Rivas Department
| Rivas Departamento de Rivas | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Country | Nicaragua | 
| Capital | Rivas | 
| Area | |
|  • Department | 2,162 km2 (835 sq mi) | 
| Population  (2021 estimate) | |
|  • Department | 183,611 | 
| • Density | 85/km2 (220/sq mi) | 
| • Urban | 91,899 | 
| ISO 3166-2 | NI-RI | 
Rivas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈriβas]) is a department of the Republic of Nicaragua. It covers an area of 2,162 km2 (835 sq mi) and has a population of 183,611 (2021 estimate). The department's capital is the city of Rivas. The indigenous inhabitants of Rivas are the Nicarao, and was the location of the pre-Columbian Nahua chiefdoms of Kwawkapolkan and Kakawatan.