| Masaya | |
| Other Name: | Departamento de Masaya |
| Settlement Type: | Department |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Nicaragua |
| Seat: | Masaya |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Area Total Km2: | 611 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 estimate |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 397632 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Urban: | 238345 |
| Blank Name: | ISO 3166-2 |
| Blank Info: | NI-MS |
Masaya (pronounced as /es/) is a department in Nicaragua. It is the country's smallest department by area (611 km2) and has a population of 397,632 (2021 estimate). The capital is the city of Masaya. It is famous among Nicaraguan people for its nickname, "La Cuna Del Folklore" which translates to (The Cradle of Folklore). It is also the site of the Masaya Volcano, an active 635m volcano which last erupted in 2016. The Indigenous inhabitants of Masaya are the Nahuas and the Chorotegas, the Nahuas dominate the cultivation and production of cocoa beans in the municipality of Masatepe.[2] [3] [4]