NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Nicaragua

Nicaragua (IPA: /ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə/) officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua (help· info), IPA: [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa]), is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America. It is also the least densely populated with a demographic similar in size to its smaller neighbors. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and by Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of the country, while the Caribbean Sea lies to the east. Falling within the tropics, Nicaragua sits 11 degrees north of the Equator, in the Northern Hemisphere. Image File history File links Flag_of_Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Nicaragua. ... Flag ratio: 3:5 The flag of Nicaragua was adopted on August 27, 1971. ... Nicaraguan coat of arms was adopted first on 21 August 1823 (as coat of arms of Central America), but underwent several changes during the course of history, until the last version (as of 1999) was introduced in 1971. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Salve a tí, Nicaragua (Hail to thee, Nicaragua) is the Nicaraguan national anthem. ... Image File history File links LocationNicaragua. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... According to the CIA World Factbook, Nicaragua has a population of 5,675,356. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links Managua_COA.gifâ€Ž Coat of Arms, city of Managua. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... List of Presidents of Nicaragua list may not be complete José Núñez 1839 Evaristo Rocha 1839 Patricio Rivas 1839 Joaquín del Cosío 1839 Hilario Ulloa 1839 Tomás Valladares 1839-1840 Patricio Rivas 1840-1841 Pablo Buitrago 1841-1843 Juan de Dios Orozco 1843 Manuel Pérez... JosÃ© Daniel Ortega Saavedra (born 11 November 1945) is the current President of Nicaragua. ... Sandinista redirects here. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1821 (MDCCCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... 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The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Image File history File links RepÃºblica_de_Nicaragua. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea (pronounced or ) is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... A noontime scene from the Philippines on a day when the Sun is almost directly overhead. ... World map showing the equator in red In tourist areas, the equator is often marked on the sides of roads The equator marked as it crosses IlhÃ©u das Rolas, in SÃ£o TomÃ© and PrÃncipe. ... Northern hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ...

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, due to the presence of the large lakes Lago de Nicaragua (Cocibolca) and Lago de Managua (Xolotlán), as well as lagoons and rivers in the region.^[1] Nicarao is the name of the then-leader and/or the capital city of the most populous indigenous tribe when the Spanish arrived in Nicaragua. ... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... Lake Nicaragua Lake Nicaragua (Spanish: ) or Lake Cocibolca (Spanish: ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua and it is of tectonic origin. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Lake Nicaragua Lake Nicaragua (Spanish: ) or Lake Cocibolca (Spanish: ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua and it is of tectonic origin. ... Lake Managua from space, January 1986 Lake Managua (also known as Lake XolotlÃ¡n) (located at ) is a lake in Nicaragua. ...

At the time of the Spanish conquest, Nicaragua was the name given to the narrow strip of land between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean. Chief Nicarao ruled over the land when the first conquerors arrived. The term was eventually applied, by extension, to the Nicarao or Niquirano groups that inhabited that region. Nicarao is the name of the then-leader and/or the capital city of the most populous indigenous tribe when the Spanish arrived in Nicaragua. ...

The Nicarao tribe migrated to the area from northern regions after the fall of Teotihuacán, on the advice of their religious leaders. According to tradition, they were to travel south until they encountered a lake with two volcanoes rising out of the waters, and so they stopped when they reached Ometepe, the largest fresh-water volcanic island in the world. TeotihuacÃ¡n[1] was, at its height in the first half of the 1st millennium CE, the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas. ... Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua Ometepe Island from space, January 1997 The Island of Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. ...

History

Nicaragua is the largest nation in Central America, but also the least densely populated with a demographic similar in size to its smaller neighbors. ... Much of Nicaraguas early politics following independence was characterized by the rivalry between the liberal elite of LeÃ³n and the conservative elite of Granada. ...

Pre-Columbian history

In Pre-Columbian times the Indigenous people, in what is now known as Nicaragua, were part of the Intermediate Area located between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions. This has recently been updated to include the influence of the Isthmo-Colombian area. It was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents. ... For other uses, see Native Americans (disambiguation). ... The Intermediate Area is an archaeological culture region that was defined in its clearest form by Gordon R. Willey in his 1971 book (Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ). ... Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the European discovery of the New World by Columbus. ... The word Andean refers to the geographic area in and around the Andes Mountains of South America, and to the indigenous peoples that inhabit the area, such as the Inca. ... The Isthmo-Colombian area (a portion of what has previously been termed the Intermediate Area) was defined in a chapter of the 2003 book Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia (Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.) as a culture area encompassing those territories occupied by speakers of...

Nicaragua was inhabited by Paleo-Indians as far back as 6000 years ago.^[2] This is confirmed by the ancient footprints of Acahualinca, along with other archaeological evidence, mainly in the form of ceramics and statues made of volcanic stone like the ones found on the island of Zapatera and petroglyphs found in Ometepe island. At the end of the 15th century, western Nicaragua was inhabited by several indigenous peoples related by culture and language to the Mayans.^[3] They were primarily farmers who lived in towns, organized into small kingdoms. Meanwhile, the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua was inhabited by indigenous peoples, mostly chibcha related groups, that had migrated from what is now Colombia. They lived a less sedentary life based on hunting and gathering.^[4] Paleo-Indians is an English term used to refer to the ancient peoples of America who were present at the end of the last Ice Age. ... 6000 year old human footprints preserved in volcanic mud near lake Managua, Nicaragua. ... Zapatera is a shield volcano located in the southern part of Nicaragua. ... Petroglyphs on a Bishop Tuff tableland Petroglyph on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument Petroglyphs from Scandinavia (Häljesta, Västmanland in Sweden). ... Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua Ometepe Island from space, January 1997 The Island of Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. ... This article is about the contemporary indigenous peoples and cultures who descend from, or remain, speakers of the Mayan languages of southern Mesoamerica. ... For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The people of eastern Nicaragua appear to have traded with and been influenced by the native peoples of the Caribbean, as round thatched huts and canoes, both typical of the Caribbean, were common in eastern Nicaragua. In the west and highland areas, occupying the territory between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Coast, the Niquirano were governed by chief Nicarao, or Nicaragua, a rich ruler who lived in Nicaraocali, now the city of Rivas. The Chorotega lived in the central region of Nicaragua. These two groups had intimate contact with the Spanish conquerors, paving the way for the racial mix of native and European stock now known as mestizos.^[3] However, within three decades an estimated Indian population of one million plummeted to a few tens of thousands, as approximately half of the indigenous people in western Nicaragua died from the rapid spread of new diseases brought by the Spaniards, something the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast managed to escape due to the remoteness of the area.^[3] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 571 pixelsFull resolution (1080 Ã— 771 pixel, file size: 983 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 571 pixelsFull resolution (1080 Ã— 771 pixel, file size: 983 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free... West Indies redirects here. ... Lake Nicaragua (Spanish: Lago de Nicaragua) or Lake Cocibolca (Lago Cocibolca) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua and it is of tectonic origin. ... Nicarao is the name of the then-leader and/or the capital city of the most populous indigenous tribe when the Spanish arrived in Nicaragua. ... Rivas, Nicaragua For the town and archaeological site in Costa Rica, see Rivas, Costa Rica. ... Chorotega is the name of an indigenous people of Honduras and Costa Rica the ethnic population number around 795 according to the ethnologue 2000 survey[1]. The Chorotega language which was a member of the Manguean branch of the Oto-Manguean linguistic family is now extinct. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Mestizo is a Spanish term that was formerly used in the Spanish Empire to designate people of mixed European (Spaniard) and Amerindian ancestry living in the region of Latin America. ... This article is about the medical term. ... The Spanish people or Spaniards are an ethnic group native to Spain, in southwestern Europe, who are primarily descended from the autochthonous pre-Indo-European Euskaldunak, Latin, Visigothic, Celtic and Moorish peoples. ...

The Spanish conquest

In 1502, Christopher Columbus was the first European known to have reached what is now Nicaragua as he sailed south along the Central America isthmus. On his fourth voyage Columbus sailed alongside and explored the Mosquito Coast on the east of Nicaragua.^[5] The first attempt to conquer what is now known as Nicaragua was by Spanish conquistador Gil González Dávila,^[6] whose Central American exploits began with his arrival in Panama in January 1520. González claimed to have converted some 30,000 indigenous peoples and discovered a possible transisthmian water link. After exploring and gathering gold in the fertile western valleys González was attacked by the indigenous people, some of whom were commanded by Nicarao and an estimated 3,000 led by chief Diriangén.^[7] González later returned to Panama where governor Pedrarias Dávila attempted to arrest him and confiscate his treasure, some 90,000 pesos of gold. This resulted in González fleeing to Santo Domingo. Image File history File links Grana_gF.JPGâ€Ž Picture taken by Jose Cuadra, from INTUR, Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links Grana_gF.JPGâ€Ž Picture taken by Jose Cuadra, from INTUR, Nicaragua. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 â€“ May 20, 1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Americas after the Vikings. ... The article is about the Central American area. ... Gil GonzÃ¡lez DÃ¡vila, a. ... Nicarao is the name of the then-leader and/or the capital city of the most populous indigenous tribe when the Spanish arrived in Nicaragua. ... Diriangen was the legendary tribal leader of the Chorotegas who can rightfully be called the first resistance fighter of the Nicaragua. ... Pedro Arias de DÃ¡vila Pedrarias DÃ¡vila (Pedro Arias de Ãvila) (Segovia, Castille, c. ... For other uses, see Santo Domingo (disambiguation). ...

It was not until 1524 that the first Spanish permanent settlements were founded.^[6] Conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded two of Nicaragua's principal towns in 1524: Granada on Lake Nicaragua was the first settlement and León east of Lake Managua came after. Córdoba soon found it necessary to prepare defenses for the cities and go on the offensive against incursions by the other conquistadores. Córdoba was later publicly beheaded following a power struggle with Pedrarias Dávila, his tomb and remains were discovered some 500 years later in the Ruins of León Viejo.^[8] A Conquistador (Spanish: []) (English: Conqueror) was a Spanish soldier, explorer and adventurer who took part in the gradual invasion and conquering of much of the Americas and Asia Pacific, bringing them under Spanish colonial rule between the 15th and 19th centuries. ... Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba Nicaraguan Postage, 1924 Francisco HernÃ¡ndez de CÃ³rdoba (1475 ? - 1526) is usually reputed as the founder of Nicaragua, and in fact he founded two important Nicaraguan cities, Granada and LeÃ³n. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Granada, Granada, Nicaragua. ... Lake Nicaragua (Spanish: Lago de Nicaragua) or Lake Cocibolca (Lago Cocibolca) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua and it is of tectonic origin. ... LeÃ³n is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ... Lake Managua from space, January 1986. ... Beheading. ... León is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ...

