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Nicaragua's north is really two regions, divided by geography and climate as well as - to an extent - the character of their inhabitants. The northwest is largely an agricultural area, its hot, dry grassy plains given over to cattle farming, peanuts and cotton, and its horizons punctuated by dramatic volcanoes. Heading northwest from Managua, two roads lead to the colonial city of Leon and agricultural Chinandega, the only towns of any size in northwest Nicaragua. The only stop of any interest for visitors on the way to Leon is at the ruins of Leon Viejo , one of the very first Spanish settlements in Central America. Once the capital of Nicaragua, the city of Leon itself is of interest mainly for its cathedral, the largest in Central America, though students of Nicaraguan politics and history will also find the city interesting for its role as the birthplace of the FSLN. Further northwest is the hot rural town of Chinandega and the Cosiguina Peninsula , along with a chain of volcanoes including Volcan San Cristobal , at 1745m the highest in the country, and the smaller Volcan Cosiguina , perched on the end of the peninsula. Good beaches are scarce on this stretch of the Pacific coast. Poneloya , a weekend and holiday destination for inhabitants of Leon, is wild and wave-raked and not really safe for swimming. North of Managua the landscape is altogether different, with mountainous hillsides covered in bright-green coffee plants and cows grazing in cool alpine pastures. Set within a circle of mountains, the north has a more temperate climate and very productive soil, with plenty of tobacco plantations and an economy based on coffee, grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy farming. The journey north from Managua to Esteli, some 150km from the capital, is one of the most inspiring in the country, as the Carretera Interamericana winds through the grassy Pacific plains, skirting the southern edge of Lago de Managua before climbing slowly into a ribbon of blue mountains. Many travellers coming from the south notice a distinct difference in the people as well as the geography: northerners are poorer and more battle-hardened, and can sometimes seem less forthcoming than Nicaraguans in other areas. In both the Sandinista Revolution years and during the Contra-Sandinista struggles of the 1980s, this region, and particularly Esteli , its largest town, saw heavy fighting and serious bloodshed. Because of their staunchly leftist character and legendary tenacity, Somoza bore a particular grudge against the inhabitants of Esteli and waged brutal offensives on the city. Scars have not really healed, either on the bombed-out buildings that still dot the streets of Esteli or in people's minds, and the region remains a centre of unflappable Sandinista support, as demonstrated by the party's sweeping victories in municipal elections in northern Nicaragua in November 2000.
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