Language: 97.5%Spanish (official), 1.7% Miskito, and .8% other
Major exports/industries:
Agricultural exports (60%)-coffee, tobacco, beef, shrimp and lobster, sugar, gold, peanuts; cigars, harnesses, textiles and apparel
Rum- Flor de Caña
Geography: (slightly larger than New York)
Land: Mountainous in the west, with fruitful valleys, two giant lakes Nicaragua and Managua are connected by the Tipitapa River, and the Pacific Coast is fertile and volcanic, swampy Caribbean Coast is called “Mosquito Coast."
Affect of geography: With fertile valleys, farmers have an easy time planting and harvesting crops but transportation is limited in the west due to the mountainous area.
Weatherand Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands.
Brief History:
Beginning of Nicaraguan history dates back to the year 500, where archaeological evidence states that the earliest settlers were Paleo-Indian. The name derives from an Indian king, during the Spanish Conquest, whose name translated to Nicarao. These were among the various indigenous groups that settled there from the North and South; other groups inhabited in Nicaragua included the Miskito and the Sumu (or Sumo). Each of these groups had their own cultural identity; they all coexisted within the Nicaraguan society, with different languages, religion, and cultures. However, once the Spaniards began their invasions, they brought over disease and war. This sharply declined every indigenous group’s populations and the remaining people were forced to speak Spanish and convert to Catholicism. Throughout that time, the people of these native groups joined together by intermarriage into the Spanish society to form the racial-cultural group called the Mestizo’s.
Nicaragua was accidentally settled by Spanish explorer Gil Gonzalez Divila in 1522. In 1524, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba officially finished conquering Nicaraguan country and became a territory of Spain. Although, the country declares independence from Spain on September 15, 1821 and proceeded to join the Mexican Empire; shortly afterwards, Nicaragua entered part of the United Provinces of Central America, and then finally became an independent republic in 1838. The first leader to take control of the newly formed Nicaraguan country was General José Santos Zelaya, until the United States military put an end to his reign in 1909. From 1937 until 1979 General Anastasio Somoza Garcia and his family upheld control of Nicaragua. Soon after an earthquake hit, the capital city, Managua, President Anastasio Somoza Debayle fled and the Sadinistas took over. Fighting and war became very popular after the Sadinistas began rule and continued until late 1980. Daniel Ortega was elected president for six years, and has remained the president since he resumed his election in 2007. Government/Current Political Situation:
Conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
Locallong form: Republica de Nicaragua
Type: Republic
Current Leader: Daniel Ortega(2007-present)
Political Climate: controversial (re-election of President Ortega)/fearful (one party dominance)
Suffrage: 16 years old
Constitution: January 9, 1987 (revised: 1995, 2000, 2005)
Culture:
Gallo Pinto
Food/Drink: Corn, beans, and tortillas (staple diet), tamales, gallo pinto (spotted rooster), bistec a la parrilla (grilled steak-celebratory meal), coffee, Pinol (national drink) made of corn flour with water
Holiday/Celebrations: New Year’s, Liberation Day (18 July), and Independence Day (15 September), Santo Domingo (1 August-10 August), Christmas, Holy Week (one week before Easter)
Art: Folkloric dance, palo volador (flying pole) marimba, Las Inditas, Los Diabilitos, and Las Negras (masked characters with grotesque facial features), silverwork, woodcarving, embroidery, and sculpting
Music: National Anthem- "Salve a ti, Nicaragua" which means "Hail to Thee, Nicaragua"
Sports: Baseball
Motto: "En Dios Confiamos" which means "In God We Trust"
Tourism:
Managua: Ruben Darion National Theater, La Plaza de la Revolucion (Plaza of Revolution), and Catedral de Santiago (Old Cathedral.
Granada: Oldest city in Central America.
OmetepeIsland: largest lake island in the world. Madera and Concepcion-two active volcanoes that can be hiked.
SanJuan del Sur: epicenter of beach tourism and foreign real estate.
