Nicaragua
21362
225902895
2008-07-15T23:01:28Z
Brusegadi
1972969
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/65.167.208.4|65.167.208.4]] ([[User talk:65.167.208.4|talk]]) to last version by Pigman
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = {{lang|es|''República de Nicaragua''}}
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Nicaragua
|common_name = Nicaragua
|image_flag = Flag of Nicaragua.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg
|image_map = LocationNicaragua.svg
|national_anthem = {{lang|es|''[[Salve a ti, Nicaragua]]''}}
|official_languages = [[Spanish language|Spanish]]{{smallsup|1}}
|demonym = [[Nicaraguan]]
|capital = [[Managua]]
|latd=12 |latm=9 |latNS=N |longd=86 |longm=16 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Presidential system|Presidential republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of Nicaragua|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Daniel Ortega]] ([[Sandinista National Liberation Front|FSLN]])
|leader_title2 = [[Vice President of Nicaragua|Vice President]]
|leader_name2 = [[Jaime Morales Carazo]]
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
|sovereignty_note = {{nobold|from [[Spain]]}}
|established_event1 = Declared
|established_date1 = [[September 15]], [[1821]]
|established_event2 = Recognized
|established_date2 = [[July 25]], [[1850]]
|established_event3 = Revolution
|established_date3 = [[July 19]], [[1979]]
|area_rank = 97th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_km2 = 129,494
|area_sq_mi = 50,193 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|percent_water = 7.14
|population_estimate = 5,603,000
|population_estimate_rank = 107th
|population_estimate_year = July 2006
|population_census = 5,142,098
|population_census_year = 2005
|population_density_km2 = 42
|population_density_sq_mi = 109 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 132th
|GDP_PPP = $15.839 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 109th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2007
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $3,200
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 128th
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.710
|HDI_rank = 110th
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI_category = <font color="#FFCC00">medium</font>
|Gini = 43.1
|Gini_year = 2001
|Gini_category = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|currency = [[Córdoba (currency)|Córdoba]]
|currency_code = NIO
|country_code =
|time_zone =
|utc_offset = -6
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = [[.ni]]
|calling_code = 505
|footnote1 = [[English language|English]] and indigenous languages on Caribbean coast are also spoken.
}}
'''Nicaragua''' ({{IPAEng|ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə}}) officially the '''Republic of Nicaragua''' ({{Audio-es|República de Nicaragua|República_de_Nicaragua.ogg}}, {{IPAes|reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa}}), is a [[representative democracy|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]].
The country's name is derived from [[Nicarao]], the name of the [[Nahuatl language|Nahuatl]]-speaking tribe which inhabited the shores of [[Lago de Nicaragua]] before the [[Spanish conquest of the Americas]], and the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word {{lang|es|''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.<ref name="MN">{{cite news | title=Origen del nombre de Nicaragua: | publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Nicaragua | url =http://www.cancilleria.gob.ni/tmp2007/noticias/mo_capitulo1.html | accessdate = 2007-08-21 | language = Spanish }}</ref>
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.
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.
==History==
{{main|History of Nicaragua|Political history of Nicaragua}}
===Pre-Columbian history===
In [[Pre-Columbian]] times the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|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.
Nicaragua was inhabited by [[Paleo-Indians]] as far back as 6000 years ago.<ref>{{cite news | title=Ancient footprints of Acahualinca | url =http://www.vianica.com/activity/36/ancient-footprints-of-acahualinca | work =ViaNica | accessdate = 2007-06-29 }}</ref> 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 [[Maya peoples|Mayan]]s.<ref name="LOC">{{cite news | title=Nicaragua: Precolonial Period |url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0013) | work =Library of Congress Country Studies | accessdate = 2007-06-29 }}</ref> They were primarily farmers who lived in towns, organized into small [[Monarchy|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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nicaragua: VI History | url =http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577584_8/Nicaragua.html | work =Encarta | accessdate = 2007-06-13}}</ref>
[[Image:AcahualincaFootprints.JPG|thumb|6000 year old human footprints preserved in volcanic mud near the lake in Managua, Nicaragua.]]