The inevitable clash between the Spanish forces did not impede their devastation of the indigenous population. The Indian civilization was destroyed. The series of battles came to be known as The War of the Captains.^[9] By 1529, the conquest of Nicaragua was complete. Several conquistadores came out winners, and some were executed or murdered. Pedrarias Dávila was a winner; although he had lost control of Panama, he had moved to Nicaragua and established his base in León. Through adroit diplomatic machinations, he became the first governor of the colony.^[8] The land was parceled out to the conquistadores. The area of most interest was the western portion. Many indigenous people were soon enslaved to develop and maintain "estates" there. Others were put to work in mines in northern Nicaragua, few were killed in warfare, and the great majority were sent as slaves to other New World Spanish colonies, for significant profit to the new landed aristocracy. Many of the indigenous people died as a result of disease and neglect by the Spaniards who controlled everything necessary for their subsistence.^[6] This article is about mineral extractions. ...

From colony to nation

In 1538, the Viceroyalty of New Spain was established. By 1570, the southern part of New Spain was designated the Captaincy General of Guatemala. The area of Nicaragua was divided into administrative "parties" with León as the capital. In 1610, the Momotombo erupted, destroying the capital. It was rebuilt northwest of what is now known as the Ruins of Old León. 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 the Caribbean coast was claimed by the United Kingdom and its predecessors as a protectorate 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, president of Nicaragua from 1893-1909, managed to negotiate for the annexation of this region to the rest of Nicaragua. In his honour the entire region was named Zelaya. Image File history File linksMetadata CornIsland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata CornIsland. ... Corn Island is a municipality in the RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Sur department of Nicaragua. ... The article is about the Central American area. ... A map of the former territories of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. ... The Captaincy General of Guatamala (Spanish: Capitania General de Goathemalawa) was an administrative division in Spanish America which covered much of Central America, extending from the Soconusco region - located in what is now the southern part of Mexico (states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan) - to Costa Rica. ... LeÃ³n is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ... The Mexican Empire was the name of Mexico on two non-consecutive occasions in the 19th century when it was ruled by an Emperor. ... Capital Guatemala City; in 1834 moved to San Salvador Created 1823 Dissolved 1840 Demonym Centroamerican The United Provinces of Central America (UPCA) was a country that existed in Central America from July 1823 to approximately 1840. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The article is about the Central American area. ... West Indies redirects here. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ... An autonomous (subnational) entity is a subnational entity that has a certain amount of autonomy. ... José Santos Zelaya (November 1, 1853 - May 17, 1919) was president of Nicaragua from 1893 to 1909. ... Dark blue: Zelaya (1957-1986) Yellow line: the current border of RAAN with RAAS Zelaya is a former department in Nicaragua. ...

Much of Nicaragua's politics since independence has been characterized by the rivalry between the liberal elite of León and the conservative elite of Granada. The rivalry often degenerated into civil war, particularly during the 1840s and 1850s. Initially invited by the Liberals in 1855 to join their struggle against the Conservatives, a United States adventurer named William Walker (later executed in Honduras) set himself up as president of Nicaragua, after conducting a farcical election in 1856. Honduras and other Central American countries united to drive him out of Nicaragua in 1857, after which a period of three decades of Conservative rule ensued.^[10] Image File history File links DeutscheClub. ... Image File history File links DeutscheClub. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Nicaraguan political parties | Liberal parties ... The Conservative Party of Nicaragua (Partido Conservador de Nicaragua) is a political party in Nicaragua. ... This article is about the definition of the specific type of war. ... William Walker William Walker (May 8, 1824 â€“ September 12, 1860) was a U.S. physician, lawyer, journalist, adventurer, and soldier of fortune who attempted to conquer several Latin American countries in the mid-19th century. ...

In the 1800s Nicaragua experienced a wave of immigration, primarily from Europe. In particular, families from Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Belgium generally moved to Nicaragua to set up businesses with money they brought from Europe. They established many agricultural businesses such as coffee and sugar cane plantations, and also newspapers, hotels and banks. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

United States involvement (1909 - 1933)

In 1909, the United States provided political support to conservative-led forces rebelling against President Zelaya. U.S. motives included differences over the proposed Nicaragua Canal, Nicaragua's potential as a destabilizing influence in the region, and Zelaya's attempts to regulate foreign access to Nicaraguan natural resources. On November 18, 1909, U.S. warships were sent to the area after 500 revolutionaries (including two Americans) were executed by order of Zelaya. The U.S. justified the intervention by claiming to protect U.S. lives and property. Zelaya resigned later that year. U.S. Marines occupied Nicaragua from 1912 to 1933,^[11] except for a nine month period beginning in 1925. From 1910 to 1926, the conservative party ruled Nicaragua. The Chamorro family, which had long dominated the party, effectively controlled the government during that period. In 1914, the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty was signed, giving the U.S. control over the proposed canal, as well as leases for potential canal defenses.^[12] Following the evacuation of U.S. marines, another violent conflict between liberals and conservatives took place in 1926, known as the Constitutionalist War, which resulted in a coalition government and the return of U.S. Marines.^[13] The United States occupied Nicaragua from 1909-1933 and intervened in the country several times before that. ... Aerial view of the proposed canal, 1899 The Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal is a proposed waterway that would connect the Caribbean Sea, and therefore, the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean through Nicaragua, in Central America. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Aerial view of the proposed canal, 1899 The Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal is a proposed waterway that would connect the Caribbean Sea, and therefore, the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean through Nicaragua, in Central America. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The Chamorro family has its origin in Spain. ... The Bryan-Chamorro Treaty was signed on August 5, 1914 and ratified in 1916 during the United States occupation of Nicaragua. ...

From 1927 until 1933, Gen. Augusto César Sandino led a sustained guerrilla war first against the Conservative regime and subsequently against the U.S. Marines, who withdrew upon the establishment of a new Liberal government. Sandino was the only Nicaraguan general to refuse to sign the el tratado del Espino Negro agreement and then headed up to the northern mountains of Las Segovias, where he fought the US Marines for over five years.^[14] The revolt finally forced the United States to compromise and leave the country. When the Americans left in 1933, they set up the Guardia Nacional (National Guard),^[15] a combined military and police force trained and equipped by the Americans and designed to be loyal to U.S. interests. Anastasio Somoza García, a close friend of the American government, was put in charge. He was one of the three rulers of the country, the others being Sandino and the mostly figurehead President Juan Bautista Sacasa. Augusto CÃ©sar Sandino Augusto NicolÃ¡s CalderÃ³n Sandino (May 18, 1895 â€“ February 21, 1934) was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion against the U.S. military presence in Nicaragua between 1927 and 1933. ... Guerrilla redirects here. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua, otherwise known as Guardia or in English Nicaraguan National Guard, was a militia created during the occupation of that country by the United States. ... Anastasio Somoza GarcÃa (February 1, 1896 â€“ September 29, 1956) was officially the thirty-fourth and thirty-ninth President of Nicaragua, but ruled effectively as dictator from 1936 until his assassination. ... Juan Bautista Sacasa was President of Nicaragua 1933-1936. ...

After the US Marines withdrew from Nicaragua in January 1933, Sandino and the newly-elected Sacasa government reached an agreement by which he would cease his guerrilla activities in return for amnesty, a grant of land for an agricultural colony, and retention of an armed band of 100 men for a year.^[16] But a growing hostility between Sandino and Somoza led Somoza to order the assassination of Sandino.^[17]^[18]^[15] Fearing future armed opposition from Sandino, Somoza invited him to a meeting in Managua, where Sandino was assassinated on February 21 of 1934 by the National Guard. Hundreds of men, women, and children were executed later.^[19]

The Somoza Dynasty (1936 - 1979)

Nicaragua has seen many interventions by the United States. It has also experienced long military dictatorships, the longest one being the rule of the Somoza family for much of the 20th century. 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.^[20] Somoza deposed Sacasa and became president on Jan. 1, 1937 in a rigged election.^[15] Image File history File links SomozaBrothers. ... Image File history File links SomozaBrothers. ... Somoza was the name of an influential political dynasty in Nicaragua. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. ...

Nicaragua was the first country to ratify the UN Charter,^[21] and declared war on Germany during World War II. No troops were sent to the war but Somoza did seize the occasion to confiscate attractive properties held by German-Nicaraguans, the best-known of which was the Montelimar estate which today operates as a privately-owned luxury resort and casino. ^[22] The United Nations Charter is the constitution of the United Nations. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Somoza was the name of an influential political dynasty in Nicaragua. ... BarcelÃ³ Montelimar Beach Situated on an extraordinary, immense beach bathed by the Pacific Ocean. ...

Somoza used the National Guard to force Sacasa to resign, and took control of the country in 1937, destroying any potential armed resistance.^[23] Somoza was in turn assassinated by Rigoberto López Pérez, a liberal Nicaraguan poet, in 1956. After his father's death, Luis Somoza Debayle, the eldest son of the late dictator, was appointed President by the congress and officially took charge of the country.^[15] He is remembered by some for being moderate, but was in power only for a few years and then died of a heart attack. Then came president Rene Schick whom most Nicaraguans viewed "as nothing more than a puppet of the Somozas".^[24] Somoza's brother, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, who succeeded his father in charge of the National Guard, controlled the country, and officially took the presidency after Schick. Image File history File links Pre-quakeManagua. ... Image File history File links Pre-quakeManagua. ... The poet Rigoberto LÃ³pez PÃ©rez was the assassin of Anastasio Somoza GarcÃa, the longtime dictator of Nicaragua. ... Luis Somoza Debayle (1922â€“1967) was the acting president and later dictator and president of Nicaragua 1956â€“1963 following the 1956 assassination of his father, Anastasio Somoza GarcÃa. ... Heart attack redirects here. ... RenÃ© Schick GutiÃ©rrez (Managua, 1909- idem, 1966) was President of Nicaragua from 1963 to 1966. ... A puppet is a representational object manipulated by a puppeteer. ... Anastasio (Tachito) Somoza Debayle (December 5, 1925 â€“ September 17, 1980) was officially the forty-fourth and forty-fifth President of Nicaragua from May 1, 1967 to May 1, 1972 and from December 1, 1974 to July 17, 1979. ...

