Masaya is the second largest city in Nicaragua, situated 27 kilometers south of Managua or about a 40-minute bus ride from the Managua airport. Masaya is composed of 87 urban neighborhoods (barrios) and 27 rural communities. In 1971, the population of the city was 47,174. In 1995 it had grown to 120,856. After Hurricane Mitch it grew again (131,244), and today the official figures show 157,928 inhabitants. Economic activity in the region includes