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, Nicaragua|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 [[Europe]]an stock now known as [[mestizo]]s.<ref name="LOC"/> 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 [[disease]]s brought by the [[Spaniard]]s, something the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast managed to escape due to the remoteness of the area.<ref name="LOC"/>
===The Spanish conquest===
[[Image:grana gF.JPG|thumb|Colonial architecture of the city of Granada, Nicaragua]]
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.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Letter of Columbus on the Fourth Voyage | date= | publisher=American Journey | url =http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-068/summary/index.asp | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> The first attempt to conquer what is now known as Nicaragua was by Spanish conquistador [[Gil González Dávila]],<ref name="EBH">{{cite news | title=Nicaragua: History | url =http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-214487/Nicaragua | work =Encyclopædia Britannica | accessdate = 2007-08-21 }}</ref> whose Central American exploits began with his arrival in Panama in January 1520.<!--uncited factoid lifted from [[Gil González Dávila]]--> 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 [[Diriangen|Diriangén]].<ref>{{cite news | title=The Spanish Conquest | url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0014) | work =Library of Congress | accessdate = 2007-08-21 }}</ref> 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]].
It was not until 1524 that the first [[Spain|Spanish]] permanent settlements were founded.<ref name="EBH"/> [[Conquistador]] [[Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (founder of Nicaragua)|Francisco Hernández de Córdoba]] founded two of Nicaragua's principal towns in 1524: [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]] on [[Lake Nicaragua]] was the first settlement and [[León, Nicaragua|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 [[Leon, Nicaragua|Ruins of León Viejo]].<ref name="ET">{{cite news | title=Nicaragua Briefs: An Historic Find | publisher=Central American University - UCA | url =http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/1418 | work =Envío | accessdate = 2007-08-21 }}</ref>
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''.<ref>Duncan, David Ewing, ''Hernando de Soto - A Savage Quest in the Americas - Book II: Consolidation'', Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1995</ref> 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.<ref name="ET"/> 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 [[mining|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.<ref name="EBH"/>
===From colony to nation===
[[Image:CornIsland.JPG|thumb|[[Corn Island]] off the Atlantic Coast was originally a British protectorate until it was ceded along with the rest of the [[Mosquito Coast]] to Nicaragua]]
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, Nicaragua|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 of Great Britain and Ireland|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 entity|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 Department|Zelaya]].
[[Image:DeutscheClub.JPG|left|thumb|Founding members of the Deutsche Club in Nicaragua]]
Much of Nicaragua's politics since independence has been characterized by the rivalry between the [[Constitutional Liberal Party|liberal]] elite of León and the [[Conservative Party of Nicaragua|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 (soldier)|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.<ref>Herring, Hubert, ''A History of Latin America - from the Beginnings to the Present - Chapter 28, Central America and Panama - Nicaragua, 1838-1909'', Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1968</ref>
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.
===United States involvement (1909 - 1933)===
{{see also|Occupation of Nicaragua|Nicaragua Canal}}
[[Image:Augusto Sandino.jpg|left|thumb|Augusto César Sandino]]
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,<ref>{{cite news | title=US violence for a century: Nicaragua: 1912-33 | url =http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=12191 | work =Socialist Worker | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> except for a nine month period beginning in 1925. From 1910 to 1926, the conservative party ruled Nicaragua. The [[Chamorro (family)|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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Bryan–Chamorro Treaty | publisher= | url =http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9016820/Bryan-Chamorro-Treaty | work =Encyclopædia Britannica | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | title=General Augusto C. Sandino: The Constitutional War | publisher= | url =http://www.vianica.com/go/specials/16-augusto-sandino.html | work =ViaNica | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref>
From 1927 until 1933, Gen. [[Augusto César Sandino]] led a sustained [[guerrilla warfare|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.<ref>{{cite news | first=Donna | last=Vukelich | title=A Disaster Foretold | publisher=The Advocacy Project | url =http://www.advocacynet.org/news_view/news_141.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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 (Nicaragua)|Guardia Nacional]] (National Guard),<ref name="SY">{{cite news | title=The Somoza years | url =http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-40992/Nicaragua | work =Encyclopædia Britannica | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> 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]].