Nicaragua experienced high economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s largely as a result of industrialization,^[25] 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 destroyed nearly 90% of the city creating major losses.^[26] Some Nicaraguan historians see the 1972 earthquake that devastated Managua as the final 'nail in the coffin' for Somoza. The mishandling of relief money also prompted Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente to personally fly to Managua on December 31, 1972, but he died enroute in an airplane accident.^[27] Even the economic elite were reluctant to support Somoza, as he had acquired monopolies in industries that were key to rebuilding the nation,^[28] and did not allow the elite to share the profits that would result. 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. This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... This article is about the baseball team. ... Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 â€“ December 31, 1972) was a professional baseball player and a former Major League Baseball right fielder. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Nicaraguan revolution

In 1961, a young student, Carlos Fonseca, turned back to the historical figure of Sandino, and along with 2 others founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).^[15] The FSLN was a tiny party throughout most of the 1960s, but Somoza's utter hatred of it and his heavy-handed treatment of anyone he suspected to be a Sandinista sympathizer gave many ordinary Nicaraguans the idea that the Sandinistas were much stronger. Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... Image File history File links Castro-Ortega. ... Image File history File links Castro-Ortega. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... Carlos Fonseca Amador (born June 23, 1936 - died November 7, 1976), a revolutionary, teacher and a founder of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional ( FSLN, Sandinista National Liberation Front), was assassinated by the Guardia Nacional three years before the FSLN took power in Nicaragua. ... Sandinista redirects here. ... Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ...

After the 1972 earthquake and Somoza's brazen corruption, mishandling of relief, and refusal to rebuild Managua, the ranks of the Sandinistas were flooded with young disaffected Nicaraguans who no longer had anything to lose.^[29] These economic problems propelled the Sandinistas in their struggle against Somoza by leading many middle- and upper-class Nicaraguans to see the Sandinistas as the only hope for removing the brutal Somoza regime. On January 1978, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, the editor of the national newspaper La Prensa and ardent opponent of Somoza, was assassinated.^[30] This is believed to have led to the extreme general disappointment with Somoza. The planners and perpetrators of the murder were at the highest echelons of the Somoza regime and included the dictator's son, “El Chiguin”, the President of Housing, Cornelio Hueck, the Attorney General, and Pedro Ramos, a close Cuban ally who commercialized blood plasma.^[30] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. ...

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 fled the country and eventually ended up in Paraguay, where he was assassinated in September 1980, allegedly by members of the Argentinian Revolutionary Workers Party.^[31] The Sandinistas inherited a country in ruins with a debt of U.S.$1.6 billion dollars, an estimated 50,000 war dead, 600,000 homeless, and a devastated economic infrastructure.^[32] To begin the task of establishing a new government, they created a Council (or junta) of National Reconstruction, made up of five members – Sandinista militants Daniel Ortega and Moises Hassan, novelist Sergio Ramírez Mercado (a member of Los Doce "the Twelve"), businessman Alfonso Robelo Callejas, and Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (the widow of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro). The preponderance of power, however, remained with the Sandinistas and their mass organizations, including the Sandinista Workers' Federation (Central Sandinista de Trabajadores), the Luisa Amanda Espinoza Nicaraguan Women's Association (Asociación de Mujeres Nicaragüenses Luisa Amanda Espinoza), and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers (Unión Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos). USD redirects here. ... One thousand million (1,000,000,000) is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001. ... JosÃ© Daniel Ortega Saavedra (born 11 November 1945) is the current President of Nicaragua. ... Sergio RamÃrez Mercado (b. ... El Grupo de Los Doce, or Group of Twelve, was a group of members of the Nicaraguan establishment whose support for the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) struggle against dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle played a pivotal role in the acceptance of the Sandinistas by foreign and domestic opinion. ... Alfonso Robelo Callejas (born 11 October 1939), a Nicaraguan businessman, was a member of Los Doce and founder of the Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN). ... Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (born October 18, 1929) is a Nicaraguan political leader, publisher and former President of Nicaragua. ... The Luisa Amanda Espinoza Association of Nicaraguan Women (Spanish: , AMNLAE) was initially established in 1977 under the name Association of Women Concerned about National Crisis (, AMPRONAC). ...

Sandinistas and the Contras

Upon assuming office in 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan condemned the FSLN for joining with Cuba in supporting Marxist revolutionary movements in other Latin American countries such as El Salvador. His administration authorized the CIA to begin financing, arming and training rebels, some of whom were the remnants of Somoza's National Guard, as anti-Sandinista guerrillas that were branded "counter-revolutionary" by leftists (contrarrevolucionarios in Spanish).^[33] This was shortened to Contras, a label the anti-Communist forces chose to embrace. Eden Pastora and many of the indigenous guerrilla forces, who were not associated with the "Somozistas," also resisted the Sandinistas. The Contras operated out of camps in the neighboring countries of Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south.^[33] As was typical in guerrilla warfare, they were engaged in a campaign of economic sabotage in an attempt to combat the Sandinista government and disrupted shipping by planting underwater mines in Nicaragua's Corinto harbour,^[34] an action condemned by the World Court as illegal.^[35]^[36] The U.S. also sought to place economic pressure on the Sandinistas, and the Reagan administration imposed a full trade embargo.^[37] Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... For other uses, see Contra. ... In the Iran-Contra Affair, United States President Ronald Reagans administration secretly sold arms to Iran, which was engaged in a bloody war with its neighbor Iraq from 1980 to 1988 (see Iran-Iraq War), and diverted the proceeds to the Contra rebels fighting to overthrow the leftist and... The Republic of Nicaragua v. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Reagan redirects here. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... CIA redirects here. ... For other uses, see Contra. ... Corinto [kOrEnÂ´tO] is a town of 17,000 (1995 population) on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua and is one of the most important cities and port in the department of Chinandega. ... The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ; French: ) is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. ... For delayed access after publication, see Embargo (academic publishing). ...

U.S. support for this Nicaraguan insurgency continued in spite of the fact that impartial observers from international groupings such as the European Union, religious groups sent to monitor the election and observers from democratic nations such as Canada and the Republic of Ireland concluded that the Nicaraguan general elections of 1984 were completely free and fair. The Reagan administration disputed these results however, despite the fact that the government of the United States never had any observers in Nicaragua at the time.^[38]^[39] Elections in Nicaragua gives information on elections and election results in Nicaragua. ...

After the U.S. Congress prohibited federal funding of the Contras in 1983, the Reagan administration continued to back the Contras by covertly selling arms to Iran and channeling the proceeds to the Contras (The Iran-Contra Affair).^[40] When this scheme was revealed, Reagan admitted that he knew about the Iranian "arms for hostages" dealings but professed ignorance about the proceeds funding the Contras; for this, National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Oliver North took much of the blame. Senator John Kerry's 1988 U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations report on Contra-drug links concluded that "senior U.S. policy makers were not immune to the idea that drug money was a perfect solution to the Contras' funding problems."^[41] According to the National Security Archive, Oliver North had been in contact with Manuel Noriega, a Panamanian general and the de facto military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989 when he was overthrown and captured by a U.S. invading force.^[42] He was taken to the United States, tried for drug trafficking, and imprisoned in 1992.^[43] The Iran-Contra Affair was a political scandal occurring in 1987 as a result of earlier events during the Reagan administration in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran, an avowed enemy, and illegally used the profits to continue funding anti-Communist rebels, the Contras, in Nicaragua. ... The National Security Council (NSC) of the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943 in San Antonio, Texas) is most well known for his involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts, in his fourth term of office. ... U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. ... The National Security Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and archival institution located within The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1985 by Thomas Blanton, it archives and publishes declassified U.S. government files concerning selected topics of American foreign policy. ... For other persons named Noriega, see Noriega (disambiguation). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... A dictator is an authoritarian, often totalitarian ruler (e. ...

The Reagan administration's support for the Contras continued to stir controversy well into the 1990s. In August 1996, San Jose Mercury News reporter Gary Webb published a series titled Dark Alliance, linking the origins of crack cocaine in California to the contras.^[44] Freedom of Information Act inquiries by the National Security Archive and other investigators unearthed a number of documents showing that White House officials, including Oliver North, knew about and supported using money raised via drug trafficking to fund the contras. Sen. John Kerry's report in 1988 led to the same conclusions, however, major media outlets, the Justice Department, and Reagan denied the allegations.^[45] President Reagan, with his Cabinet and staff, in the Oval Office (February 4, 1981) Headed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989, the Reagan Administration was conservative, steadfastly anti-Communist and in favor of tax cuts and smaller government. ... The Mercs sections vary by day of the week, but Business, Sports, and The Valley are standard daily fare. ... Gary Webb Gary Webb (August 31, 1955 â€“ December 10, 2004) was a controversial American investigative journalist, best known for his 1996 Dark Alliance investigative report series, written for the San Jose Mercury News. ... A pile of crack cocaine â€˜rocksâ€™. Crack cocaine is a solid, smokeable form of cocaine and is a highly addictive drug popular for its intense psychoactive high. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with freedom of information legislation. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events...

1990s and the post-Sandinista era

Multi-party democratic elections were 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.^[46] The unexpected result was subject to a great deal of analysis and comment, and was attributed by commentators such as Noam Chomsky and S. Brian Willson to the US/Contra threats to continue the war if the Sandinistas retained power, the general war-weariness of the Nicaraguan population, and the abysmal Nicaraguan economic situation. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author, and lecturer. ... S. Brian Willson, (b. ... For other uses, see Contra. ...

On the other hand, P. J. O'Rourke wrote in "Return of the Death of Communism", "the unfair advantages of using state resources for party ends, about how Sandinista control of the transit system prevented UNO supporters from attending rallies, how Sandinista domination of the army forced soldiers to vote for Ortega and how Sandinista bureaucracy kept $3.3 million of U.S. campaign aid from getting to UNO while Daniel Ortega spent millions donated by overseas people and millions and millions more from the Nicaraguan treasury . . ."^[47] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (492x953, 49 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (492x953, 49 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... P.J. ORourke speaks at a January 2007 event at the Cato Institute about his latest book. ... The United Nicaraguan Opposition or UNO, was a coalition party that ran in the 1990 elections in Nicaragua. ... JosÃ© Daniel Ortega Saavedra (born 11 November 1945) is the current President of Nicaragua. ...

