El Realejo
Encyclopedia
El Realejo is a municipality
in the Chinandega
department
of Nicaragua
. The town of El Realejo was constructed in 1532, during the first years of Spanish colonization
. During this period it served as Nicaragua's principal port, and remained so until the beginning of the 17th century, when pirate attacks started to threaten the towns commercial life-line. The importance of El Realejo was further diminished by the construction of Corinto
, which came to be Nicaragua's new principal port.
Today, the economy is based around agriculture, fishing, and the raising of animals. El Realejo is characterized by open expanses of tropical savannah that give way to mountains and beaches.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Chinandega
Chinandega (department)
Chinandega is a department in Nicaragua, located on the border with Honduras. It covers an area of 4,926 km² and has a population of 441,300...
department
Departments of Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a unitary republic, and for administrative purposes, it is divided into 15 departments and two self-governing regions based on the Spanish model:-Zelaya Department:...
of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. The town of El Realejo was constructed in 1532, during the first years of Spanish colonization
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
. During this period it served as Nicaragua's principal port, and remained so until the beginning of the 17th century, when pirate attacks started to threaten the towns commercial life-line. The importance of El Realejo was further diminished by the construction of Corinto
Corinto, Nicaragua
Corinto is a town of 17,000 on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the province of Chinandega. The municipality was founded in 1863 and was named in honour of the Greek city of Corinth.- Economy :...
, which came to be Nicaragua's new principal port.
Today, the economy is based around agriculture, fishing, and the raising of animals. El Realejo is characterized by open expanses of tropical savannah that give way to mountains and beaches.