Matagalpa Department

{{Short description|Department of Nicaragua}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Matagalpa

| native_name =

| other_name = Departamento de Matagalpa

| settlement_type = Department

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| image_flag = Flag of Matagalpa.svg

| image_shield = Seal of Matagalpa.svg

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| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Nicaragua

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| image_map = Matagalpa Department in Nicaragua.svg

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| seat = Matagalpa

| seat_type = Capital

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| area_total_km2 = 6804

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| population_as_of = 2021 estimate

| population_footnotes = [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/nicaragua/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of departments in Nicaragua

| population_total = 600057

| population_density_km2 = auto

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| population_urban = 247508

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| blank_name = ISO 3166-2

| blank_info = NI-MT

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Matagalpa ({{IPA|es|mataˈɣalpa}}) is a department in central Nicaragua. It covers an area of 6,804 km² and has a population of 600,057 (2021 est). The capital is the city of Matagalpa with a population of about 111,000.

Matagalpa is the second largest region of the country in population size, and the fifth in area (after the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, Jinotega and Río San Juan).

Matagalpa is the most diversified region producing coffee, cattle, milk products, vegetables, wood, gold, flowers. Its extensive forests, rivers and geography are suited for ecotourism.

Although the Cacaopera people constitute the majority of the indigenous inhabitants in Matagalpa, the Nahua people inhabit the Sebaco valley, one of the most fertile areas in Nicaragua.{{Cite web|url=http://territorioindigenaygobernanza.com/web/nnic_09/|title = Nahoas. Territorio indígena y gobernanza}}