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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Biographical Notes | publisher= | url =http://www.sandino.org/bio_en.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> But a growing hostility between Sandino and Somoza led Somoza to order the assassination of Sandino.<ref>{{cite news | title=History of U.S. Violence Across the Globe: Washington's War Crimes (1912-33) | date=2001-12-16 | url =http://www.bulatlat.com/news/2-5/2-5-reader-arnove.html | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Toni | last=Solo | title=Nicaragua: From Sandino to Chavez | date=2005-10-07 | publisher=Dissident Voice | url =http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Oct05/solo1007.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref><ref name="SY"/> 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.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Somoza Dynasty | date= | publisher=University of Pittsburgh | url =http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/nicaragua_proj/history/somoza/Hist-Somoza-dinasty.pdf | pages =1 | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref>
===The Somoza Dynasty (1936 - 1979)===
[[Image:SomozaBrothers.JPG|thumb|Anastasio Somoza García and his sons Anastasio Somoza Debayle and Luis Somoza Debayle]]
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.<ref>Lying for Empire: How to Commit War Crimes With a Straight Face" David Model, Common Courage Press, 2005</ref> Somoza deposed Sacasa and became president on Jan. 1, 1937 in a [[Electoral fraud|rigged election]].<ref name="SY"/>
Nicaragua was the first country to ratify the [[UN Charter]],<ref>{{cite news | title=The United States and the Founding of the United Nations... | date=October 2005 | publisher=U.S. Department of State | url =http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/55407.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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 Beach|Montelimar]] estate which today operates as a privately-owned luxury resort and casino. <ref>{{cite news | title=El asalto de Somoza a los alemanes | date=6 Jan 2005 | url=http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2005/enero/06-enero-2005/nacional/nacional-20050106-04.html | accessdate=2007-07-13 | language=Spanish }}</ref>
[[Image:Pre-quakeManagua.JPG|left|thumb|Street scene of Managua city centre prior to the 1972 earthquake]]
Somoza used the National Guard to force Sacasa to resign, and took control of the country in 1937, destroying any potential armed resistance.<ref>{{cite news | title=Sandino and Somoza | publisher=Grinnell College | url =http://web.grinnell.edu/LatinAmericanStudies/this.html | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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.<ref name="SY"/> He is remembered by some for being moderate, but was in power only for a few years and then died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. Then came president [[Rene Schick]] whom most Nicaraguans viewed "as nothing more than a [[puppet]] of the Somozas".<ref>{{cite news | first=Thomas M | last=Leonard | title=Against all odds: U.S. policy and the 1963 Central America Summit Conference | date=2003 | publisher=Journal of Third World Studies | url =http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3821/is_200304/ai_n9173383/pg_11 | pages =11 | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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.
Nicaragua experienced high economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s largely as a result of industrialization,<ref>{{cite news | first=Barbara | last=Annis | title=Nicaragua: Diversification and Growth, 1945-77 | date=December 1993 | publisher=The Library of Congress | url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0047) | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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 [[1972 Nicaragua earthquake|major earthquake]] in 1972 which destroyed nearly 90% of the city creating major losses.<ref>{{cite news | title=Headline: Nicaragua Earthquake | date=[[1972-12-16]] | publisher=Vanderbilt University | url =http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1972-12/1972-12-26-CBS-10.html | accessdate = 2007-05-24}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Roberto Clemente - Bio | publisher=he National Baseball Hall of Fame | url =http://baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/clemente_roberto.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> Even the economic elite were reluctant to support Somoza, as he had acquired monopolies in industries that were key to rebuilding the nation,<ref>{{cite news | title=A Battle Ends, a War Begins | url =http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946048-1,00.html | work =TIME | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> 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.
===The Nicaraguan revolution===
{{Main|FSLN}}
[[Image:Castro-Ortega.JPG|thumb|Cuban President of The Council of State [[Fidel Castro]] in Nicaragua, with former and current President Daniel Ortega (1980)]]
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).<ref name="SY"/> 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.
