Granada, Nicaragua

**Granada** is a ceety in wastern Nicaragua (1,040&nbsp;km²), an the caipital o the Granada Depairtment. Wi an estimatit population o 110,326 (2003), it is Nicaragua's fowert maist muckle ceety. Granada is historically ane o Nicaragua's maist important ceeties baith economically an politically. It hes a rich colonial heritage, seen in its airchitectur an layout.

Foondit in 1524 bi Francisco Hernández de Córdoba an ane o the first European ceeties in mainland Americas. Unlik ither ceeties who claim the same, the ceety o Granada wis no anerlie the dounset o the conquest, but a ceety registered in offeecial records o the Croun o Aragon an the Kinrick o Castile in Spain an aw.

Granada is kent as *La Gran Sultana* an aw, bi its Moorish an Andalusian appearance, unlik its sister ceety o León an historical rival, which haes Castilian trends, baith o the Baroque time.

## Maps
The OpenStreetMap project haes mapped the aurie here.

An Interactive Map  wi a Virtual Tour o Granada.

## History

It wis named bi Hernández de Córdoba efter the auncient Spainyie ceety o Granada. This wis done in honour o the defeat o the last Moorish stranghauld, which haed been Spainyie Granada, bi the Catholic Keeng an Queen o Spain. Granada, Nicaragua wis historically the sister caipital in Central Americae tae Antigua, Guatemala. Durin the colonial period, Granada maintained a flourishin level o commerce wi ports on the Atlantic Ocean, throu Loch Nicaragua (a.k.a. Cocibolca) an the San Juan River.

The ceety haes been witness an victim tae mony o the battles wi an invasions frae Inglis, French an Dutch pirates tryin tae tak control o Nicaragua.

It wis whaur William Walker, the American filibuster, teuk up residence an attemptit tae tak control o Central Americae as a rulin monarch an aw. Ane o Walker's generals, Charles Frederick Henningsen, set the ceety ablaze afore escapin, destroyin hintle o the auncient ceety an leavin printit the wirds "Here was Granada". In 2011 a Tea Pairty Associated group led bi the shady figure frae Arizona who caws hissel "PUD" muivit tae Granada wi the public intention o revivin Walker's state. His whauraboots or activities are currently unkent.

For mony years Granada disputit wi León its hegemony as the major ceety o Nicaragua. The ceety o Granada wis favored bi the Conservatives, while Léon wis favored bi the Liberals. For mony years thare wis conflict that at times became quite violent atween the ceeties' families an poleetical factions. In the mid-19t century a compromise steid wis agreed on an the caipital wis feenally established at Managua atween baith ceeties .

For the maist pairt Granada avoidit damage durin the years o conflict in Nicaragua in the 1980s.

## Geography an ecology

Granada is locatit alang the coast o the Loch Nicaragua (a.k.a. Lake Cocibolca), the warld's twintiet lairgest lake.

Granada is the caipital ceety o the Depairtment o Granada, which borders Boaco an Managua tae the north, Masaya an Carazo tae the east an Rivas tae the sooth. Athin the same depairtment, the River Tipitapa which connects the Lake o Managua an Nicaragua passes throu it in the north. It haes three volcanic lagoons an aw; Manares, Genirzaro, an the famous Apoyo. Apoyo, which is shared wi the Depairtment o Masaya, is the lairgest volcanic lagoon in Nicaragua. 

Granada is a vera warm ceety aw year roond, wi vera seemilar temperatures tae Managua. This is due tae similarities in geography wi its close proximity tae a lake an surroondit bi heich hills. Rainfaw in Granada is approximately atween 1,100-2,100mm annually.

The vegetation aroond Granada is a reflection o its climatology. Dry forests an humid forests skirt the Mombacho volcano. The volcano is hame tae a wide array o fauna an aw. *(See [[Wildlife o Nicaragua]])* The lake is hame tae mony creatures an aw, baith marine an freshwater creatures. It is the anerlie freshwater lake in the warld whaur shairks live (Nicaragua shairk). Fishin in the lake is quite guid, an fishermen, baith commercial an recreational, regularly catch guapote an mojarras, as well as sardines. Nicaragua haes recently banned fishin o the Nicaragua shairk an sawfish acause o population decline.

