Nicaragua

Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua, [re'pußlika ðe nika'ra?wa]) is a democratic republic in Central America. It is the largest nation a narrow strip of land that is bordered on two sides by water and connects two larger land masses but also the least densely populated with a demographic similar in size to its smaller neighbors. The country is bordered on the north by Honduras and on the south by Costa Rica. Its western coastline is on the Pacific Ocean, while the east side of the country is on the Caribbean Sea.

The country's name is derived from Nicarao, the name of the Nahuatl-speaking tribe which inhabited the shores of Lago de Nicaragua before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and the Spanish word Agua, meaning water.

It was not until 1524, that Conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded the first Spanish permanent settlements: Granada, León and also Nueva Segovia. Settled as a colony of Spain within the kingdom of Guatemala in the 1520s, Nicaragua became a part of the Mexican Empire and then gained its independence as a part of the United Provinces of Central America in 1821 and as an independent republic in its own right in 1838.

The Mosquito Coast based on Bluefields on the Atlantic was claimed by the United Kingdom and its predecessors as a political entity from 1655 to 1850; this was delegated to Honduras in 1859 and transferred to Nicaragua in 1860, though it remained autonomous until 1894. Jose Santos Zelaya managed to negotiate with the Queen of England for the annexation of this region to the rest of Nicaragua. In his honor the entire region was named Zelaya, though this was later changed under the Sandinista government and it was divided into two autonomous regions.

In the 1800s Nicaragua experienced a wave of immigration, primarily from Europe. They established many agricultural businesses such as coffee and sugar cane plantations, and also newspapers, hotels and banks. In the late 1800s, the United States government negotiated with President Jose Santos Zelaya to lease the land so they could build a canal through Nicaragua. However, Zelaya opposed the United Sates controlling Nicaraguan sovereign land and sought assistance from Japan and Germany to build the canal. It was determined to be too costly. Furthermore, opponents of the canal suggested Momotombo posed a threat of volcanic activity, as depicted on a Nicaraguan stamp, though it was far away from the site. They favored construction of a canal through the isthmus of Panama.

Nicaragua experienced high economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s, and became one of Central America's most developed nations despite its political instability. Due to its stable and high growth economy, foreign investments grew, primarily from U.S. companies such as Citigroup, Sears, Westinghouse and Coca Cola. However, the capital city of Managua suffered a major earthquake in 1972 which toppled most of the city center, creating major losses. In 1973 (the year of reconstruction) many new buildings were built, but the level of corruption in the government prevented further growth, and the ever increasing tensions and anti-government uprisings slowed growth in the last two years of the Somoza dynasty.

A United States adventurer named William Walker won the Liberals' war so easily that it seemed like he barely even fought. As a result, he saw the chance to take over the country. Walker named himself the president in 1856 with the intention of creating another slave state for the United States. Fearing the possibility of his plans for expansion, several Central American countries united to drive him out of Nicaragua in 1857, ironically supported by American industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had earlier sponsored Walker's filibuster of Nicaragua. Walker was executed in neighboring Honduras on Sept. 12, 1860. A period of three decades of conservative rule ensued. Taking advantage of divisions within the conservative ranks, José Santos Zelaya led a liberal revolt that brought him to power in 1893. Zelaya ended the long-standing dispute with the United Kingdom over the Atlantic Coast in 1894, and re-incorporated the Mosquito Coast into Nicaragua.

Nicaragua offered assistance during World War II, and was the first country in the world to ratify the UN Charter.

The Somoza family came to power as part of a US-engineered pact in 1927 that stipulated the formation of the National Guard to replace the small individual armies that had long reigned in the country. The only Nicaraguan general to refuse to sign this pact (el tratado del Espino Negro) was Augusto César Sandino who headed up to the northern mountains of Las Segovias, where he fought the US Marines for over five years.

The Marines eventually reached an agreement with the Sandinista guerrillas. The Marines left, and Juan Bautista Sacasa was left in control of the country. A National Guard was created and Anastasio Somoza Garcia, a man educated in the United States, obtained the highest position in the newly created organization.