Exit polls of Nicaraguans reported Chamorro's victory over Ortega was achieved with only 55%.^[48] Violeta Chamorro was the first woman to be popularly elected as President of a Latin American nation and first woman president of Nicaragua. Exit polling convinced Daniel Ortega that the election results were legitimate, and were instrumental in his decision to accept the vote of the people and step down rather than void the election. Nonetheless Ortega vowed that he would govern "desde abajo" (from below),^[49] in other words due to his widespread control of institutions and Sandinista individuals in all government agencies, he would still be able to maintain control and govern even without being president. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the political process. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Chamorro received an economy entirely in ruins. The per capita income of Nicaragua had been reduced by over 80% during the 1980s, and a huge government debt which ascended to US$12 billion primarily due to financial and social costs of the Contra war with the Sandinista-led government.^[50] Much to the surprise of the US and the contra forces, Chamorro did not dismantle the Sandinista People's Army, though the name was changed to the Nicaraguan Army. Chamorro's main contribution to Nicaragua was the disarmament of groups in the northern and central areas of the country. This provided stability that the country had lacked for over ten years. The Sandinista Popular Army (now known as the Army of Nicaragua or Nicaraguan Army) was the military established by the new Sandinista government to replace the National Guard, following the overthow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle. ...

In subsequent elections in 1996 Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas of the FSLN were again defeated, this time by Arnoldo Alemán of the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC). JosÃ© Arnoldo AlemÃ¡n Lacayo was President of Nicaragua from 1997 to 2002. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Nicaraguan political parties | Liberal parties ...

In the 2001 elections the PLC again defeated the FSLN, with Enrique Bolaños winning the Presidency. However, President Bolaños subsequently charged and brought forward allegations of money laundering, theft and corruption against former President Alemán. The ex-president was sentenced to 20 years in prison for embezzlement, money laundering, and corruption.^[51] The Liberal members who were loyal to Alemán and also members of congress reacted angrily, and along with Sandinista parliament members stripped the presidential powers of President Bolaños and his ministers, calling for his resignation and threatening impeachment. Enrique JosÃ© BolaÃ±os Geyer (born 13 May 1928) was the President of Nicaragua from 2002 to 2007. ... Money laundering is the practice of engaging in financial transactions in order to conceal the identity, source and destination of the money in question. ... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ...

The Sandinistas alleged that their support for Bolaños was lost when US Secretary of State Colin Powell told Bolaños to keep his distance from the FSLN.^[52] This "slow motion coup" was averted partially due to pressure from the Central American presidents who would fail to recognize any movement that removed Bolaños; The U.S, the OAS, and the European Union also opposed the "slow motion coup".^[53] The proposed constitutional changes that were going to be introduced in 2005 against the Bolaños administration were delayed until January 2007 after the entrance of the new government. Though 1 day before they were enforced the National Assembly postponed their enforcement until January 2008. Image File history File links Ortega_Daniel. ... Image File history File links Ortega_Daniel. ... JosÃ© Daniel Ortega Saavedra (born 11 November 1945) is the current President of Nicaragua. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Cuba. ... General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...

Before the general elections on 5 November 2006, the National Assembly passed a bill further restricting abortion in Nicaragua 52-0 (9 abstaining, 29 absent). President Enrique Bolaños supported this measure, but signed the bill into law on 17 November 2006,^[54] as a result Nicaragua is one of three countries in the world where abortion is illegal with no exceptions, along with El Salvador and Chile. is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Assembly (Spanish: Asamblea Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Enrique JosÃ© BolaÃ±os Geyer (born 13 May 1928) was the President of Nicaragua from 2002 to 2007. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ...

Legislative and presidential elections took place on November 5, 2006. Daniel Ortega returned to the presidency with 37.99% of the vote. This percentage was enough to win the presidency outright, due to a change in electoral law which lowered the percentage requiring a runoff election from 45% to 35% (with a 5% margin of victory).^[55] Nicaragua will hold a general election on 5 November 2006. ... JosÃ© Daniel Ortega Saavedra (born 11 November 1945) is the current President of Nicaragua. ...

Politics

Politics of Nicaragua takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Nicaragua is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Nicaragua is a constitutional democracy with executive, legislative, judicial, and electoral branches of government. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the President of Nicaragua, for the 2006 presidential election results see: Nicaraguan general election, 2006 History of Nicaragua Presidentes de Nicaragua Categories: | ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The National Assembly (Spanish: Asamblea Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua. ... In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

Departments and municipalities

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 departments are then subdivided into 153 municipios (municipalities). 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.^[56] Nicaragua is a unitary republic. ... This is a list of cities or municipalities in Nicaragua: Cities over 20,000 inhabitants in Nicaragua (1995 census) Acoyapa Ahuaya Alamikamba Altagracia BakÃ¡ Barra de RÃo Maiz BÃ©len Bilwascarma Bluefields Bocay Bumbona Cabo Gracias a Dios Cabril Cama CÃ¡rdenas Chinandega Chichigalpa Ciudad DarÃo Cokabilla Condega... Image File history File links NicaraguaDepartmentsNumbered. ... Image File history File links NicaraguaDepartmentsNumbered. ... A map showing the unitary states. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A department is geographic area of a centralized country which functions as an administrative unit. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Norte, sometimes shortened to RAAN, is an autonomous region in Nicaragua. ... RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Sur, sometimes shortened to RAAS, is an autonomous region in Nicaragua. ... Zelaya is a former department in Nicaragua. ...

Boaco is a department in Nicaragua. ... Boaco is the capital city of the Boaco Department of Nicaragua. ... Carazo is a department in Nicaragua. ... Jinotepe is a city in Nicaragua located in Department of Carazo in the south pacific region of Nicaragua at the municipality of Jinotepe. ... Chinandega is a department in Nicaragua, located on the border with Honduras. ... Chinandega is the departmental seat of Chinandega department in Nicaragua. ... Chontales is a department in Nicaragua. ... Juigalpa is a municipality in the Chontales department of Nicaragua. ... EstelÃ is a department of Nicaragua. ... EstelÃ is the second largest town in northern Nicaragua (after Matagalpa). ... Granada is a department in Nicaragua. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Granada, Granada, Nicaragua. ... Jinotega is a department in Nicaragua. ... Jinotega is the capital of Jinotega Department in the north central region of Nicaragua. ... LeÃ³n is a department in Nicaragua. ... LeÃ³n is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ... Madriz is a department in Nicaragua. ... Somoto is the capital city of the Madriz department of Nicaragua. ... Managua is a department in Nicaragua. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... Masaya is a department in Nicaragua. ... Masaya is a stratovolcano in Nicaragua, Central America, with a city of the same name. ... Matagalpa is a department in central Nicaragua. ... Matagalpa is the capital city of the Matagalpa Department department of Nicaragua. ... Nueva Segovia is a department in Nicaragua. ... Ocotal is the capital of the department of Nueva Segovia in Nicaragua, Central America, located within the municipality of Ocotal. ... Department Rivas, Republic of Nicaragua, the departments capital is the city of Rivas. ... Rivas, Nicaragua For the town and archaeological site in Costa Rica, see Rivas, Costa Rica. ... RÃo San Juan is a department in Nicaragua. ... San Carlos is the capital city of the RÃo San Juan department of Nicaragua. ... RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Norte, sometimes shortened to RAAN, is an autonomous region in Nicaragua. ... Bilwi, with an approximate population of 60,000, is the main city of the municipality of Puerto Cabezas in the North Atlantic Coast department (RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Norte) of Nicaragua. ... RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Sur, sometimes shortened to RAAS, is an autonomous region in Nicaragua. ... Bluefields, is a city in Nicaragua, capital of the autonomous region called AtlÃ¡ntico Sur (R.A.A.S.). Its population is about 45,931 (2000) inhabitants. ...

Geography

Nicaragua occupies 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 designated as protected areas such as national parks, nature reserves and biological reserves. The country is bordered by Costa Rica on the south and Honduras on the north, with the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Nicaragua has a wide variety of wildlife, most of which live in wildlife reserves and live in rainforests, lakes, mountains, and volcanoes throughout the country. ... This article is about the state. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea (pronounced or ) is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ...

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains or highlands and the Atlantic Lowlands. For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... The article is about the Central American area. ...

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 Marrabios 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. Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America (20th largest in the world),^[57] and is home to the world's only freshwater sharks (Nicaraguan shark).^[58] The Pacific lowlands region is the most populous, with over half of the nation's population. The capital city of Managua is the most populous and it is the only city with over 1 million inhabitants. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 88 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 88 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Cordillera Los Maribios (or Cordillera Los Marrabios) is a mountain range in LeÃ³n and Chinandega departments, western Nicaragua, at . ... Mombacho is a volcano in Nicaragua, near the city of Granada. ... Momotombo is a volcano in Nicaragua, not far from the city of LeÃ³n. ... Gulf of Fonseca from space, July 1997 The Gulf of Fonseca (Spanish: Golfo de Fonseca) is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. ... Lake Nicaragua (Spanish: Lago de Nicaragua) or Lake Cocibolca (Lago Cocibolca) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua and it is of tectonic origin. ... Binomial name (MÃ¼ller and Henle, 1839) Range of bull shark The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull whaler, Zambezi shark or informally Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ...

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. Granada, founded in 1524, is the oldest colonial city in the Americas.^[59] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 535 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 535 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Granada, Granada, Nicaragua. ... LeÃ³n is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ...

Central highlands

This is an upland region away from the Pacific coast, with a cooler climate than the Pacific Lowlands. About a quarter of the country's agriculture takes place in this region, with coffee grown on the higher slopes. Oaks, pines, moss, ferns and orchids are abundant in the cloud forests of the region. Image File history File links Guardabarranco. ... Image File history File links Guardabarranco. ... Binomial name Eumomota superciliosa (Sandbach, 1837) The Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) is a colourful, medium-sized bird of the motmot family, Momotidae. ... For other uses, see Coffee (disambiguation). ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably... Subgenera Subgenus Strobus Subgenus Ducampopinus Subgenus Pinus See Pinus classification for complete taxonomy to species level. ... For other uses, see Moss (disambiguation). ... This article is about the group of pteridophyte plants. ... Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Bird life in the forests of the central region includes Resplendent Quetzal, goldfinches, hummingbirds, jays and toucanets. Binomial name Pharomachrus mocinno (De la Llave, 1832) Ref: ITIS 553589 For other uses, see Resplendent Quetzal (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Carduelis psaltria (Say, 1823) The Lesser or Dark-backed Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) is a very small songbird of the Americas. ... For other uses, see Hummingbird (disambiguation). ... Genera Garrulus Podoces Ptilostomus Perisoreus Aphelocoma Gymnorhinus Cyanocitta Calocitta Cyanocorax Cyanolyca The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. ... Binomial name Aulacorhynchus prasinus Gould, 1834 The Emerald Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus prasinus, is a near-passerine bird which breeds from tropical Mexico to northern Venezuela and eastern Peru. ...

