Somoto Canyon National Monument
Encyclopedia
Somoto Canyon National Monument (Spanish:Monumento Nacional Cañón de Somoto) is a canyon
located in the Madriz department
of Nicaragua
. The Somoto Canyon National Monument protected area covers an area of approximately 170.31 hectares (420.8 acre), of which 125 hectares (308.9 acre) are in the actual zone of the canyon.
The Somoto Canyon was declared a national monument on November 29, 2005. The Somoto Canyon National Monument comprises one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua and is managed by Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA).
and Nicaragua (INETER) discovered the canyon in 2004. The canyon is believed to have formed 5 to 13 million years ago during the Miocene period. After its discovery in 2004, the Somoto Canyon has been developing into a tourist attraction, further helping the growth of tourism in Nicaragua
. However, this has also had a negative effect with incidents such as graffiti
being written on the walls of the Canyon since its discovery. MARENA and INETER send technicians to clean and repair the vandalism
.
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
located in the Madriz department
Madriz (department)
Madriz is a department in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 1,602 km² and has a population of 133,300 . The capital is Somoto.Madriz was created from Nueva Segovia department in August 1936, and named after José Madriz.- Municipalities :...
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 Somoto Canyon National Monument protected area covers an area of approximately 170.31 hectares (420.8 acre), of which 125 hectares (308.9 acre) are in the actual zone of the canyon.
The Somoto Canyon was declared a national monument on November 29, 2005. The Somoto Canyon National Monument comprises one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua and is managed by Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA).
History
The Somoto Canyon was relatively unexplored until a group of scientists from the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Nicaragua (INETER) discovered the canyon in 2004. The canyon is believed to have formed 5 to 13 million years ago during the Miocene period. After its discovery in 2004, the Somoto Canyon has been developing into a tourist attraction, further helping the growth of tourism in Nicaragua
Tourism in Nicaragua
Tourism in Nicaragua has grown considerably recently, and it is now the second largest industry in the nation. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country. The growth in tourism has positively affected the agricultural,...
. However, this has also had a negative effect with incidents such as graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
being written on the walls of the Canyon since its discovery. MARENA and INETER send technicians to clean and repair the vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
.