Ither important ceeties an touns within the Granada destrict include Malacatoya, El Paso, El Guayabo, Diria, Macatepe, El Guanacaste, Nandaime an Diriomo, kent naitionally as the last ceety o witches. Mombacho volcano is the heichest pynt (1,345 m) athin Granada; the nou dormant volcano blew maist o its cone intae the lake, formin the 365 Islets o Granada, frae whaur the volcano provides an amazin view. It is possible on a clear day tae see Ometepe an Zapatera Islands an aw. This latter island is the seicont lairgest island in Loch Nicaragua, an it too is an inactive volcano. It is a naitional treasure, kent as the hame o pre-Columbian statues an idols which wur foond on the island durin the Spainyie conquest, thir are nou exhibitit in the Convento San Francisco Museum.

Granada haes mony beaches on Loch Nicaragua which are vera popular aroond Semana Santa ("Holy Week").

## Economy an tourism

Granada haes lang been a centre o commerce, includin timmer, gowd an siller. Granada's economy continues tae grow as it is becomin the naitional tourism hub. Tho Granada remains Nicaragua's fowert lairgest ceety, it is widely kent for preservin some o the finest colonial-era airchitectur in the kintra.  

A real estate boom haed been unnerwa for several years, wi mony European an Americans purchasin an renovatin the aurie's hames for retirement or holiday hames an several foreign realtors establishin offices, but that boom slowed in 2007. The prior escalation o real estate prices in Granada an ither pairts o Soothwastren Nicaragua haes led tae a shift o investor attention toward Northren Nicaragua an the ceeties o Matagalpa, Leon, Corinto an the surroondin beaches o Leon an Corinto.

Museums hae opened, includin ane o the feenest in the kintra, the private Mi Museo, an new hotels an restaurants are proliferatin at a fast clip.

Granada, tho nou heichlie dependent on tourism, haes fertile agricultural land athin the municipality an aw. Major production o organic coffee an cacao, cattle, plantain an bananaes occurs athin its bundaries.

## Infrastructur

 
Maist o Granada's streets are quite nairae due tae the ceety's layoot afore the advent o motorized vehicles. Due tae this, mony streets are ane-wey which can add a challenge tae visitors travelin bi caur. Efter mony years o neglect, primarily due tae the economic collapse o the naition in the 1980s, maist o Granada's biggins an infrastructur began tae deteriorate. Roads an public utilities wur severely un-maintained. Gradually, mair investment haes been directit in re-establishin hintle o Granada's infrastructur an public utilities.

The ceety govrenment haes directit fund towards recognition an restoration o mony o Granada's historic structures. The Spainyie govrenment haes providit financial cooperation for the refurbishment o the ceety, ane o the projects which currently are transformin Calle La Calzada intae Peatonal (fuit traffeck anerlie) Street.

## Relevant historical airchitectur an attractions

* San Francisco Kirk an Museum
* Xalteva Kirk
* Plazuela de los Leones
* Plaza de la Independencia
* Central Pairk
* Cathedral
* Guadalupe Kirk
* La Merced Kirk
* Souls Chapel
* Fortin de San Pablo
* Fuerte La Pólvora
* Episcopal Palace
* Alcaldía Municipal
* San Antonio College
* Diocesan College
* Old Social Club
* Old Railway Station

## Cultur

Granada is lik maist o the Nicaraguan Pacific, populatit primarily bi a Spainyie-speakin majority o Mestizos follaed bi whites. Thare are fowk frae the Unitit States, Canadae, Spain, Germany, Italy, Austrick, the Netherlands, an Fraunce residin in Granada an aw. This is primarily due tae Granada's boomin tourist economy. Recently, the nummer o foreigners seekin colonial hames for purchase haes brocht a growin nummer o Europeans an Americans tae Granada. Real estate prices are comparatively law awtho increasin regularly. This influx o foreigners is influencin cultur an commerce in Granada.

## References

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqFm1nQy4hc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYFVJ6d0LxM

## Freemit airtins

* Granada Tourism  
* Granada City Tourism Page