León () is a department in Nicaragua. It covers an area of and has a population of 426,850 (2023 estimate). The capital is the city of León. There are several volcanoes in the department, including the Momotombo and Cerro Negro.
History
León was established on 15 June 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba on the slopes of the Momotombo volcano. However, it was damaged by the eruption of the Momotombo volcano in 1578, and further destroyed in an earthquake in 1610. After the destruction of the city, the current settlement of León, was established about from the site, and León served as the capital of Nicaragua until the early 19th century. The old destroyed city became part of the Ruins of León Viejo. It also houses a cathedral, the largest in Central America, which was built between 1747 and 1860.
Geography
León is one of the fifteen departments of Nicaragua. It is spread over an area of . Its capital, León, is located from the national capital of Managua. There are ten municipalities–Achuapa, El Jicaral, El Sauce, La Paz Centro, Larreynaga, León, Nagarote, Quezalguaque, Santa Rosa del Peñón, and Telica, in the department.
There are several volcanoes in the Maribios mountains. The Cerro Negro, which raises to an elevation of , was formed in 1850 and is the youngest volcano in Central America. It is located close to the city of Leon and is amongst the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua.
Demographics
As per 2023 estimate, Leon department had a population of 436,850 inhabitants. The population consists of 51% females and 49% males. About 64.5% of the population were classified as urban, and rest 35.5% as rural.