n.
City (pop., 1995: 864,201), capital of Nicaragua .
Located on the southern shore of Lake Managua , it was of minor importance during Spanish colonial times. It was selected as the nation's capital in 1857 when a choice between León and Granada could not be settled. It was devastated by earthquake and fire in 1931 and by another major earthquake in 1972. It was the scene of fighting in 197879 during the civil war. The largest city and commercial centre of Nicaragua, it has several institutions of higher education, including the University of Managua, now part of the National University of Nicaragua. Sites of interest include Darío Park, with its monument to poet Rubén Darío .