From his position in the National Guard, Somoza effectively took over the country. Fearing future armed opposition from Sandino, Somoza invited him to a meeting in Managua, where he was assassinated on February 21 of 1934 by the National Guard. Somoza had taken control of the country and destroyed any potential armed resistance. He was assassinated in turn by Rigoberto Lopez Perez, a Nicaraguan poet, in 1956. Luis Somoza Debayle, the eldest son of the late dictator, officially took charge of Nicaragua after his father's death.

Luis was in power only for a few years when he died of a heart attack. He is remembered for being moderate. Then came a puppet president, Rene Schick. Anastasio Somoza Debayle, who was in charge of the National Guard, held control of the country. He officially took the presidency after Schick. In 1961, a young student, Carlos Fonseca, turned back to the historical figure of Sandino, founding the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). The FSLN was a tiny party throughout most of the 1960s.

Somoza acquired monopolies in industries that were key to rebuilding the nation, not allowing other members of the upper class to share the profits that would result from the increased economic activity. In 1976 a synthetic brand of cotton, one of Nicaragua's economic pillars of the epoch, was developed. This caused the price of cotton to decrease, placing the economy in great trouble.

These economic problems propelled the Sandinistas forward in their struggle against Somoza by leading many middle and upper class Nicaraguans to see the Sandinistas as the only hope for ridding the country of the brutal Somoza regime. The January 1978 assassination of Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, the editor of the most important newspaper in Nicaragua and an ardent opponent of Somoza, is believed to be the spark that that led to extreme general disappointment against Somoza. At the time the perpetrators of the murder were believed to be members of the National Guard.

The Sandinistas, supported by much of the populace, elements of the Catholic Church, and regional and international governments took power in July of 1979. Somoza abandoned the country and his National Guardsmen, and eventually ended up in Paraguay, where he was assassinated in September of 1980 by members of the Argentinian Revolutionary Workers' Party.

United States President Jimmy Carter, who had cut off aid to Somoza the previous year, initially chose to give aid to the new government, but this lessened towards the end of his presidency and was completely cut off by President Reagan due to evidence of Sandinista support of FMLN rebels in El Salvador. After a brief period, the Sandinistas were faced with a collapsed economy, with the highest inflation on record of up to 33,000%, restrictions to the media, persecution of the Catholic Church, lack of jobs, ever expanding poverty and widespread criticism over Marxist economic policy. This atrocious administration of the Sandinista government initiated an uprising. This further debilitated the Sandinista Marxist government creating a civil war waged by the US supported Contras, opposing the FSLN government and the involvement of the Soviet Union and Cuba in Nicaraguan national affairs. The U.S. trained and financed the Contras in neighboring Honduras, to fight against the Sandinistas, sparking widespread criticism from many quarters within the U.S., including Congress. When Congress moved to cut off aid to the Contras, Reagan aide Col. Oliver North concocted a clandestine plan to fund the Contras.

Daniel Ortega was overwhelmingly elected President in 1984, but the years of the war and atrocious economic policy had taken an unparalleled toll on Nicaragua and left many families in difficult situations, which caused a massive migration never before seen in the history of Nicaragua. Furthermore, Nicaragua won a historic case against the U.S. at the International Court of Justice in 1986 and the U.S. was ordered to pay Nicaragua some $12 billion in reparations for violating Nicaraguan sovereignty by engaging in attacks against it. The United States withdrew its acceptance of the Court and argued it had no authority in matters of sovereign state relations. In addition the U.S. also alleged, that Cuba and the Soviet Union also unfairly committed the exact same alleged violation against Nicaraguan sovereignty by providing training and ammunition to Sandinistas while Somoza was in power. The U.S. government refused to pay restitutions, even when a United Nations General Assembly resolution on the matter was passed.

