Region Autonoma del Atlantico Sur, with a population of approximately 382,000 covers an area of some 27,407 square kilometers. There are 12 municipalities in the department, Bluefields, Bocana de Paiwas, Corn Island, Desembocadura de la Cruz de Rio Grande, El Ayote, El Rama, El Tortugero, Kukra Hill, La Cruz de Rio Grande, Laguna de Perlas, Muelle de los Bueyes and Nueva Guinea. The capital is Bluefields. This region was previously known as Zelaya until 1986 when it was divided into two regions, north and south.
