Boaco

Boaco is the capital city and municipality of the Boaco department of Nicaragua. The municipality of Boaco has a population of 56,900 (2006 est.) and an area of 1,086.81 km² (26% of the Boaco department).

The city of Boaco, with a population of approximately 19,000 (2006 est.), is located 88 km. from Managua. Boaco is called "La Ciudad de Dos Pisos" (The city of the two storeys), named by Dr. Armando Incer Barquero. The city's only two flat places are "El Parque" (Park) and the baseball field.

History

The name Boaco has its roots in the Zumo and Aztec native languages. It comprises two words; "Boa" or "Boaj" ("Enchanters") and the suffix "O" ("Place" or "Town"). In other words, Boaco means "Place (or Town) of the Enchanters". The ancient Boaco, or "Boaco Viejo" (Old Boaco) was located five leagues (15 miles) east of the city of Boaco. There are currently no vestiges of the former population.

In 1749, the Zambo, Caribe and Mosquito Indians, encouraged by the British colonialists on Nicaragua's Atlantic coast, raided Boaco Viejo. The attack was a predatory incursion filled with hate and ferocity.Fact|date=February 2007 The town was completely devastated. The few who survived the massacre flew west and founded the new town of Boaco (now known as "Boaquito" ("little Boaco")) near the Malacatoya River. Between 1752 and 1772, the population of Boaquito settled in the area where the city of Boaco is today, mainly due to diseases and the characteristics of the terrain (lowlands that were prone to flooding during the rainy season.).

The municipality of Boaco was traditionally part of the department of Chontales. On February 4, 1910, the government of José Madriz established the department of Jerez with the city of Boaco as its capital. However, the conservative government reversed that law and it was not until July 18, 1935 that the government of Juan Bautista Sacasa created the department of Boaco with the municipalities of Boaco, Camoapa, San Lorenzo, Teustepe, San José de los Remates and Santa Lucía. Boaco then became the capital of the department.

Geography

Boaco is located on the hilly central region of Nicaragua. Its topography is irregular with many mountains, thus these ones are smaller than the mountains in northern Nicaragua. The highest peak is El Cerro de la Vieja (The old womans hill) with an altitude of 1,020 Mts. The average elevation above sea level is 360 Mts.

The municipality of Boaco (12°28′N 85°40′W) borders with the municipality of Muy Muy to the north, the municipalities of San Lorenzo and Camoapa to the south, the municipality of Camoapa to the east and the municipalities of San José de los Remates, Santa Lucia and Teustepe to the west.

Climate

Boaco has a diverse climate which ranges from that of a tropical forest to that of tropical grasslands with scattered trees. The average temperature is between 27°C and 30°C during summer and 18°C in December. The annual precipitation is 1,200-2,000 mm.

Politics and government

According to Nicaraguan Municipality Law, elections for municipal authorities are held every four years. The current mayor of the municipality of Boaco is Vivian Orozco Zamora from the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).

Following the 2004 municipal elections, the seats are divided in the following way:

The governing party:

Sandinista National Liberation Front: 5

Parties in opposition:

Constitutional Liberal Party: 5

Economy

Located on the hilly central region of Nicaragua, it is the economic hub of the agricultural and cattle ranching lands in its vicinity. Boaco has played an important part in Nicaragua's economy, providing pecuarian products (beef, dairy products) to the rest of the country and even exporting to other countries.

With new paved roads, business from the country's capital of Managua has reached Boaco and stimulated the local economy. Boaco now has casinos, banks, gas stations and its first traffic lights installed.

The labour force is about 40% of the population of Boaco, about 23,000, with an unemployment rate of 13%.

Education

According to the 2000 census on education, Boaco has a population of about 31,000 students and 350 teachers (excluding communitary pre-school workers).

Elementary education (urban area only):

*Students: 10,000
*Facilities: 22

Secondary education (urban area only):

*Students: 15,000
*Facilities: 15

Multi-grade education (rural area only):

*Students: 10,000
*Facilities: 308

Communitary Pre-Schools:

*Urban area: 2,000 (74 facilities)
*Rural area: 3,000 (308 facilities)

Demographics

The municipality of Boaco is home to around 1% of Nicaragua's total population, but plays a more important role in the country's economy as a major producer of beef and dairy produces in what is called the cattle cluster (which includes the Chontales region).

Of the population of 56,900 (2006 est.), 27,900 (49%) are men and 29,000 (51%) women. The average age is 21.4 years; 60.5% of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age.

The rural population represents 61% of the total and the urban population 39%. The population density is 52.36 inh./km².

Culture

Boaco has a public library, "Fernando Buitrago Morales", founded after the triumph of the Sandinista revolution in July 1979 by Flavio César Tijerino and a group of young students, including Flavio Cesar Tijerino's daughters, Melba Tijerino and Velleda Tijerino. The library has an initial collection of 500 books. Later that year, the library becomes part of the newly founded Network of Public Libraries that was organized and coordinated by the Culture Department.

The library has received both national and international supports from governments, organisations and individuals, and today the public library of Boaco has a collection of more than 8,000 books.

Boaco has several museums; "The Boaco Museum of Anthropology", Arturo Javier Suarez Miranda "The Municipal Museum" and a private museum owned by Armando Incer Barquero, an academician - raised and born in Boaco, writer, historian and member of the Nicaraguan Language Academy, and the Nicaraguan Academy of History.

Literature and arts

Boaco gave birth to several poets and artists such as Armando Incer Barquero, Luis Rocha, Flavio Tijerino, and others in the intellectual Grupo U from 1958 and in recent years Lázaro Díaz, Yaoska Tijerino, Javier León Valdez and others with Grupo Macuta.

Local festivities

The local festivities in honor of Apóstol Santiago (Apostle Saint James) begins on July 25. The most traditional and folkloric aspect of this celebration are "Los Bailantes" (The Dancers), a group of peasants that comes every year, from generation to generation since the XVII century to honor the patron of Boaco.

Transport and communications

There are both paved and unpaved roads from Boaco to other important cities in the country. Public transportation (bus) is available to Managua and other locations inside and outside the department.

Communications

Telecommunications in Boaco are supervised by the Nicaraguan Telecommunications Company (Empresa Nicaragüense de Telecomunicaciones - ENITEL), which serves 1,326 individuals in the municipality of Boaco.

Mobile telephones are frequently used by the population. Movistar and Claro are the two telephone companies providing mobile telephone services in the area.

Media

BoacoVisión is the local cable TV channel. There are several local radio stations broadcasting on FM.

See also

* [http://www.moon.com/planner/nicaragua/regions/boaco.html Boaco, Chontales and the road to El Rama]
* [http://www.nicaliving.com/image/tid/28 Boaco in Nicaragua Living]
* [http://www.vianica.com/visit/boaco Boaco in Vianica]

Sources

*http://www.amunic.org AMUNIC
*http://www.magfor.gob.ni MAG-FOR
*http://www.manfut.org Manfut
*https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ The World Factbook
*http://www.grupomacuta.com