Granada, Nicaragua
Granada (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡɾaˈnaða]) is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department. With an estimated population of 105,862 (2022), it is Nicaragua's ninth most populous city. Granada is historically one of Nicaragua's most important cities, economically and politically. It has a rich colonial heritage, seen in its architecture and structure.
Granada | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
La Catedral de Granada, seen from la Iglesia de la Merced | |
|
Flag Seal | |
Granada Location in Nicaragua | |
| Coordinates: 11°56′N 85°57′W | |
| Country | Nicaragua |
| Department | Granada Department |
| Founded | 1524 |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 229 sq mi (592 km2) |
| Population (2022 estimate) | |
| • Municipality | 134,104 |
| • Density | 590/sq mi (230/km2) |
| • Urban | 105,862 (9th Nicaragua) |
| Climate | Aw |
Granada had a thriving Indigenous population. In 1524, the city was renamed Granada, by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, ostensibly the first European city in mainland America. Unlike other cities that claim the same distinction, the city of Granada was not only the settlement of the conquest, but also a city registered in official records of the Crown of Aragon, and the Kingdom of Castile in Spain.
Granada is also known as La Gran Sultana, in the reflection of its Moorish and Andalusian appearance, unlike its sister city and historical rival León, which displays Castilian trends.