Coco River
The Wangki river in Miskitu or Río Coco, in Spanish, formerly known as the Río Segovia, Cape River, or Yara River, is a river located on the border of northern Nicaragua and southern Honduras. It is the longest river that runs entirely within the Central American isthmus with a total length of 841 km (523 mi).
| Wangki River Río Segovia, Cape River, Yara River | |
|---|---|
Location of the mouth | |
| Location | |
| Countries | Nicaragua and Honduras |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Somoto Canyon, Madriz Department, Nicaragua |
| • coordinates | 13°27′06″N 86°42′32″W |
| • elevation | 2,219 ft (676 m) |
| Mouth | Caribbean Sea |
• location | Nicaragua |
• coordinates | 15°00′N 83°08′W |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 841 km (523 mi) |
| Basin size | 27,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 600 m3/s (21,000 cu ft/s) |
The river originates in the Somoto Canyon National Monument, near where the Pan American Highway crosses into Nicaragua, and flows through low mountainous terrain 841 kilometres (523 mi) into the Caribbean Sea at Cabo Gracias a Dios; the middle and lower reaches form the Honduras-Nicaragua border.
On September 7, 2007, major international news wires reported that the Río Coco was over 11 metres (36 ft) above normal stage, two days after category 5 Hurricane Felix made landfall.