Managua (official name: "Leal Villa de Santiago de Managua") is a municipality and the capital of the Republic of Nicaragua, head of the department of Managua, The city sits in a historic pre-Columbian town that was elevated to villa on March 24, 1819, then to city in 1846, declared Capital of the Nation in 1852. The Municipality of Managua is the capital and seat of the Central Government of the Republic of Nicaragua, also functions as the main center of the Metropolitan Region.The geographical position of Managua makes it the main node of North-South connection at the national level: Managua with the only international airport in the country, connects it with the main border points, on the Pan-American highway and access roads to the interior of the country. It is located in the most developed macro-region of the country, the Pacific Region. It is the main center of consumption and the largest market for the production of goods and their commercialization at the national level. It has a greater endowment of equipment and services, as well as technical infrastructure and skilled labor. Managua is the largest population center in the country, concentrating the 24% of the population. The surface of Managua is 271.98 km² is located on the southern shore of Lake Xolotlán, with an altitude of 82.97 meters. Above sea level and an average annual temperature of 27.5°C.