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (819x615, 39 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (819x615, 39 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

Atlantic lowlands

This large rainforest region, with several large rivers running through it, is very sparsely populated. The Rio Coco is the largest river in Central America, it forms the border with Honduras. The Caribbean coastline is much more sinuous than its generally straight Pacific counterpart. Lagoons and deltas make it very irregular. The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Coco River The RÃo Coco, formerly known as the RÃo Segovia, is a river in southern Honduras and northern Nicaragua. ...

Nicaragua's Bosawas Biosphere Reserve is located in the Atlantic lowlands, it protects 1.8 million acres (7,300 km²) of Mosquitia forest - almost seven percent of the country's area - making it the largest rainforest north of the Amazon in Brazil.^[60] The Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in the northern part of Nicaragua is a hilly tropical forest designated in 1997 as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. ... Map of the Amazon rainforest ecoregions as delineated by the WWF. Yellow line encloses the Amazon rainforest. ...

Nicaragua's tropical east coast is very different from the rest of the country. The climate is predominantly tropical, with high temperature and high humidity. Around the area's principal city of Bluefields, English is widely spoken along with the official Spanish and the population more closely resembles that found in many typical Caribbean ports than the rest of Nicaragua. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... Bluefields, is a city in Nicaragua, capital of the autonomous region called AtlÃ¡ntico Sur (R.A.A.S.). Its population is about 45,931 (2000) inhabitants. ...

A great variety of birds can be observed including eagles, turkeys, toucans, parakeets and macaws. Animal life in the area includes different species of monkeys, ant-eaters, white-tailed deer and tapirs. Genera Several, see text. ... For other uses, see Toucan (disambiguation). ... Budgerigar Parakeets A parakeet is a term for any one of a large number of unrelated small parrot species. ... Genera Ara Anodorhynchus Cyanopsitta Primolius Orthopsittaca Diopsittaca For other uses, see Macaw (disambiguation). ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... Genera Myrmecophaga Tamandua Cyclopes Anteaters are mammals of the order Xenarthra and the family Myrmecophagidae, commonly known for eating ants and termites. ... This article is about the ruminent animal. ... Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Tapirs (IPA:ËˆteÉªpÉ™r, pronounced as in taper, or IPA:tÉ™ËˆpÉªÉ™r, pronounced as in tap-ear) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. ...

Economy

Nicaragua's economy ranks as 61st freest economy, although it is 1.7% lower than in 2006, it ranks 14 (out of 29) in the Americas. Nicaragua's economy is 62.7% free with high levels of fiscal, government, labor, investment, financial, and trade freedom.^[61] Nicaragua is primarily an agricultural country, but light industry (maquila), tourism, banking, mining, fisheries, and general commerce are expanding. Nicaragua's agrarian economy has historically been based on the export of cash crops such as bananas, coffee, sugar, beef and tobacco. At present agriculture constitutes 60% of its total exports which annually yield approximately US $300 million.^[62] In addition, Nicaragua's Flor de Caña rum is renowned as among the best in Latin America, and its tobacco and beef are also well regarded. Nicaragua also depends heavily on remittances from Nicaraguans living abroad, which totaled $655.5 million in 2006. During the war between the Contras and the Sandinistas in the 1980s, much of the country's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed.^[63] Inflation averaged 30% throughout the 1980s. After the United States imposed a trade embargo in 1985, which lasted 5 years, Nicaragua's inflation rate rose dramatically. The 1985 annual rate of 220% tripled the following year and skyrocketed to more than 13,000% in 1988, the highest rate for any country in the Western Hemisphere in that year. Since the end of the war almost two decades ago, more than 350 state enterprises were privatized, reducing inflation from 33,500% in 1988 to 9.45% in 2006,, and cutting the foreign debt in half.^[64] The economy of Nicaragua has made significant progress toward macro-economic stabilization over the past few years - even with the damage caused by Hurricane Mitch in the fall of 1998. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Coffee (disambiguation). ... This article is about sugar as food and as an important and widely-traded commodity. ... For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation). ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... A bottle of Flor de CaÃ±a Gran Reserva Flor de CaÃ±a (Spanish, loosely translated to Flower of Sugar Cane) is a brand of rum from Nicaragua. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... For other uses, see Contra. ... Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ...

Though sources give slightly differing data on the country's gross domestic product (GDP), Nicaragua is one of the smallest economies in the Western Hemisphere.^[65]^[66] According to the CIA Fact Book, inflation averaged 8.1% from 2000 through 2006. As of 2007, Nicaragua's inflation stands at 9.8%. The World Bank also indicates moderate economic growth at an average of 5% from 1995 through 2004. In 2005 the economy grew 4%, with overall GDP reaching $4.91 billion. In 2006, the economy expanded by 3.7% as GDP reached $5.3 billion. According to the United Nations, 28% of the population in Nicaragua live in poverty (2006 est), unemployment is 3.1%, and another 46.5% are underemployed (2007 est.). Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 349 pixelsFull resolution (912 Ã— 398 pixel, file size: 94 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A 1000 CÃ³rdoba banknote, which was re-printed with a value of 200,000 CÃ³rdobas during the inflationary period of the late 1980s. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 349 pixelsFull resolution (912 Ã— 398 pixel, file size: 94 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A 1000 CÃ³rdoba banknote, which was re-printed with a value of 200,000 CÃ³rdobas during the inflationary period of the late 1980s. ... GDP redirects here. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ... The World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known as the CIA World Factbook)[2] is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. ... Logo of the World Bank The World Bank Group is a group of five international organizations responsible for providing finance to countries for purposes of development and poverty reduction, and for encouraging and safeguarding international investment. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... CIA figures for world unemployment rates, 2006 Unemployment is the state in which a person is without work, available to work, and is currently seeking work. ... In economics, the term underemployment has at least three different distinct meanings and applications. ...

As in many other developing countries, a large segment of the economically poor in Nicaragua are women. In addition, a relatively high proportion of Nicaragua's average homes have a woman as head of household: 39% of urban homes and 28% of rural homes. A developing country is a country with low average income compared to the world average. ... Cities with at least a million inhabitants in 2006 An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China Rural areas (also referred to as the country, countryside) are settled places outside towns and cities. ...

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 some of Nicaragua's foreign debt, as part of the HIPC program. According to the World Bank Nicaragua's GDP was around $4.9 US billion dollars. Recently, in March 2007, Poland and Nicaragua signed an agreement to write off 30.6 million dollars which was borrowed by the Nicaraguan government in the 1980s. ^[67] Image File history File links Ometepe_nic. ... Image File history File links Ometepe_nic. ... Ometepe on the map of Nicaragua Ometepe Island from space, January 1997 The Island of Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1694x1312, 402 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1694x1312, 402 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... IMF redirects here. ... G-8 work session; July 20-22, 2002. ... The 38 states recognized as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). ...

According to the World Bank, Nicaragua ranked as the 62nd best economy for starting a business making it the second best in Central America, after Panama.^[68] The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...

The Nicaraguan unit of currency is the Córdoba (NIO) and was named after Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, its national founder. The cÃ³rdoba (ISO 4217 code: NIO) is the national currency of Nicaragua. ... Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba Nicaraguan Postage, 1924 Francisco HernÃ¡ndez de CÃ³rdoba (1475 ? - 1526) is usually reputed as the founder of Nicaragua, and in fact he founded two important Nicaraguan cities, Granada and LeÃ³n. ...

Components of the economy

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2007 was estimated at $18.17 billion USD.^[69] The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 56.9%, followed by the industrial sector at 25.9% (2006 est.). Agriculture represents only 17.1% of GDP (2007 est.). Nicaraguan labor force is estimated at 2.262 million of which 29% is occupied in agriculture, 19% in the industry sector and 52% in the service sector (est. 2007). PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ...

Tourism

Tourism in Nicaragua is booming, it is currently the second largest industry in the nation,^[70] over the last 7 years tourism has grown about 70% nationwide with rates of 10%-16% annually.^[71] Nicaragua has seen positive growth in the tourism sector over the last decade and is expected to become the first largest industry in 2007. The increase and growth led to the income from tourism to rise more than 300% over a period of 10 years.^[72] The growth in tourism has also positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. Despite the positive growth throughout the last decade, Nicaragua remains the least visited nation in the region.^[73]^[74] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 374 KB) Summary PLAYA DE MARSELLA SAN JUAN DEL SUR NICARAGUA Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 374 KB) Summary PLAYA DE MARSELLA SAN JUAN DEL SUR NICARAGUA Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... Rotonda Ruben Dario, or Metrocentro, one of Managuas many shopping districts Tourism in Nicaragua has boomed in the last 12 years making it the second largest industry in the nation. ... Tourist redirects here. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ...

Every year about 60,000 U.S. citizens visit Nicaragua, primarily business people, tourists, and those visiting relatives.^[75]Some 5,300 people from the U.S. reside in the country now. The majority of tourists that visit Nicaragua are from the U.S., Central or South America, and Europe. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua (INTUR),^[76] the colonial city of Granada 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, the Corn Islands, and others are main tourist attractions. In addition, ecotourism and surfing attract many tourists to Nicaragua. For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Granada, Granada, Nicaragua. ... León is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ... ... Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua Ometepe Island from space, January 1997 The Island of Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. ... The Corn Islands (Las Islas del MaÃz in Spanish) are a pair of islands belonging to the Nicaraguan region RegiÃ³n AutÃ³noma del AtlÃ¡ntico Sur (RAAS), Big Corn Island (Isla Grande del MaÃz) and Little Corn Island (Isla PequeÃ±a del MaÃz). ... Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious individuals. ... For other uses, see Surfing (disambiguation). ...

According to TV Noticias (news program) on Canal 2, a Nicaragua television station, the main attractions in Nicaragua for tourists are the beaches, scenic routes, the architecture of cities such as León and Granada and most recently ecotourism and agritourism, particularly in Northern Nicaragua.^[71] Televicentro Canal 2 is a nationwide terrestrial television channel from Nicaragua owned by Televicentro de Nicaragua, S.A. [edit] History Canal 2 logo. ... Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious individuals. ... A lodging cottage in a rural area of Lithuania. ...

