Masatepe
Masatepe
Matapalete or Popocatepetl | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Masatepe | |
| Coordinates: 11°55′N 86°09′W / 11.917°N 86.150°W | |
| Country | Nicaragua |
| Department | Masaya |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 22.9 sq mi (59.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,558 ft (475 m) |
| Population (2022 estimate) | |
• Municipality | 41,809 |
| • Density | 1,800/sq mi (700/km2) |
| • Urban | 22,978 |
| Area code | 42600 |
| Climate | Aw |
Masatepe (Spanish pronunciation: [masaˈtepe]) is one of the nine municipalities of the Department of Masaya in Nicaragua. It is located on the plateau of the villages 50 kilometers from Managua along the road to Masaya. It belongs to the tourist corridor of " Los Pueblos Blancos" on top of the coffee-producing Volcanic Plateau. The origin of the word "Masatepe" comes from the Nawat language and is named after the Nahua chiefdom of Masatepek, which was located in the present-day department of Masaya. Masatepek is a combination of the Nawat words Masat (deer), and -tepek (hill). The literal translation of Masatepek is "deer hill". The Indigenous inhabitants of Masaya are the Nahuas and the Chorotegas, and the Nahuas who still inhabit the municipality dominate the cocoa production in Masatepe.