7. Esteli 96,422
8. Granada 89,409
9. Ciudad Sandino 70,013
10. Juigalpa 54,731
11. El Viejo 53,504
12. Nueva Guinea 52,929
13. Jinotega 51,073
14. Bluefields 44,373
15. Diriamba 35,008
16. Ocotal 33,928
17. Puerto Cabezas 33,635
18. Chichigalpa 33,137
19. Rivas 30,293
20. San Rafael del Sur 29,836
21. Jinotepe 29,507
22. Boaco 29,046
23. Nagarote 26,270
24. Jalapa 24,037
25. La Paz Centro 23,481
26. San Marcos 23,347
27. Masatepe 21,452
28. Nandaime 20,810
29. Rama 20,456
30. Somoto 20,316
31. Corinto 19,183
32. Rio Blanco 17,018
33. Camoapa 16,653
34. El Crucero 16,469
35. Siuna 16,056
36. Somotillo 15,385
37. Santo Tomas 14,809
38. Quilali 13,590
39. San Carlos 13,451
40. Ciudad Dario 13,318
41. Ticuantepe 13,209

42. El Sauce 11,898
43. Condega 11,000
44. Acoyapa 10,563
45. Matiguas 10,523
46. Diriomo 10,113
47. Telica 8,776
48. San Lorenzo 8,694
49. Corn Island 8,011
50. Bocana de Paiwas 7,872
51. Villa Sandino 7,799
52. San Juan del Sur 7,790
53. Niquinohomo 7,732
54. Larreynaga 7,703
55. Puerto Morazan 7,671
56. San Jorge 7,158
57. Nindiri 7,073
58. Dolores 7,065
59. Wiwili 6,955
60. La Concepcion 6,946
61. Nandasmo 6,934
62. Laguna de Perlas 6,809
63. Waslala 6,498
64. Waspam 6,403
65. Posoltega 6,403
66. Bonanza 6,315
67. El Realejo 6,208
68. Santo Domingo 5,827
69. Santa Teresa 5,789
70. San Rafael del Norte 5,458
71. Belen 5,415
72. El Ayote 5,406
73. Potosi 5,222
74. Carlos Fonseca Amador 5,219
75. Tisma 5,182
76. Masachapa 5,000
77. San Juan de Limay 4,997
78. Muy Muy 4,839
79. Pueblo Nuevo 4,608
80. San Sebastian de Yali 4,514
81. Teustepe 4,287
82. San Miguelito 4,181

83. Jiquilillo 4,142
84. Moyogalpa 3,940
85. San Dionisio 3,910
86. Diria 3,903
87. San Fernando 3,899
88. San Juan de Rio Coco 3,820
89. Palacaguina 3,678
90. Muelle de los Bueyes 3,587
91. Achuapa 3,299
92. La Libertad 3,127
93. El Rosario 2,991
94. Santa Rosa del Penon 2,913
95. San Ramon 2,827
96. Altagracia 2,771
97. El Almendro 2,681
98. Tola 2,638
99. La Paz de Oriente 2,454
100. Cuapa 2,400
101. San Jose de Bocay 2,367
102. Mozonte 2,338
103. Catarina 2,327
104. Yalaguina 2,265
105. Totogalpa 2,265
106. La Concordia 2,249
107. Valle San Francisco 2,219
108. San Jose de los Remates 2,115
109. San Juan de Oriente 2,111
110. Telpaneca 2,037
111. Quezalguaque 1,974
112. Terrabona 1,902
113. Santa Lucia 1,869
114. Ciudad Antigua 1,787
115. Buenos Aires 1,692
116. La Cruz de Rio Grande 1,669
117. La Jicaral 1,446
118. San Jose de Cusmapa 1,419
119. Morrito 1,360
120. Nuevo Amanecer 1,292
121. Comalapa 1,272
122. Las Sabanas 1,257
123. Cardenas 1,204
124. Murra 1,179

Nicaragua History

In Pre-Columbian times the Indigenous people, in what is now known as Nicaragua, were part of the Intermediate Area located between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions. This has recently been updated to include the influence of the Isthmo-Colombian area. It was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met.

This is confirmed by the ancient footprints of Acahualinca, along with other archaeological evidence, mainly in the form of ceramics and statues made of volcanic stone like the ones found on the island of Zapatera and petroglyphs found in Ometepe island. At the end of the 15th century, western Nicaragua was inhabited by several indigenous peoples related by culture and language to the Mayans. They were primarily farmers who lived in towns, organized into small kingdoms. Meanwhile, the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua was inhabited by indigenous peoples, mostly chibcha related groups, that had migrated from what is now Colombia. They lived a less sedentary life based on hunting and gathering.

The people of eastern Nicaragua appear to have traded with and been influenced by the native peoples of the Caribbean, as round thatched huts and canoes, both typical of the Caribbean, were common in eastern Nicaragua. In the west and highland areas, occupying the territory between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Coast, the Niquirano were governed by chief Nicarao, or Nicaragua, a rich ruler who lived in Nicaraocali, now the city of Rivas. The Chorotega lived in the central region of Nicaragua. These two groups had intimate contact with the Spanish conquerors, paving the way for the racial mix of native and European stock now known as mestizos. However, within three decades an estimated Indian population of one million plummeted to a few tens of thousands, as approximately half of the indigenous people in western Nicaragua died from the rapid spread of new diseases brought by the Spaniards, something the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast managed to escape due to the remoteness of the area.

In 1502, Christopher Columbus was the first European known to have reached what is now Nicaragua as he sailed south along the Central America isthmus. On his fourth voyage Columbus sailed alongside and explored the Mosquito Coast on the east of Nicaragua. The first attempt to conquer what is now known as Nicaragua was by Gil Gonzlez Dvila, whose Central American exploits began with his arrival in Panama in January 1520. Gonzlez claimed to have converted some 30,000 indigenous peoples and discovered a possible transisthmian water link. After exploring and gathering gold in the fertile western valleys Gonzlez was attacked by the indigenous people, some of whom were commanded by Nicarao and an estimated 3,000 led by chief Diriangn. Gonzlez later returned to Panama where governor Pedrarias Dvila attempted to arrest him and confiscate his treasure, some 90,000 pesos of gold. This resulted in Gonzlez fleeing to Santo Domingo.

It was not until 1524 that the first Spanish permanent settlements were founded. Conquistador Francisco Hernndez de Crdoba founded two of Nicaragua's principal towns in 1524: Granada on Lake Nicaragua was the first settlement and Len east of Lake Managua came after. Crdoba soon found it necessary to prepare defenses for the cities and go on the offensive against incursions by the other conquistadores. Crdoba was later publicly beheaded following a power struggle with Pedrarias Dvila, his tomb and remains were discovered some 500 years later in the Ruins of Len Viejo.