9781422286579

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A Land Rich in Natural Resources

bathing resort; Lake Masaya, which is prized for its swimming and fishing facilities; and Lake Nejapa, where the sulfur-smelling waters are said to have healing properties. The urban centers of León, Granada, Masaya, and Chinandega are all in the west, too. Because western Nicaragua is located where two major tectonic plates collide, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen frequently on the Pacific side. Although fumes and ash from volcanoes have damaged farm- land at times, earthquakes have been by far more destructive to life and property. Hundreds of shocks occur each year, some of which cause severe damage. Managua was almost destroyed in 1931 and again in 1972 by earthquakes. Farming in the Central Highlands The triangular area known as the central highlands lies northeast and east of the Pacific lowlands. The mountain ranges running through this region include the Cordillera Entre Ríos on the Honduras border; the Cordilleras Isabelia and Dariense in the north-central area; and the Huapí, Amerrique, and Yolaina mountains in the southeast. The mountains are highest in the north. Mogotón Peak, at 7,998 ft (2,438 m) in the Cordillera Entre Ríos, is the highest point in the country. Forests of oak and pine cover the Pacific-facing slopes of this rugged terrain . Protected from Caribbean storms by high ridges, these slopes have attracted farmers since Spanish colonial times, and are now well settled. Deep valleys drain easterly toward the Caribbean Sea. On the eastern slopes, rainforests, nourished by tropical weather from the Caribbean, make