CHINANDEGA, an important city of Nicaragua, Central America, capital of the department or State of the same name. It is 13m. N.N.E. of the Pacific port of Corinto, on the Pacific railway; population, 14,415. It is 22m. from Leon and 74m. from Managua, the national capital. Chinandega is the centre of the sugar-producing area of Nicaragua and a high grade of sugar is manufactured and exported to the western United States and to other Central American countries. Corn, rice, potatoes, vanilla and cotton are also grown. Chinandega was partly destroyed by fire during one of the battles of the revolution of 1927 in which American marines and aeroplanes took an active part.