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.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Sandinistas and the Revolution | publisher=Grinnell College | url =http://web.grinnell.edu/LatinAmericanStudies/this.html | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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 Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal|Pedro Joaquin Chamorro]], the editor of the national newspaper [[La Prensa (Managua)|La Prensa]] and ardent opponent of Somoza, was assassinated.<ref name="AC">{{cite news | title=History of Nicaragua: The Beginning of the End | publisher=American Nicaraguan School | url =http://www.ans.edu.ni/Academics/history/somozatachito.html | accessdate = 2007-08-04}}</ref> 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 [[Cuba]]n ally who commercialized [[blood plasma]].<ref name="AC"/>
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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Timeline: Nicaragua | publisher=Stanford University | url =http://www.stanford.edu/group/arts/nicaragua/discovery_eng/timeline/ | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> The Sandinistas inherited a country in ruins with a debt of [[United States dollar|U.S.$]]1.6 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] dollars, an estimated 50,000 war dead, 600,000 homeless, and a devastated economic infrastructure.<ref>Nicaragua: The Land of Sandino by Thomas W. Walker. Westview Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1981</ref> To begin the task of establishing a new government, they created a Council (or {{lang|es|''junta''}}) of National Reconstruction, made up of five members{{ndash}} Sandinista militants [[Daniel Ortega]] and Moises Hassan, novelist [[Sergio Ramírez|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 ({{lang|es|''Central Sandinista de Trabajadores''}}), the [[AMNLAE|Luisa Amanda Espinoza Nicaraguan Women's Association]] ({{lang|es|''Asociación de Mujeres Nicaragüenses Luisa Amanda Espinoza''}}), and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers ({{lang|es|''Unión Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos''}}).
===Sandinistas and the Contras===
{{main|FSLN|Contras|Iran-Contra scandal|Nicaragua v. United States}}
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 America]]n countries such as [[El Salvador]]. His administration authorized the [[Central Intelligence Agency|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 ({{lang|es|''contrarrevolucionarios''}} in Spanish).<ref name="CA">{{cite news | title=Nicaragua: Growth of Opposition, 1981-83 | url =http://www.ciaonet.org/atlas/countries/ni_data_loc.html | work =Ciao Atlas | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name="CA"/> 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 (Nicaragua)|Corinto]] harbour,<ref>{{cite news | first=Scott C. | last=Truver | title=Mines and Underwater IEDs in U.S. Ports and Waterways... | url =http://www.mast.udel.edu/873/Spring%202007/ScottTruves.pdf | pages =4 | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> an action condemned by the [[International Court of Justice|World Court]] as illegal.<ref>[http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?sum=360&code=nus&p1=3&p2=3&case=70&k=66&p3=5 Summary of the Order] of the [[International Court of Justice]] of 10 May 1984</ref><ref>[[Nicaragua v. United States]]</ref> The U.S. also sought to place economic pressure on the Sandinistas, and the Reagan administration imposed a full trade [[embargo]].<ref>{{cite news | title=US Policy: Economic Embargo: The War Goes On | publisher=Central American University - UCA | url =http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/2695 | work =Envío | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref>
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 [[Elections in Nicaragua#1984|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.<ref>[http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/2578 Election archive]</ref><ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0027 The library of Congress Country Studies]</ref>
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]]).<ref>{{cite book |author=Baker, Dean |title=The United States since 1980 (The World Since 1980) |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |pages= 101 |isbn=0-521-86017-2}}</ref> 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, [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] aide [[Lieutenant Colonel|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."<ref name='ONF'>{{cite news | title=The Oliver North File | url =http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB113/index.htm | work =National Security Archive | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> According to the [[National Security Archive]], Oliver North had been in contact with [[Manuel Noriega]], a [[Panama]]nian [[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.<ref name="t">[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101880222-148712,00.html Panama Noriega's Money Machine] MICHAEL S. SERRILL, Reported by Jonathan Beaty and Ricardo Chavira/Washington, '50th birthday last week' written February 1989</ref> He was taken to the United States, tried for drug trafficking, and imprisoned in 1992.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/04/noriega.stroke/index.html Noriega suffers mild stroke, hospitalized in Miami] CNN December 2004</ref>
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.<ref>[http://www.narconews.com/darkalliance/drugs/start.htm Restored version of the original ''"Dark Alliance"'' web page], ''San Jose Mercury News'', now hosted by narconews.com</ref> [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|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.<ref>{{cite news | first=Stephen | last=Crockett | title=Bush and Republicans vs. rule of law | url =http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/20/2006/1713 | work =The Free Press | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref>
===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.<ref>{{cite news | first=MARY | last=O'GRADY | title=Ortega's Comeback Schemes Roil Nicaragua | url =http://www.mre.gov.br/portugues/noticiario/internacional/selecao_detalhe.asp?ID_RESENHA=154683&Imprime=on | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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 U.S./[[Contras|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.
