Annex: Departments of Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a unitary republic. Administratively it is divided into 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions, the latter based on the Spanish model of autonomous communities.

History

After Nicaragua became independent, in 1838, the country was divided into four departments, called: Occidental, Oriental, Septentrión and Meridional.

Twenty years later, in 1858, seven departments were created:

• the West divided into Chinandega and León.
• the East was divided into Granada and Chontales.
• the north was divided into Nueva Segovia and Matagalpa.
• the South renamed Rivas.

The present departments have been created at irregular intervals:

The departments of Managua in 1875 and Masaya in 1883, separated from Granada.

In 1891 they created three new departments:

• Jinotega from the northern part of Matagalpa.
• Estelí from the southern part of Nueva Segovia
• Carazo de una parte de Granada.

When the Mosquito Coast was reincorporated into the rest of Nicaragua in 1894, a new department called Zelaya was created, after the country's then-president José Santos Zelaya.

In 1936 Boaco was created as an independent department, after having belonged to Chontales, while Madriz was detached from Nueva Segovia.

The department of Río San Juan was formed in 1949 from a part of Chontales along with San Juan del Norte that was considered a region of special status along with the Cabo Gracias a Dios region.

Lastly, the department of Zelaya was divided into two parts in 1986 to form the two autonomous regions of Atlántico Norte and Atlántico Sur. Both were renamed in 2010 as North Caribbean Coast and South Caribbean Coast.^{[citation required]}

List of departments

Nicaragua is divided into 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions.

Department	ISO Code	Area (km2)	Population (2020)	Density of population (hab/km2)	Capital	Shield	Flag
Boaco	NI-BO	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake castor age.4177	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0185013. hypothesized fake brainstorm.185 013	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake44,30	Boaco
Cardio.	NI-CA	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.1081	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0197139.197 139	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.0182,300000182.3	Jinotepe
Chinandega	NI-CI	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake castor syndrome.4822	' s fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes 0439906.439 906	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild ultimate fake brainchild ultimate fake brainchild.91.22	Chinandega
Chontales	NI-CO	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm 06481. fake fake brainstorm6481	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild expose0190863. expose himself to hypothesis.190 863	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake29,45	Juigalpa
Caribbean Coast	NI-CN	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 03033106. exposes fake brainchild.33 106	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes0530586.530 586	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 016. fake3000016,03	Port Cabezas
South Caribbean Coast	NI-CS	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm brainstorm.27 260	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm 0414543. hypothesized fake brainstorm.414 543	' fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake15,21	Bluefields
Estelí	NI-ES	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake sex230. fake fake fake fake brainstorm2230	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake sex29866.229 866	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake dream0103.100000103.1	Estelí
Grenada	NI-GR	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.1040	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake0214317. expose himself to hypothesis.214 317	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake sex0206.100000206,1	Grenada
Jinotega	NI-JI	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes the brainstorms of the brainstorm.9222	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm.475 630	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake51,57	Jinotega
León	NI-LE	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.5135	& fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 040421050. exposes fake brainchild.421 050	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake birth 081,95000081.95	León
Madriz	NI-MD	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes him to death.1708	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0174744.174 744	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake sex0102,300000102.3	Somoto
Managua	NI-MN	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes a fake brainchild.3465	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm brainstorm.1 546 939	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake castor 0446,400000446.4	Managua
Masaya	NI-MS	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake life0610,800000610.8	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0391903. exposes fake brainstorms0391 903	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake birth 060641,600000641,6	Masaya
Matagalpa	NI-MT	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes 06804. exposes fake brainchild.6804	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild die0593503. expose himself to hypothesis.593 503	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake anal sex 8,23000087.23	Matagalpa
New Segovia	NI-NS	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.3491	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm.271 581	& fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake anal sex7.79000077.79	Ocotal
Río San Juan	NI-SJ	' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.7543	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes0135446.135 446	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake birth017.96000017.96	San Carlos
Rivas	NI-RI	& fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake sex162.2162	& fake fake fake fake fake blouse 0182645. fake fake blouse.182 645	" fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild 084,41000084.41	Rivas

Autonomous regions

Based on the constitution approved in 1987, an autonomy regime (limited self-government) was established for the former department of Zelaya, which comprised the entire eastern half (Caribbean or Atlantic part) of the country.

The department was divided into two autonomous regions. Its statutes of autonomy are based on the Spanish autonomous model; the communities are led by a governor and an autonomous regional council.

• Autonomous Region of the North Caribbean Coast with headquarters of the regional government in Puerto Cabezas.
• Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region with regional government headquarters in Bluefields.

Central Zelaya Department

Starting in 2011, the department of Zelaya Central was created de facto, with 5 municipalities in the South Caribbean, this because the regional capital did not provide any attention to these municipalities.

Municipalities

The departments of Nicaragua are subdivided into municipalities. The last municipal election was held on November 5, 2017. Currently, Nicaragua has a total of 153 municipalities.