Free multi-party democratic elections were first held in 1990, which saw the defeat of the Sandinistas by a coalition of anti-sandinista (from the left and right of the political spectrum) parties led by Violeta Chamorro, the widow of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro. The defeat shocked the Sandinistas as numerous pre-election polls had indicated a sure Sandinista victory and their pre-election rallies had attracted crowds of several hundred thousand people.

Geography

Occupying a landmass of 129,494 km² - roughly the size of Greece or the state of New York and 1.5 times larger than Portugal. Close to 20% of the country's territory is somehow protected as national parks or biological reserves. The country is bordered by Costa Rica on the south and Honduras on the north, with the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains and the Atlantic Lowlands.

The Pacific Lowlands

Located in the west of the country, these lowlands consist of a broad, hot, fertile plain. Punctuating this plain are several large volcanoes of the Maribios mountain range, including Mombacho just outside Granada, and Momotombo near León. The lowland area runs from the Gulf of Fonseca to Nicaragua's Pacific border with Costa Rica south of Lake Nicaragua. This region is the most populous. About 27% of the nation's population lives in and around Managua, the capital city, on the southern shores of Lake Managua.

In addition to its beach and resort communities, the Pacific Lowlands is also the repository for much of Nicaragua's Spanish colonial heritage. Cities such as Granada and León abound in colonial architecture and artifacts.

Nicaragua's economy has historically been based on the export of cash crops such as bananas, coffee, and tobacco. Nicaragua's rum is renowned as among the best in Latin America, and its tobacco and beef are also well regarded. During the Sandinista War in the early 1980s, much of the country's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, and inflation ran for a time at several thousand per cent. Inflation has been brought to manageable levels, and the economy has grown quite rapidly in recent years.

The country is still a recovering economy and it continues to implement further reforms, on which aid from the IMF is conditional. In 2005, finance ministers of the leading eight industrialized nations (G-8) agreed to forgive Nicaragua's foreign debt, as part of the HIPC program. As of 2004, Nicaragua has surpassed the economies of Honduras and Bolivia in per capita terms; it is now the 4th poorest nation in the Americas after Bolivia, Honduras and Haiti, with a per capita GDP of around $2,900, where previously it was the second poorest. Unemployment is officially around 11%, and another 36% are underemployed.

The Nicaraguan unit of currency is the Córdoba (NIO) and was named after Francisco Hernández de Córdoba its national founder.

In the last 15 years or so, the tourism sector has seen an economic boom, positively affecting the Nicaraguan life and economy. Since 2001, $600 million dollars have been invested in tourism, most of them coming from Nicaraguan and American investors. The country is mostly famous for its landscapes, flora and fauna, culture, beaches and of course, its lakes and volcanoes.

According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua, the colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua is the preferred spot for tourists. Also, the cities of León, Masaya, Rivas and the likes of San Juan del Sur, San Juan River, Ometepe, Mombacho Volcano, Corn Island & Little Corn Island, and others are main tourist attractions. In addition, ecotourism and surfing attract many tourists to Nicaragua.

The economic benefits which can be derived from tourism cannot be disputed; today, tourism constitutes around 10% of the Nicaraguan income. More investment and support from the government is expected after the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement was signed.

There primary attractions that Nicaragua offers tourist include sun, tropical beaches, culture, ecotourism, colonial architecture and other activities such as volcano climbing, volcano skiing and boarding, sailing, fishing and scuba diving. With improved infrastructure Nicaragua should see the continued growth of this industry as an important factor in its economy.

The population of Nicaragua is very young with approx. 36% under 18 years of age. The country has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by Iberian Peninsula culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavors. Nicaragua has historically been an important source of poetry in the Hispanic world, with internationally renowned contributors such as Rubén Darío.

Of the cultures that were present before European colonization, the Nahuatl-speaking peoples who populated the west of the country have essentially been assimilated into the latino culture. In the east, however, several indigenous groups have maintained a distinct identity. The Miskito, Sumo, and Rama peoples still use their original languages, and also usually speak English and/or Spanish. The small Garifuna people speak their own Garifuna language in addition to English and/or Spanish.

