Managua is set on the southern shore of Lake Managua. Lake Managua is the second largest lake in the area right behind Lake Nicaragua. Containing 1/3 of Nicaragua's population of about 973,000, it is the chief commercial, industrial, and political center of Nicaragua. Due to the low impact war that was happening during the 80s between the US and rebel forces, massive migration from the country side to Managua occurred and the population tripled in the span of three years.
Infrastructurally, Managua is only built to provide services to 500,000 people and its population is nearing 1,000,000 and if the surrounding area is included Managua provides services to 1,500,000. The rapid expansion and inadequate housing then creates problems with public services. There is a constant game of catch up in building and connecting all housing to water lines, sewage, electrical hook ups and roads. The increasing number of urban inhabitants is outspacing the creation of a new social infrastructure.
The city of Managua is built on over 100 faults and it is predicted that this city will have an earthquake every 50 years or so. Managua has been destroyed twice due to earthquakes and has never been able to rebuild adequately. It has been labeled a structural disaster because of this. Today Managua has no central business district (CBD) and the former downtown area consists of empty fields except for a few of the areas used for sports fields and national monuments. Only a few historical monuments have been able to survive the earthquakes. The Palace of Heroes of the Revolution, the Presidential Palace, and the Metropolitan Cathedral are the only remaining historical places in and around Managua.
Since the earthquake, residential and business areas have been built on the outskirts of Managua, causing huge urban sprawl problems. Large villages of housing units have been built for the thousands of families left homeless after the '72 earthquake. As these developments were built and inhabited, schools, hospitals and shopping centers have developed as well. Due the fact that there is no CBD each neighborhood functions as its own mini community with schools, medical care, employment, etc. all within the neighborhood. Most neighborhoods sustain themselves economically because of the "mercados de abasto" or general shopping markets. Many of these markets become an economic burden though, due to the number of unlicensed vendors peddling products.
Managua is composed of over 250 of these barrios (neighborhoods) with the majority being squatter settlements. Due to this spontaneous settling and overpopulation water and land contamination are huge problems. Water in Managua is turned off twice a week to prevent the leaking of toxins from the lake into the fresh water supply of the reservoir. Many of these lakes have been used as dumping grounds for mercury and arsenic and the necessary funds and skills are not available to Managua at this time to afford clean up.
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