Demographics

About 69 per cent of Nicaraguans are Mestizos - people with both European and indigenous ancestry. ... According to the CIA World Factbook, Nicaragua has a population of 5,675,356. ...

Population

According to the CIA World Factbook, Nicaragua has a population of 5,570,129; 69% mestizo, 17% white, 9% black and 5% amerindian. Nicaraguan demographics reflected a different composition prior to the Sandinista revolution of 1979. Most of the migration during the years that followed were primarily of white upper or middle class Nicaraguans. A growing number of these expats have been returning although the vast majority remain living abroad. There is also large and ever growing expatriate (expat) community of people of all ages,^[77] the majority of whom move for business, investment or who are retirees. The expat communities include people from United States, Canada, Europe, Taiwan, and other countries, the majority have settled in Managua, Granada and San Juan del Sur. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known as the CIA World Factbook)[2] is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. ... Mestizo is a Spanish term that was formerly used in the Spanish Empire to designate people of mixed European (Spaniard) and Amerindian ancestry living in the region of Latin America. ... This article deals with the white population of Latin America. ... Languages Portuguese, Spanish, and others Religions Predominantly Christian (mainly Roman Catholic); minorities practicing Judaism, Islam, or no religion An entry was temporarily removed here. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... For the band, see Expatriate (band). ... Retirement is the status of a worker who has stopped working. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Granada, Granada, Nicaragua. ... ...

The most populous city in Nicaragua is the capital city, Managua, with a population of 1.2 million (2005). As of 2005, over 4.4 million inhabitants live in the Pacific, Central and North regions, 2.7 in the Pacific region alone, while inhabitants in the Caribbean region only reached an estimated 700,000.^[78] The population is 54% urban and many Nicaraguans live abroad, outside of Nicaragua. This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... The 1980s were the backdrop to a savage civil war which saw conflict destroy the nation of Nicaragua, and the lives of 50,000+ civilians in the process. ...

Ethnic groups

The majority of the Nicaraguan population is Mestizo and White. Exactly 69% are Mestizos (mixed Amerindian and White) and 17% are White with the majority being of Spanish, German, Italian, or French ancestry. Mestizos and Whites mainly reside in the western region of the country and combined make up 86% of the Nicaraguan population, approximately 4.8 million people. Image File history File links Nicaboy. ... Image File history File links Nicaboy. ... The American Nicaraguan School is a private school located in Managua, Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,000 Ã— 667 pixels, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,000 Ã— 667 pixels, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Mestizo is a Spanish term that was formerly used in the Spanish Empire to designate people of mixed European (Spaniard) and Amerindian ancestry living in the region of Latin America. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Whites redirects here. ... A stereotypical German The Germans (German: die Deutschen), or the German people, are a nation in the meaning an ethnos (in German: Volk), defined more by a sense of sharing a common German culture and having a German mother tongue, than by citizenship or by being subjects to any particular... Languages Italian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Corsican, Sardinian, Emiliano-Romagnolo, Ligurian, Lombard, Piedmontese, Venetian, Ladin, Friulian Religions predominantly Roman Catholic The Italians are a Southern European ethnic group found primarily in Italy and in a wide-ranging diaspora throughout Western Europe, the Americas and Australia. ...

About 9% of Nicaragua's population is black, or Afro-Nicaragüense, and mainly reside on the country's sparsely populated Caribbean or Atlantic coast. The black population is mostly of West Indian (Antillean) origin, the descendants of indentured laborers brought mostly from Jamaica when the region was a British protectorate. Nicaragua has the largest Afro Latin American population in Central America with the second largest percentage. There is also a smaller number of Garifuna, a people of mixed Carib, Angolan, Congolese and Arawak descent. The Antilles (the same in French; Antillas in Spanish; Antillen in Dutch) refers to the islands forming the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. ... The term descendant or descendent has several meanings, some of which are listed below: A living being, like a plant, animal or person, that belongs to a particular lineage. ... â€œUKâ€ redirects here. ... Languages Portuguese, Spanish, and others Religions Predominantly Christian (mainly Roman Catholic); minorities practicing Judaism, Islam, or no religion An entry was temporarily removed here. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... GarÃfuna refers to both the people and language of the GarÃnagu. ... Carib family (by John Gabriel Stedman) Drawing of a Carib woman Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people, after whom the Caribbean Sea was named, live in the Lesser Antilles islands. ... Angola is a country in southwestern Africa bordering Namibia, Congo-Kinshasa, and Zambia, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. ... Republic of the Congo (light green) Democratic Republic of the Congo (dark green) Congo is a name shared by two countries in both West and Central Africa: Republic of the Congo is often known as Congo-Brazzaville. It is the smaller of the two and lies to the west in... Arowak woman (John Gabriel Stedman) The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for cassava flour), was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in the West Indies. ...

The remaining 5% are Amerindians, the unmixed descendants of the country's indigenous inhabitants. Nicaragua's pre-Colombian population consisted of many indigenous groups. In the western region the Nicarao people, whom the country is named after, were present along with other groups related by culture and language to the Mayans. The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua was inhabited by indigenous peoples who were mostly chibcha related groups that had migrated from South America, primarily present day Colombia and Venezuela. These groups include the Miskitos, Ramas and Sumos. In the nineteenth century, there was a substantial indigenous minority, but this group was also largely assimilated culturally into the mestizo majority. In the mid-1980s, the government divided the department of Zelaya - consisting of the eastern half of the country - into two autonomous regions and granted the black and indigenous people of this region limited self-rule within the Republic. Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ... Nicarao is the name of the then-leader and/or the capital city of the most populous indigenous tribe when the Spanish arrived in Nicaragua. ... This article is about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Mosquito (disambiguation). ... The Rama are an indigenous people of Nicaragua. ... The Sumo (also known as Sumu) are a people that live on the eastern coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras, an area commonly known as the Mosquito Coast. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the field of ecology, an indigenous species is an organism which is native to a region or ecosystem. ... Mestizo is a Spanish term that was formerly used in the Spanish Empire to designate people of mixed European (Spaniard) and Amerindian ancestry living in the region of Latin America. ... Zelaya is a former department in Nicaragua. ...

Immigration

In the 1800s Nicaragua experienced several waves of immigration, primarily from Europe. In particular, families from Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Belgium immigrated to Nicaragua, particularly the departments in the Central and Pacific region. As a result, the Northern cities of Esteli, Jinotega and Matagalpa have significant fourth generation Germans. They established many agricultural businesses such as coffee and sugar cane plantations, and also newspapers, hotels and banks. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Palestinian Nicaraguan (Spanish: Palestino NicaragÃ¼ense) are Nicaraguans of Palestinian ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua. ... Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Estelí is the second largest town in northern Nicaragua (after Matagalpa). ... Jinotega is the capital of Jinotega Department in the north central region of Nicaragua. ... Matagalpa is the capital city of the Matagalpa Department department of Nicaragua. ...

Also present is a small Middle Eastern-Nicaraguan community of Syrians, Armenians, Palestinian Nicaraguans, Jewish Nicaraguans, and Lebanese people in Nicaragua with a total population of about 30,000. There is also an East Asian community mostly consisting of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese. The Chinese Nicaraguan population is estimated at around 12,000.^[79] The Chinese arrived in the late 1800s but were unsubstantiated until the 1920s. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Palestinian Nicaraguan (Spanish: Palestino NicaragÃ¼ense) are Nicaraguans of Palestinian ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua. ... Jewish Nicaraguans or Nicaraguan Jews (Spanish: JudÃo NicaragÃ¼ense) are Nicaraguans of Jewish ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua. ... This article is about the geographical region. ... This article is about the history, geography, and people of the island known as Taiwan. ... Chinese Nicaraguans (Simplified Chinese: å°¼åŠ æ‹‰ç“œåŽäºº Pinyin: nÃ jiÄ lÄ guÄ huÃ¡ rÃ©n Spanish: Chino-Nicaraguense) are Nicaraguans of Chinese ancestry. ...

Relative to its overall population, Nicaragua has never experienced any large scale wave of immigrants. The total number of immigrants to Nicaragua, both originating from other Latin American countries and all other countries, never surpassed 1% of its total population prior to 1995. The 2005 census showed the foreign-born population at 1.2%, having risen a mere .06% in 10 years.^[78] This is not to say that immigrants were not important to the evolution of Nicaragua or the Nicaraguan society. Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Culture

Nicaraguan culture has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavors. Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The Pacific coast has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by Europeans. It was colonized by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The Caribbean coast of the country, on the other hand, was once a British protectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or are British possessions, such as Jamaica, Belize, The Cayman Islands, etc. The indigenous groups that were present in the Pacific coast have largely been assimilated into the mestizo culture, however, the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast have maintained a distinct identity. Nicaraguan culture has several distinct strands. ... The Literature of Nicaragua can be traced to pre-Columbian times with the myths and oral literature that formed the cosmogonic view of the world that indigenous people had. ... Modern Nicaraguan music is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 331 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (600 Ã— 1,087 pixels, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 331 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (600 Ã— 1,087 pixels, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Nicaraguan culture has several distinct strands. ... The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This FSLN logo is an example of the voseo form used in Nicaraguan media. ... West Indies redirects here. ...

Nicaraguan music is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others common across Central America. The marimba of Nicaragua is uniquely played by a sitting performer holding the instrument on his knees. He is usually accompanied by a bass fiddle, guitar and guitarrilla (a small guitar like a mandolin). This music is played at social functions as a sort of background music. The marimba is made with hardwood plates, placed over bamboo or metal tubes of varying lengths. It is played with two or four hammers. The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is known for a lively, sensual form of dance music called Palo de Mayo which is very much alive all throughout the country. It is especially loud and celebrated during the Palo de Mayo festival in May. The Garifuna community exists in Nicaragua and is known for its popular music called Punta. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixels Full resolution (1000 Ã— 667 pixel, file size: 801 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Carnival Culture of Nicaragua Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixels Full resolution (1000 Ã— 667 pixel, file size: 801 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Carnival Culture of Nicaragua Metadata... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links ArtesaniaNica. ... Image File history File links ArtesaniaNica. ... Modern Nicaraguan music is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. ... The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. ... â€œFiddlerâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... This article is about the musical instrument. ... For other uses, see Hammer (disambiguation). ... West Indies redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Palo de Mayo (English: Maypole; or Â¡Mayo Ya!) is a type of Afro-caribbean dance with sensual movements that forms part of the culture of several communities in the RAAS region in Nicaragua, as well as a genre of music. ... GarÃfuna refers to both the people and language of the GarÃnagu. ... Punta is a type of music found primarily in Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Nicaragua. ...

