Madriz

Madriz is located in central Nicaragua. It was founded in 1936, when its territory was split away from the Department of Nueva Segovia. Its name is in honor of president Jose Madriz, who promoted its establishment.

Madriz is a relatively small Department and due to location, geography, and climate it is one of the poorest in Nicaragua. In spite of this, it is also home to one of the country's true jewels, San Juan de Rio Coco.

Madriz has important archaeological sites, especially Icalupe, to the northwest of Somoto. Many petroglyphs dating back over 1,500 years can be found here. Also, the cities of Somoto and Totogalpa have two of the oldest churches in Nicaragua.

Capital	Somoto
Location	Northern Nicaragua
Bordering Departments	North - Nueva Segovia South - Esteli, Chinandega East - Jinotega West - Honduras
Population	107,567
Area km2	1,602
Cities	Somoto, Palacaguina, Las Sabanas, San Jose de Cusmapa, San Lucas, San Juan de Rio Coco, Telpaneca, Totogalpa, Yalaguina.