Somoto Canyon National Monument

Somoto Canyon National Monument

The Somoto Canyon National Monument
Map showing the location of Somoto Canyon National Monument

Location within Nicaragua

Location Madriz department, Nicaragua
Nearest city El Espino
Coordinates 13°27′14″N 86°42′14″W / 13.4539°N 86.7039°W / 13.4539; -86.7039Coordinates: 13°27′14″N 86°42′14″W / 13.4539°N 86.7039°W / 13.4539; -86.7039[1]
Area 170.31 hectares (420.8 acres)
Established 2005
Governing body Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources

Somoto Canyon National Monument (Spanish: Monumento Nacional Cañón de Somoto) is a canyon located in the Madriz department of Nicaragua. The Somoto Canyon National Monument protected area covers an area of approximately 170.31 hectares (420.8 acres),[2] of which 125 hectares (310 acres) are in the actual zone of the canyon.

The Somoto Canyon was declared a national monument on November 29, 2005.[3] The Somoto Canyon National Monument comprises one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua and is managed by Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA).

History

The Somoto Canyon had not been explored systematically until a group of scientists from the Czech Republic and Nicaragua (INETER) "discovered" the canyon in 2004.[2] The canyon is believed to have formed 5 to 13 million years ago during the Miocene period.[2] After its discovery in 2004, the Somoto Canyon has been developing into a tourist attraction, further helping the growth of tourism in Nicaragua.[4] However, this has also had a negative effect with incidents such as graffiti being written on the walls of the Canyon since its discovery. MARENA and INETER send technicians to clean and repair the vandalism.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cañon De Somoto National Monument protectedplanet.net
  2. 1 2 3 "Somoto Canyon declared National Monument". ViaNica. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  3. ↑ "Asamblea declara monumento nacional al cañón de Somoto". Radio La Primerísima (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  4. ↑ Aragón R., William. "Desentrañando el Gran Cañón". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  5. ↑ Pérez R., Wilder. "Limpian Cañón de Somoto". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-08-08.
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