Literature of Nicaragua can be traced to pre-Columbian times with the myths and oral literature that formed the cosmogonic view of the world that indigenous people had. Some of these stories are still know in Nicaragua. Like many Latin American countries, the Spanish conquerors have had the most effect on both the culture and the literature. Nicaraguan literature has historically been an important source of poetry in the Spanish-speaking world, with internationally renowned contributors such as Rubén Darío who is regarded as the most important literary figure in Nicaragua, referred to as the "Father of Modernism" for leading the modernismo literary movement at the end of the 19th century.^[81] Other literary figures include Ernesto Cardenal, Gioconda Belli, Claribel Alegría and Jose Coronel Urtecho, among others. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (820x616, 107 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (820x616, 107 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... El GÃ¼egÃ¼ense El GÃ¼egÃ¼ense (also known as Macho RatÃ³n) is a satirical drama and was the first literary work of pre-colombian Nicaragua. ... The Literature of Nicaragua can be traced to pre-Columbian times with the myths and oral literature that formed the cosmogonic view of the world that indigenous people had. ... The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents. ... Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken (oral) word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... This article is about the art form. ... A framed picture of RubÃ©n DarÃo hanging in the National Theater. ... Modernismo is Spanish for modernism, however the term Modernismo indicates a more specific art movement: Modernismo, also known by its Catalan name Modernisme, as term in architecture generally refers to the pre-Art Nouveau style existing; e. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ernesto Cardenal MartÃnez (born January 20, 1925) is a Catholic priest and was one of the most famous liberation theologians of the Nicaraguan Revolution. ... Gioconda Belli Gioconda Belli (born 1948 in Managua) is a Nicaraguan author, poet and novelist. ... Claribel AlegrÃa (born May 12, 1924 in EstelÃ, Nicaragua) is a writer from Nicaragua and El Salvador. ... JosÃ© Coronel Urtecho (1906-1994) was a Nicaraguan writer and intellectual, who has been described as the most influential Nicaraguan thinker of the twentieth century. ...

El Güegüense is a satirical drama and was the first literary work of pre-Columbian Nicaragua. It is regarded as one of Latin America's most distinctive colonial-era expressions and as Nicaragua's signature folkloric masterpiece combining music, dance and theater.^[81] The theatrical play was written by an anonymous author in the 16th century, making it one of the oldest indigenous theatrical/dance works of the Western Hemisphere.^[82] The story was published in a book in 1942 after many centuries.^[83] El GÃ¼egÃ¼ense El GÃ¼egÃ¼ense (also known as Macho RatÃ³n) is a satirical drama and was the first literary work of pre-colombian Nicaragua. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation) Theater (American English) or Theatre (British English and widespread usage among theatre professionals in the US) is that branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ...

Language

Spanish is spoken by about 90% of the country's population. In Nicaragua the Voseo form is common, just as in other countries in Central and South America like Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, Uruguay or coastal Colombia. Spanish has many different dialects spoken throughout Latin America, Central American Spanish is the dialect spoken in Nicaragua. In the Caribbean coast many afro-Nicaraguans and creoles speak English and creole English as their first language. Also in the Caribbean coast, many Indigenous people speak their native languages, such as the Miskito, Sumo, Rama and Garifuna language.^[84] In addition, many ethnic groups in Nicaragua, such as the Chinese Nicaraguans and Palestinian Nicaraguans, have maintained their ancestral languages, which are minority languages, while also speaking Spanish or English. These minority languages include Chinese, Arabic, German, and Italian, among others. This FSLN logo is an example of the voseo form used in Nicaraguan media. ... This FSLN logo is an example of the voseo form used in Nicaraguan media. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 732 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (900 Ã— 737 pixels, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 732 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (900 Ã— 737 pixels, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Bluefields, is a city in Nicaragua, capital of the autonomous region called AtlÃ¡ntico Sur (R.A.A.S.). Its population is about 45,931 (2000) inhabitants. ... Countries that feature voseo. ... This FSLN logo is an example of the voseo form used in Nicaraguan media. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... REWRITE for previous article: I am trying to clean up the previous article. ... Miskito is a Misumalpan language spoken by the Miskito people in northern Nicaragua, especially in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region, and in eastern Honduras. ... Sumo (also known as Sumu) is a Misumalpan language spoken in Nicaragua and Honduras. ... Rama is one of the indigenous languages of the Chibchan family spoken by the Rama people on the island of Rama Cay and south of lake Bluefields on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Chinese Nicaraguans (Simplified Chinese: å°¼åŠ æ‹‰ç“œåŽäºº Pinyin: nÃ jiÄ lÄ guÄ huÃ¡ rÃ©n Spanish: Chino-Nicaraguense) are Nicaraguans of Chinese ancestry. ... Palestinian Nicaraguan (Spanish: Palestino NicaragÃ¼ense) are Nicaraguans of Palestinian ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua. ... Arabic redirects here. ...

Nicaragua has a total of 3 extinct languages, one of which was never classified. Nicaraguan Sign Language is also of particular interest to linguists. An extinct language is a language which no longer has any native speakers, in contrast to a dead language, which is is a language which has stopped changing in grammar, vocabulary, and the complete meaning of a sentence. ... Nicaraguan Sign Language (or ISN, Idioma de SeÃ±as de Nicaragua or Idioma de Signos NicaragÃ¼ense) is a signed language spontaneously developed by deaf children in a number of schools in western Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s. ... ...

Religion

Religion is a significant part of the culture of Nicaragua and forms part of the constitution. Religious freedom, which has been guaranteed since 1939, and religious tolerance is promoted by both the Nicaraguan government and the constitution. Bishops are expected to lend their authority to important state occasions, and their pronouncements on national issues are closely followed. They can also be called upon to mediate between contending parties at moments of political crisis.^[86] Anthem Capital (and largest city) Managua Official languages Spanish1 Government Republic - President Daniel Ortega (FSLN) Independence from Spain - Declared September 15, 1821 - Recognized July 25, 1850 Area - Total 129,494 kmÂ² (97th) 50,193 sq mi - Water (%) 7. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 342 pixel Image in higher resolution (2918 Ã— 1248 pixel, file size: 4. ... The New Cathedral of Managua. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Relation to other religions Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Christianity Portal This box: Evangelicalism is a theological perspective in Protestant Christianity which identifies with the gospel. ... The Moravian Seal, as rendered by North Carolina artist Marie Nifong. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Other or constitutive other (also referred to as othering) is a key concept in continental philosophy, opposed to the Same. ... Buddhism is a variety of teachings described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer a set of practices that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: This article...

Nicaragua has no official religion. The largest denomination, and traditionally the religion of the majority, is Roman Catholic. However, practicing Roman Catholics have been declining, while evangelical Protestant groups and Mormons have been rapidly growing since the 1990s. There are also strong Anglican and Moravian communities on the Caribbean coast. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Look up evangelist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The Moravian Seal, as rendered by North Carolina artist Marie Nifong. ...

Roman Catholicism came to Nicaragua in the sixteenth century with the Spanish conquest and remained, until 1939, the established faith. Protestantism and other Christian denominations came to Nicaragua during the nineteenth century, but only during the twentieth century have Protestant denominations gained large followings in the Caribbean Coast of the country. Popular religion revolves around the saints, who are perceived as intermediaries between human beings and God. Most localities, from the capital of Managua to small rural communities, honor patron saints, selected from the Roman Catholic calendar, with annual fiestas. In many communities, a rich lore has grown up around the celebrations of patron saints, such as Managua's Saint Dominic (Santo Domingo), honored in August with two colorful, often riotous, day-long processions through the city. The high point of Nicaragua's religious calendar for the masses is neither Christmas nor Easter, but La Purísima, a week of festivities in early December dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, during which elaborate altars to the Virgin Mary are constructed in homes and workplaces.^[86] Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: A denomination... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: Mary, the mother of Jesus, the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary Blessed Virgin Mary, the Roman Catholic theological and doctrinal concept of Mary Marian apparitions shrines to the Virgin Mary Virgin Mary in Islam, the Islamic theological and doctrinal concept...

Cuisine

The Cuisine of Nicaragua is as diverse as its inhabitants. It is a mixture of criollo style food and pre-Columbian dishes. When the Spaniards first arrived in Nicaragua they found that the Creole people present had incorporated foods available in the area into their cuisine.^[87] Despite the blending and incorporation of pre-Columbian and Spanish influenced cuisine, traditional cuisine changes from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast. While the Pacific coast's main staple revolves around local fruits and corn, the Caribbean coast's cuisine makes use of seafood and the coconut. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 Ã— 768 pixel, file size: 452 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 Ã— 768 pixel, file size: 452 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article is about the fruit. ... Nacatamal Vigoron Vaho Churrasco con Chimichurri Gallo Pinto Sopa de Mondongo Pescado Tipitapa Brochetas Tres Leches Cake Pio Quinto Relampago Repocheta Pinolio Cacao Chicha Repocheta ChicharrÃ³n See also Wikipedia Cookbook Cooking Nicaragua Categories: Food and drink stubs | Nicaraguan cuisine ... The Spanish people or Spaniards are an ethnic group native to Spain, in southwestern Europe, who are primarily descended from the autochthonous pre-Indo-European Euskaldunak, Latin, Visigothic, Celtic and Moorish peoples. ... The term Creole and its cognates in other languages â€” such as crioulo, criollo, crÃ©ole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. ... Cuisine (from French cuisine, cooking; culinary art; kitchen; ultimately from Latin coquere, to cook) is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture. ... Spaghetti with seafood (Spaghetti allo scoglio). ... For other uses, see Coconut (disambiguation). ...

Gallopinto is Nicaragua's national dish, it consists of red beans and rice. The dish has several variations including the addition of coconut oil and/or grated coconut which is primarily prepared on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. Most Nicaraguans begin and end every day with Gallopinto, it is also thought to have originated in Nicaragua, however there is some controversy about the origins of this dish. Gallo pinto (or gallopinto) is a traditional dish of Nicaragua and Costa Rica consisting primarily of beans and rice, considered the national dish of both countries. ... A national dish is a dish, food or a drink that represents a particular country, nation or region. ... Green beans Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae) used for food or feed. ... For other uses, see Rice (disambiguation). ... Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, is a tropical oil extracted from copra (the dried inner flesh of coconuts) with many applications. ... For other uses, see Coconut (disambiguation). ... West Indies redirects here. ...