[[Image:Chamorro.JPG|left|thumb|Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in 1990 became the first female president democratically elected in the [[Americas]].]]
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 [[United Nicaraguan Opposition|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 . . ."''<ref>"The Return of the Death of Communism: Nicaragua, February 1990," a chapter in ''Give War a Chance...'' by P. J. O'Rourke. Grove Press; reprint edition (November 2003, ISBN 0-8021-4031-9).</ref>
Exit polls of Nicaraguans reported Chamorro's victory over Ortega was achieved with only 55%.<ref>{{cite news | title=Was February 25 a 'triumph'? National Review v. 42 | publisher=Tulane University | url =http://lal.tulane.edu/RESTRICTED/CABIB/nicabib_.txt | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> [[Violeta Chamorro]] was the first woman to be popularly [[elected]] as [[President]] of a [[Latin America]]n 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),<ref>{{cite news | title=El Sandinista Daniel Ortega se convierte de nuevo en presidente de Nicaragua | date=2006-11-08 | url =http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/11/08/internacional/1162945503.html | work =El Mundo | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = Spanish }}</ref> 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.
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.<ref>{{cite news | first=Gilbert | last=Dennis| title=Social conditions of Nicaragua | date=December 1993 | publisher=The Library of Congress | url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0035)| accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> Much to the surprise of the U.S. 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.
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).
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 [[Political corruption|corruption]] against former President Alemán. The ex-president was sentenced to 20 years in prison for [[embezzlement]], [[money laundering]], and corruption.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nicaragua: Political profile|url =http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/db/cp/nicaragua.htm|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref> 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]].
[[Image:Ortega Daniel.jpg|thumb|President of Nicaragua, [[Daniel Ortega]], Celebrating [[May 1]], [[2005]], in the Plaza of the Revolution in [[Havana]], [[Cuba]]. President Ortega is currently serving his second term.]]
The Sandinistas alleged that their support for Bolaños was lost when U.S. Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] told Bolaños to keep his distance from the FSLN.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ginger|last=Thompson|coauthors=|title=U.S. fears comeback of an old foe in Nicaragua | date=2005-04-06|publisher=International Herald Tribune|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/04/05/news/nica.php| pages =3 | accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref> 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]]".<ref>{{cite news|title=Nicaragua 'creeping coup' warning|date=2005-09-30|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4296818.stm|work=BBC News|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref> 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 one day before they were to be enforced, the National Assembly postponed their enforcement until January 2008.
Before the general elections on [[5 November]] [[2006]], the [[National Assembly of Nicaragua|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,<ref>{{cite news|first=Joseph|last=B. Frazier|title=Nicaraguan President Signs Abortion Ban|date=[[2006-11-18]]|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/18/AR2006111800351.html|work=Washington Post|accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> as a result Nicaragua is one of three countries in the world where [[abortion]] is [[Law|illegal]] with no exceptions, along with [[El Salvador]] and [[Chile]].
[[Nicaraguan election, 2006|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).<ref>{{cite news|title=Bolaños Will Move To The National Assembly After All|date= November 2006 |url= http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/3439| work=Envío Magazine | accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref>
==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Nicaragua}}
Politics of Nicaragua takes place in a framework of a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]], whereby the [[President of Nicaragua]] is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]], and of a [[multi-party system]]. [[Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the [[government]] and the [[National Assembly of Nicaragua|National Assembly]]. The [[Judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislature.