Roman Catholicism is the major religion, but evangelical Protestant groups have grown recently, and there are strong Anglican and Moravian communities on the Caribbean coast. The 2005 census shows religious affiliation as follows: Roman Catholic 58,5%, Evangelical 21,6, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witnesses 0,9%, other 1.6%, none 15,7%.

Population: 5,483,400 (2005 census)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 971,580; female 936,888)
15-64 years: 57% (male 1,372,169; female 1,392,861)
65 years and over: 3% (male 60,539; female 78,532) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.2% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 28.26 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 34.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.74 years
male: 66.81 years
female: 70.77 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.27 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups:
European descendant and mestizo (mixed European and Indian) 86%, African 9%, Indian 5%. In the 1991 census, over 70% have mainly Amerindian than European ancestors and 15% have some traced African ancestry.

Religions:
Roman Catholic 58,5%, Evangelicals 21,6%, Moravian 1,6%, Jehovah's Witnessses 0,9%, other 1,6%, none 15,7% (2005 census)[1].

Languages: Spanish (official) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast.

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 65.7%
male: 64.6%
female: 66.6% (1995 est.)

Highways:
total: 18,712 km
paved: 2,126 km
unpaved: 16,586 km (2002 est.)

<Railways:
Main article: Rail transport in Nicaragua
total: 0 km (all abandoned)
narrow gauge: 0 km 1.067-m gauge
note: Last line in operation carried mostly passengers from Chichigalpa to Ingenio San Antonio (6 km) until 2001

<Waterways:
2,220 km, including 2 large lakes. There is also the potential Nicaragua canal.

<Pipelines:
crude oil 54 km (2004)

<Ports and harbors:
Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan del Sur.

<Merchant marine:
none (1999 est.)

<Airports:
176 (2004 est.)

<Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3
(2005 est.)

<Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 165
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 141
(2005 est.)

Occupying a landmass of 129,494 km² - roughly the size of Greece or the state of New York and 1.5 times larger than Portugal. Close to 20% of the country's territory is somehow protected as national parks or biological reserves. The country is bordered by Costa Rica on the south and Honduras on the north, with the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Nicaragua is a unitary republic. For administrative purposes it is divided into 15 departments (departamentos) and two self-governing regions (autonomous communities) based on the Spanish model. The two autonomous regions are Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte and Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur, often referred to as RAAN and RAAS, respectively. Until they were granted autonomy in 1985 they formed the single department of Zelaya.

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains and the Atlantic Lowlands.

The Pacific Lowlands

Located in the west of the country, these lowlands consist of a broad, hot, fertile plain. Punctuating this plain are several large volcanoes of the Maribios mountain range, including Mombacho just outside Granada, and Momotombo near León. The lowland area runs from the Gulf of Fonseca to Nicaragua's Pacific border with Costa Rica south of Lake Nicaragua. This region is the most populous. About 27% of the nation's population lives in and around Managua, the capital city, on the southern shores of Lake Managua.

Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanes, pictured here are three volcanoes from the Chinandega department, El Chonco, San Cristobal and Casitas.

In addition to its beach and resort communities, the Pacific Lowlands is also the repository for much of Nicaragua's Spanish colonial heritage. Cities such as Granada and León abound in colonial architecture and artifacts.

Departaments (capitals):

1 Boaco (Boaco)
2 Carazo (Jinotepe)
3 Chinandega (Chinandega)
4 Chontales (Juigalpa, Chontales)
5 Estelí (Estelí)
6 Granada (Granada)
7 Jinotega (Jinotega)
8 León (León)
9 Madriz (Somoto)
10 Managua (Managua)
11 Masaya (Masaya)
12 Matagalpa (Matagalpa)
13 Nueva Segovia (Ocotal)
14 Rivas (Rivas)
15 Río San Juan (San Carlos)
Autonomous Regions
16 RAAN (Bilwi)
17 RAAS (Bluefields)