# Masatepe

Masatepe (Spanish pronunciation:) is one of the nine municipalities of the Department of Masaya in Nicaragua. It is located on the plateau of the villages 50 kilometers from Managua along the road to Masaya. It belongs to the tourist corridor of " Los Pueblos Blancos" on top of the coffee-producing Volcanic Plateau. The origin of the word "Masatepe" comes from the Nawat language and is named after the Nahua chiefdom of Masatepek, which was located in the present-day department of Masaya. Masatepek is a combination of the Nawat words Masat (deer), and -tepek (hill). The literal translation of Masatepek is "deer hill". The Indigenous inhabitants of Masaya are the Nahuas and the Chorotegas, and the Nahuas who still inhabit the municipality dominate the cocoa production in Masatepe.

## History

The name Mazatepetl, meaning in Nahuatl: "Deer Mountain". The population of Chorotega origin, settled in the foothills of the Masaya Volcano, it is important to emphasize that in research deeper envelope the Aboriginal time appears the name Mazatepetl, but Matapalete or Popocatepetl than in Nahuatl means: "Burning Hill".
The ancestors settled from the Laguna de Masaya to the Pochote in the margins of the Masaya Volcano, then was moved to Nimboja and Jalapa.
According to Chronicles of the colony, 1 September 1528 to 5 May 1529, Fray Francisco de Bobadilla visited Matapalete and named a total of 154 aborigines living in the place. In an article of the year, 1613 historian Fray Juan Torquemada appears registered as municipality Masatepe.
In 1835 during the modern era and when Nicaragua had only four departments, Masatepe belonged to Granada.

## Weather and Location

Masatepe is located on top of the Plateau of towns, at an altitude of 475m, the total area can be divided into two main different types of biomes:
1- Rain forest (Usually has native trees and Coffee Plantations. Elv: (400 - 500m)
2- Dry Valley. ( can be found near the coast of the Lagoon, and the Masaya Volcano ). Elv: (90 - 250m)
The temperature fluctuates during the year, being mostly warm. During the winter months (November - January) the temperatures become cooler, and there are usually foggy mornings.
Climate data for Masatepe (1971–1990) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.4 (83.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.5 (86.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.7 (81.9) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 28.6 (83.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 25.9 (78.6) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 24.3 (75.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 20.4 (68.7) | 20.4 (68.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 20.0 (68.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 12 (0.5) | 10 (0.4) | 5 (0.2) | 17 (0.7) | 203 (8.0) | 185 (7.3) | 141 (5.6) | 172 (6.8) | 273 (10.7) | 239 (9.4) | 84 (3.3) | 29 (1.1) | 1,370 (53.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 124 |
| Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ||||||||||||||

## Sports

The town is home of football club Deportivo Masatepe.