Main staple

As in many other Latin American countries, corn is a main staple. Corn is used in many of the widely consumed dishes, such as the nacatamal, and indio viejo. Corn is not only used in food it is also an ingredient for drinks such as pinolillo and chicha as well as in sweets and desserts. Nicaraguans do not limit their cuisine to corn, local grown vegetables and fruits have been in use since before the arrival of the Spaniards and their influence on Nicaraguan cuisine. Many of Nicaragua's dishes include fruits and vegetables such as jocote, mango, papaya, tamarindo, pipian, banana, avocado, yuca, and herbs such as cilantro, oregano and achiote.^[87] Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Binomial name L. Corn (Zea mays L. ssp. ... Nacatamal is a famous Nicaraguan dish, consisting of corn meal with potatoes and lard mixed with green peppers, onions, raisins and likely garlic. ... Indio Viejo is a dish whose name means old Indian and is made with small long strings of meat or chicken. ... Decorative Pinolillo gourds, sold as souvenirs in Nicaragua. ... Chicha served with pipeÃ±o Chicha is a Spanish word for any variety of fermented beverage. ... Binomial name Spondias purpurea (L.) Jocote, Spondias purpurea, is a species of fruit tree first domesticated in mesoamerica. ... Species About 35 species, including: Mangifera altissima Mangifera applanata Mangifera caesia Mangifera camptosperma Mangifera casturi Mangifera decandra Mangifera foetida Mangifera gedebe Mangifera griffithii Mangifera indica Mangifera kemanga Mangifera laurina Mangifera longipes Mangifera macrocarpa Mangifera mekongensis Mangifera odorata Mangifera pajang Mangifera pentandra Mangifera persiciformis Mangifera quadrifida Mangifera siamensis Mangifera similis Mangifera... Binomial name L. This article is about the fruit. ... Binomial name Tamarindus indica L. The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is the only species of the genus Tamarindus in the family Fabaceae. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Mill. ... Yuca or Yuka has been used as a semi despective term reffering to Metal and Rock music derivations and their followers (called Yuqueros). The term is used in Latin American countrys, thought most popularly in Venezuela. ... For other uses, see Coriander (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Origanum vulgare L. Oregano or Pot Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) is a species of Origanum, native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and southern and central Asia. ... Binomial name Bixa orellana L. Achiote, or Achiotl, (Bixa orellana) is a shrub or small tree from the tropical regions of the Americas, also known also by its Tupi name of urucum. ...

Education

Education is free for all Nicaraguans.^[88] Elementary education is free and compulsory, however, many children in rural areas are unable to attend due to lack of schools and other reasons. Communities located on the Caribbean coast have access to education in their native languages. The majority of higher education institutions are located in Managua, higher education has financial, organic and administrative autonomy, according to the law. Also, freedom of subjects is recognized.^[89] Education in Nicaragua is free for all Nicaraguans. ... Universities in Nicaragua include two principle universities, the Central American University (Universidad CentroamÃ©ricana - UCA) and the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Universidad Nacional AutÃ³noma de Nicaragua--UNAN), are viewed as strongholds of Sandinista thought and sympathy, but are not considered influential in the political system. ... This is an incomplete list of schools in Nicaragua Lincoln International Academy French American School American Nicaraguan School Nicaragua Christian Academy German Nicaragua School Notre Dame School Colegio Centro AmÃ©rica Instituto Loyola Instituto PedagÃ³gico La Salle Colegio Hispano NicaragÃ¼ense colegio sagrado corazon de jesus (hermanas bethlemitas) Universities... Image File history File links Literacy2. ... Image File history File links Literacy2. ... The Literacy campaign was later than many other countries in the region; therefore, they had good models and mentors to guide them to success. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ...

Nicaragua's higher education consists of 48 universities and 113 colleges and technical institutes which serve student in the areas of electronics, computer systems and sciences, agroforestry, construction and trade-related services.^[90] The educational system includes 1 U.S. accredited English-language university, 3 Bilingual university programs, 5 Bilingual secondary schools and dozens of English Language Institutes. In 2005, almost 400,000 (7%) of Nicaraguans held a university degree.^[91] 18% of Nicaragua's total budget is invested in primary, secondary and higher education. University level institutions account for 6% of 18%. A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... For other uses, see College (disambiguation). ... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Parkland in Burkina Faso: Sorghum grown under Faidherbia albida and Borassus akeassii near Banfora, Burkina Faso Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create more integrated, diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems. ... For other uses, see Construction (disambiguation). ... This article is about economic exchange. ... Accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which a facilitys or institutions services and operations are examined by a third-party accrediting agency to determine if applicable standards are met. ... Bilingual education involves teaching all subjects in school through two different languages - in the United States, instruction occurs in English and a minority language, such as Spanish or Chinese, with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model. ... The purpose of an English Language Institute, or ELI, is to teach English as a second language to students from around the world. ... It has been suggested that double degree be merged into this article or section. ...

When the Sandinistas came to power in 1979, they inherited an educational system that was one of the poorest in Latin America.^[92] Under the Somozas, limited spending on education and generalized poverty, which forced many adolescents into the labor market, constricted educational opportunities for Nicaraguans. A 1980 literacy campaign, using secondary school students, university students as well as teachers as volunteer teachers, reduced the overall illiteracy rate from 50.3% to 12.9% within only five months.^[93] The key large scale programs of the Sandinistas included a massive National Literacy Crusade (March-August, 1980), social program, which received international recognition for their gains in literacy, health care, education, childcare, unions, and land reform.^[94]^[95] In September 1980, UNESCO awarded Nicaragua with the “Nadezhda K. Krupskaya” award for their successful literacy campaign. This was followed by the literacy campaigns of 1982, 1986, 1987, 1995 and 2000, all of which were also awarded by UNESCO.^[96] Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... World illiteracy rates by country Literacy is the ability to read and write. ... The Nicaraguan National Literacy Crusade was the first major project of the new FSLN government. ... Children reading. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... Childcare (also written child care[1] and babycare) is the act of caring for and supervising minor children. ... The Lawrence textile strike (1912), with soldiers surrounding peaceful demonstrators A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions, forming a cartel of labour. ... -1... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Nadezhda Krupskaya Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya (Russian Надежда Константиновна Крупская, scientific transliteration Nadežda Konstantinovna Krupskaja; February 26, 1869 - February 27, 1939) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary. ...

Sports

Baseball is the most popular sport played in Nicaragua. Although some professional Nicaraguan baseball teams have folded in the recent past, Nicaragua enjoys a strong tradition of American-style Baseball. Baseball was introduced to Nicaragua at different years during the 19th century. In the Caribbean coast locals from Bluefields were taught how to play baseball in 1888 by Albert Addlesberg, a retailer from the United States.^[97] Baseball did not catch on in the Pacific coast until 1891 when a group of mostly students originating from universities of the United States formed "La Sociedad de Recreo" (Society of Recreation) where they played various sports, baseball being the most popular among them.^[97] There are five teams that compete amongst themselves: Indios del Boer (Managua), Chinandega, Tiburones (Sharks) of Granada, Leon and Masaya. Players from these teams comprise the National team when Nicaragua competes internationally. The country has had its share of MLB players (including current Texas Rangers Pitcher Vicente Padilla), but the most notable is Dennis Martínez, who was the first baseball player from Nicaragua to play in Major League Baseball. ^[98] He became the first Latin-born pitcher to throw a perfect game, the 13th in major league history, against the Dodgers in 1991.^[99] Barry Bonds batting Photo:Agência Brasil In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for ones team. ... This article is about the sport. ... Bluefields, is a city in Nicaragua, capital of the autonomous region called AtlÃ¡ntico Sur (R.A.A.S.). Its population is about 45,931 (2000) inhabitants. ... Major Leagues redirects here. ... Major league affiliations American League (1961â€“present) West Division (1972â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 26, 34, 42 Name Texas Rangers (1972â€“present) Washington Senators (1961-1971) Other nicknames None in common use Ballpark Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (1994â€“present) a. ... Vicente Padilla (born September 27, 1977 in Chinandega, Nicaragua) is a professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers. ... JosÃ© Dennis MartÃnez Emilia (born May 14, 1955 in Granada, Nicaragua), better known as Dennis MartÃnez, was the first baseball player from Nicaragua to play in Major League Baseball. ... Major Leagues redirects here. ... Pitcher David Cone (left) of the New York Yankees reacting to the completion of his perfect game with catcher Joe Girardi on July 18, 1999. ... The text below is generated by a template, which has been proposed for deletion. ...

Boxing is the second most popular sport in Nicaragua.^[100] The country has had world champions such as Alexis Argüello and Ricardo Mayorga among others. Recently, football has gained some popularity, especially with the younger population. The Dennis Martínez National Stadium has served as a venue for both baseball and soccer but the first ever national football stadium in Managua is currently under construction.^[101] For other meanings of these words, see boxing (disambiguation) or boxer (disambiguation). ... Alexis ArgÃ¼ello (born April 19, 1952), is a former world champion boxer, born in Nicaragua. ... Ricardo Mayorga (born October 3, 1973 in Managua, Nicaragua), He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC Junior Middleweight champion. ... Soccer redirects here. ... Dennis Martinez National Stadium Dennis MartÃnez National Stadium (Spanish: Estadio Nacional Dennis MartÃnez) is located in Managua, Nicaragua. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ...

Contents

History

Pre-Columbian history

The Spanish conquest

From colony to nation

United States involvement (1909 - 1933)

The Somoza Dynasty (1936 - 1979)

The Nicaraguan revolution

Sandinistas and the Contras

1990s and the post-Sandinista era

Politics

Departments and municipalities

Geography

Pacific lowlands

Central highlands

Atlantic lowlands

Economy

Components of the economy

Tourism

Demographics

Population

Ethnic groups

Immigration

Culture

Language

Religion

Cuisine

Main staple

Education

Sports

See also

References

Bibliography

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Pre-Columbian history

The Spanish conquest

From colony to nation

United States involvement (1909 - 1933)

The Somoza Dynasty (1936 - 1979)

The Nicaraguan revolution

Sandinistas and the Contras

1990s and the post-Sandinista era

Politics

Departments and municipalities

Geography

Pacific lowlands

Central highlands

Atlantic lowlands

Economy

Components of the economy

Tourism

Demographics

Population

Ethnic groups

Immigration

Culture

Language

Religion

Cuisine

Main staple

Education

Sports

See also

References

Bibliography

History