Masaya Department
Department of Nicaragua
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Masaya (Formerly Masayan), (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈsaʝa]), (Nahuatl languages: Masāyān) is a department in Nicaragua. It is the country's smallest department by area (611 km2) and has a population of 397,632 (2021 estimate). The capital is the city of Masaya. It is famous among Nicaraguan people for its nickname, "La Cuna Del Folklore" which translates to (The Cradle of Folklore). It is also the site of the Masaya Volcano, an active 635m volcano which last erupted in 2016. The Indigenous inhabitants of Masaya are the Nahuas and the Chorotegas, and was the location of the pre-Columbian Nahua chiefdom of Masatepek.[3][4][5] The Nahuas dominate the cultivation and production of cocoa beans in the municipality of Masatepe.[6][7][8]
Etymology
The name Masaya is a combination of the Nahuat words Masat (deer),[9][10] and -yan (a locative meaning habitation).[11][12] Therefore the meaning of Masaya is "place where deer inhabit", which was named by the Nahuas in reference to the White-tailed deer that inhabit the region.[13][14][15][16] In addition, a Nahua chiefdom called Masatepek (meaning "deer hill" in Nahuat) was located in the Masaya department. Furthermore, the Nahuas of Masatepek inhabited Nindiri, Niquinohomo, Monimbó, and Masatepe.[17]
