The City of Chinandega, at an altitude of 60 meters, is perhaps Nicaragua’s hottest city, with average temperatures reaching above thirty degrees Celcius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). The city was first settled in 1796 and has since become home to some 122,000 people, thanks in great part to the surrounding flat, fertile lands. Optimal for farming and other commercial businesses, these lands currently produce a wealth of crops such as peanuts, cashews, bananas and sugar cane. Since Chinandega is the hub of agricultural productivity, many grain mills have set up shop there to process rice and other foods.