Catedral de Santiago (Old Cathedral)
Granada
Ometepe Island
San Juan del Sur
Current Event:
Recently, there was a rediscovery of a Caribbean ghost town in Nicaragua. A huge jungle surrounded the nearby Greytown in San Juan; this town called Greytown was a huge boomtown and hub for trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Even with a new airport and a more easy way of access to the ghost town, it is still a remote and exotic place that many people do not know about. San Juan hopes that his will strike a new buzz of tourism to the area, but hopes the hard rain in the tropical environment will not keep people from visiting this peaceful place. The main site of the attraction in Old Greytown is said to be the gravestones, because they are intriguing and yet, somewhat, haunting; they give little laughs to the tourists from the translated meanings of the engraving. One tourist says “It’s an experience that’s as authentic and edgy as Nicaragua itself.”
Nicaragua:
General Information:
Age-31.7% (0-14), 63.8% (15-64), 4.5% (65+)
Urbanization- 57-84% of population
Ethnic Groups- 69% mestizo (Amerindian and white), 17% white, 9% black, and 5% Amerindian
Agricultural exports (60%)-coffee, tobacco, beef, shrimp and lobster, sugar, gold, peanuts; cigars, harnesses, textiles and apparel
Rum- Flor de Caña
Geography: (slightly larger than New York)
Brief History:
Beginning of Nicaraguan history dates back to the year 500, where archaeological evidence states that the earliest settlers were Paleo-Indian. The name derives from an Indian king, during the Spanish Conquest, whose name translated to Nicarao. These were among the various indigenous groups that settled there from the North and South; other groups inhabited in Nicaragua included the Miskito and the Sumu (or Sumo). Each of these groups had their own cultural identity; they all coexisted within the Nicaraguan society, with different languages, religion, and cultures. However, once the Spaniards began their invasions, they brought over disease and war. This sharply declined every indigenous group’s populations and the remaining people were forced to speak Spanish and convert to Catholicism. Throughout that time, the people of these native groups joined together by intermarriage into the Spanish society to form the racial-cultural group called the Mestizo’s.
Nicaragua was accidentally settled by Spanish explorer Gil Gonzalez Divila in 1522. In 1524, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba officially finished conquering Nicaraguan country and became a territory of Spain. Although, the country declares independence from Spain on September 15, 1821 and proceeded to join the Mexican Empire; shortly afterwards, Nicaragua entered part of the United Provinces of Central America, and then finally became an independent republic in 1838. The first leader to take control of the newly formed Nicaraguan country was General José Santos Zelaya, until the United States military put an end to his reign in 1909. From 1937 until 1979 General Anastasio Somoza Garcia and his family upheld control of Nicaragua. Soon after an earthquake hit, the capital city, Managua, President Anastasio Somoza Debayle fled and the Sadinistas took over. Fighting and war became very popular after the Sadinistas began rule and continued until late 1980. Daniel Ortega was elected president for six years, and has remained the president since he resumed his election in 2007.
Government/Current Political Situation:
Culture:
Tourism:
Current Event:
Recently, there was a rediscovery of a Caribbean ghost town in Nicaragua. A huge jungle surrounded the nearby Greytown in San Juan; this town called Greytown was a huge boomtown and hub for trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Even with a new airport and a more easy way of access to the ghost town, it is still a remote and exotic place that many people do not know about. San Juan hopes that his will strike a new buzz of tourism to the area, but hopes the hard rain in the tropical environment will not keep people from visiting this peaceful place. The main site of the attraction in Old Greytown is said to be the gravestones, because they are intriguing and yet, somewhat, haunting; they give little laughs to the tourists from the translated meanings of the engraving. One tourist says “It’s an experience that’s as authentic and edgy as Nicaragua itself.”
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/29/3020735_p3/rediscovering-a-caribbean-ghost.html
Sources:
“Nicaragua: Maps, History, Government, Geography, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities”. Infoplease. Pearson Education, 2000-2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.
“Nicaragua-Country Profile-2012”. IndexMundi. CIA World Factbook, 26 July 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.
“Culture of Nicaragua-history, people, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage”. Culture and Their Countries. 2012 Advameg, Inc. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.
“Nicaragua tourism and tourist attractions in Nicaragua”. AuroraBeachFront. MultiTech Smart Solutions 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012.
“The History of Nicaragua|Nicaragua”. CanturNicaragua. 2012 Nicaragua. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
“Nicaragua Facts”. Compassion. 2002-2012 Compassion International. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
“BBC News-Nicaragua country/political/leaders”. BBC News Sites. BBC 2012, The BBC. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.