León << lay OHN >> is one of the largest cities in Nicaragua. The municipality of León has a population of 203,701. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. The city lies in a western farming district, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Managua.
León is the home of a campus of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua. The city’s many fine buildings include the largest cathedral in Central America.
Spanish explorers founded Leon in 1525 on the shores of Lake Managua. It was moved to its present location in 1610 after the old town was destroyed by an earthquake. León served as the provincial capital of Nicaragua for many years, and then as the capital of the republic until 1855.
