Nicaragua
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Nicaragua is a republic in Central America. It is the largest Central American nation. North of it is Honduras and south of it is Costa Rica. Its western coastline is on the Pacific Ocean, while the east side of the country is on the Caribbean Sea. The country's name is a combination of Nicarao, the native tribe with the most people when the Spanish came, and the Spanish word Agua, meaning water, after the two large lakes in the west of the country, Lago Managua and Lago Nicaragua.
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| National motto: Pro Mundi Beneficio (Latin: For the World's benefit) |
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| Official language | Spanish (official) (English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast) | ||||
| Capital | Managua | ||||
| Mayor of the Capital | Dionisio Marenco | ||||
| President | Enrique Bolaños | ||||
| Area - Total - % water |
Ranked 115th 129,494 km² 2.9% |
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| Population - Total - Density |
Ranked 131st 5,628,517 38,80/km² |
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| Independence - Declared - Recognized |
From Spain September 15, 1821 July 25, 1850 |
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| Currency | Córdoba | ||||
| Time zone | UTC -5 | ||||
| National anthem | Salve a tí | ||||
| Internet TLD | .ni | ||||
| Calling Code | 505 | ||||
Contents |
[edit] History
Main article: History of Nicaragua
Nicaragua became a colony of Spain in 1524, and became a self run state in 1821, joining the United Provinces of Central America. It went away from this federation (group of countries joined together) in 1838, and became a completely self run republic in 1854.
Nicaragua was one of the richest countries in Central America in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its political and economic wellness attracted a great many people to move from Europe (mainly from Germany).
The nation's early history was marked by the desire of U.S. government commercial interests to make use of Nicaragua. When gold was found in California, Cornelius Vanderbilt's Accessory Transit Company used steamships and carriage business to link Greytown, at the mouth of the San Juan River located on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. Small stemboats traveled up the river to La Virgin on the shores of lake Nicaragua where the passengers either walked or traveled by wagon to San Juan del Sur on the Pacific coast and continued on to California.
[edit] Politics
Main article: Politics of Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a constitutional republic with an elected president holding executive power. The unicameral legislative body is the National Assembly, which has 93 members elected for 5-year terms. The President, and the runner-up are both members of the National Assembly, as well, and the government operates according to pseudo-parliamentary rules.
- List of Presidents of Nicaragua
[edit] Departments
Main article: Departments of Nicaragua
For administrative purposes, Nicaragua is divided into 15 departments and two autonomous regions. The departments are Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, León, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rivas, Río San Juan. 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.
[edit] Geography
Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains and the Mosquito Coast. The Pacific Lowlands are in the west of the country, and consist of a broad, hot, fertile plain which supports most of Nicaragua's population. The capital, Managua, and the two main provincial cities, Leon and Granada all lie in this region. Punctuating this plain are several large volcanoes, many of which are active. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common in this part of the country: much of central Managua was destroyed by an earthquake on December 23 1972.
The North-Central mountains 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.
The Mosquito Coast is a large rainforest region, with several large rivers running through it. It has a hot and humid climate, and is very sparsely populated. The Caribbean coastline is much more sinuous than its generally straight Pacific counterpart: lagoons and deltas make it very irregular.
See also:
- Lake Nicaragua
- Volcanoes of Nicaragua
- List of cities in Nicaragua
[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Nicaragua
Nicaragua's economy has historically been based on the export of cash crops such as bananas, coffee and tobacco. It boasts the best rum in Central America and is 3rd in beef quality behind Argentina and Brazil. During the Contra War, much of the country's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, and an economic blockade by the US led to the virtual collapse of the economy. Inflation ran for a time at several thousand per cent. Since the end of the war, many state-owned industries have been privatised. Inflation has been brought to manageable levels, and the economy has grown quite rapidly in recent years.
[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Nicaragua
About 86 per cent of nicaraguan are European (but not limited to Spanish) or mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Most of nicaraguan are Spanish descendant, but the 19th century saw several waves of immigration from other European countries (mainly from Germany). Most of the Mestizo and European population live in the western and central regions of the country and especially in the cities of Managua, Leon and Granada.
About 9 per cent of Nicaragua's population is black or afronicaragüense and they are concentrated in the country's eastern coast, and were brought mostly from Jamaica and Haiti when the region was a British protectorate. There is also a smaller number of Garifuna, a people of mixed African, Carib, Angolan, Congoan and Arawak descent.
Just 5 per cent of the population are of pure indigenous descent. Nicaragua's pre-Colombian population consisted of the Nahuatl-speaking Nicarao people of the west, and six ethnic groups including the Miskitos, Ramas and Sumos in the Caribbean region. While very few pure-blooded Nicarao people still exist, the Caribbean peoples have remained distinct. In the mid-1980s, the government divided the eastern half of the country - the former department of Zelaya - into two autonomous regions and granted the African and indigenous people of the region limited self-rule.
There is also a small Middle Eastern-nicaraguan community of Syrian, Armenian, Palestinian and Lebanese people in Nicaragua with a total population of about 30,000, and an East Asian community of Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese people of almost 8,000. The minorities speak Spanish and maintain their ancestral languages as well.
Spanish is spoken by about 90% of Nicaraguans; the Nicaraguan dialect has many similarities to Galician, and also has similarities to Argentinian Spanish which uses "vos" instead of "tu", along with the "vos" conjugation. The black population of the east coast region has English as its first language. Several indigenous peoples of the east still use their original languages.
Roman Catholicism is the major religion, but evangelical Protestant groups have grown recently, and there are strong Anglican and Moravian communities on the Caribbean coast.
Ninety per cent of Nicaraguans live in the Pacific and central lowlands and the adjacent interior highlands. The population is 54% urban.
[edit] Culture
Main article: Culture of Nicaragua
Nicaraguan culture has several distinct strands. The west and cetral region of the country was colonized by european and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, like Argentina and Uruguay. The people of western Nicaragua are mostly Europeans and Mestizo; Spanish is invariably their first language.
The eastern half of the country, on the other hand, was once a British protectorate. English is still the first language of most people in this region, and its culture is more similar to Caribbean nations. There is a large population of people of African descent, as well as a smaller Garifuna population.
Of the cultures that were present before European colonization, the Nahuatl-speaking peoples who populated the west of the country have essentially been assimilated into the latino culture. In the east, however, several indigenous groups have maintained a distinct identity. The Sumos and Ramas people still use their original languages.
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Nicaragua
- Nicaraguan Cuisine
- Nicaraguan Diaspora
- Communications in Nicaragua
- Transportation in Nicaragua
- Military of Nicaragua
- Foreign relations of Nicaragua
[edit] Famous Nicaraguans
- Ruben Dario
- Violeta Chamorro
- Fransisco Hernandez de Córdoba
- Erwin Kruger
- Salomón de la Selva
- Pablo Antonio Cuadra
- Carlos Mejía Godoy
- Luis Enrique
- Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy
- Camilo Zapata
- Silvia Poll
- Bianca Jagger
- Michael Cordua
- Michele Najlis
- Ernesto Cardenal
- Arlen Siu
- Gioconda Belli
- Daniel Ortega Saavedra
- Dennis Martinez
[edit] External links
[www.pronicargua.org.ni]
[edit] Art and Culture
- Nicaraguan Art Art and Literature by Nicaraguans
- Atelier Yoyita Art Gallery
- Ruben Dario
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