León, Nicaragua
| León | |||
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| Municipality | |||
| Santiago de los Caballeros de León | |||
Catedral de la Ascunción de María (Mary's Assumption Cathedral)
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 León
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| Coordinates: 12°26′0″N 86°53′12″W / 12.43333°N 86.88667°WCoordinates: 12°26′0″N 86°53′12″W / 12.43333°N 86.88667°W | |||
| Country | Nicaragua | ||
| Department | León Department | ||
| Area | |||
| • Municipality | 591.07 km2 (228.21 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 86 m (282 ft) | ||
| Population (2012) | |||
| • Municipality | 210,615 | ||
| • Urban | 201,100 (2nd Nicaragua) | ||
| • Metro | 389,600 | ||
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) | ||
León (Spanish pronunciation: [leˈon]) is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spanish as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial churches, secular buildings, and private residences. As of 2012[update], the city had an estimated population of 201,100. which increases sharply during university season with many students coming from other regions of Nicaragua. It is the capital and largest city of León Department.
León is located along the Río Chiquito, some 90 kilometres (56 miles) northwest of Managua, and some 18 km (11 miles) east of the Pacific Ocean coast. León has long been the political and intellectual center of the nation and its National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) was founded in 1813, making it the second oldest university in Central America. León is also an important industrial, agricultural, and commercial center for Nicaragua, exporting sugar cane, cattle, peanut, plantain, and sorghum. The city has been home to many of Nicaragua's most noteworthy poets including Rubén Darío, Alfonso Cortés and Salomón de la Selva.
The first city named León in Nicaragua was founded in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba about 30 kilometres (20 mi) east of the present site. The city was abandoned in 1610 after a series of earthquakes. The ruins of the city are known as "León Viejo" and were excavated in 1960. In the year 2000, León Viejo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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