==Departments and municipalities==
{{main|Departments of Nicaragua|Municipalities of Nicaragua}}
[[Image:NicaraguaDepartmentsNumbered.png|thumb|right|300px|Departments of Nicaragua]]
Nicaragua is a [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[republic]]. For administrative purposes it is divided into 15 [[Department (subnational entity)|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 (Nicaragua)|Zelaya]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Background and socio-economic context|url=http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/vam/wfp073961.pdf|pages=9|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref>
<table><td><ol>
<li>[[Boaco (department)|Boaco]] ([[Boaco]])
<li>[[Carazo (department)|Carazo]] ([[Jinotepe]])
<li>[[Chinandega (department)|Chinandega]] ([[Chinandega]])
<li>[[Chontales]] ([[Juigalpa, Chontales|Juigalpa]])
<li>[[Estelí (department)|Estelí]] ([[Estelí]])
<li>[[Granada (department)|Granada]] ([[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]])
<li>[[Jinotega (department)|Jinotega]] ([[Jinotega]])
<li>[[León (department)|León]] ([[León, Nicaragua|León]])
<li>[[Madriz (department)|Madriz]] ([[Somoto]])
</td></ol><td><ol start=10>
<li>[[Managua (department)|Managua]] ([[Managua]])
<li>[[Masaya (department)|Masaya]] ([[Masaya]])
<li>[[Matagalpa (department)|Matagalpa]] ([[Matagalpa]])
<li>[[Nueva Segovia (department)|Nueva Segovia]] ([[Ocotal]])
<li>[[Rivas (department)|Rivas]] ([[Rivas, Nicaragua|Rivas]])
<li>[[Río San Juan (department)|Río San Juan]] ([[San Carlos, Río San Juan|San Carlos]])
<li>[[Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte|RAAN]] ([[Bilwi]])
<li>[[Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur|RAAS]] ([[Bluefields]])
</ol></td></table>
==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Nicaragua}}{{see also|Volcanoes of Nicaragua|Wildlife of Nicaragua}}
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 of Nicaragua|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.
Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the [[Pacific]] Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains or highlands and the [[Mosquito Coast|Atlantic Lowlands]].
===Pacific lowlands===
[[Image:TortugaNica.JPG|left|thumb|Turtles are common in many beaches of Nicaragua when on a yearly basis they collectively arrive at the same time on the same beach to lay their eggs. They are protected by the Nicaraguan government in National Parks]]
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),<ref>{{cite news|title=Large Lakes of the World|url=http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001777.html|accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> and is home to the world's only freshwater sharks ([[bull shark|Nicaraguan shark]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=The Nature Conservancy in Nicaragua|url=http://www.nature.org/wherewework/centralamerica/nicaragua/|accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> 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:VolcanesdeChinandega.JPG|left|thumb|Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes, pictured here are three volcanoes from the Chinandega department, El Chonco, San Cristobal and Casitas]]
In addition to its beach and resort communities, the Pacific Lowlands is also the repository for much of Nicaragua's Spanish colonial heritage. Cities such as [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]] and [[León, Nicaragua|León]] abound in colonial architecture and artifacts. Granada, founded in 1524, is the oldest colonial city in the [[Americas]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Richard L.|last=White|title=Pittsburghers find once war-ravaged country is a good place to invest|date=2004-08-24|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04237/366377.stm|work=Post Gazette|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref>
===Central highlands===
[[Image:Guardabarranco.JPG|thumb|''Guardabarranco'' ([[Turquoise-browed Motmot]]): the national bird.]]
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. [[Oak]]s, [[pine]]s, [[moss]], [[fern]]s and [[orchid]]s are abundant in the [[cloud forest]]s of the region.
Bird life in the forests of the central region includes [[Resplendent Quetzal]], [[Lesser Goldfinch|goldfinch]]es, [[hummingbird]]s, [[jay]]s and [[Emerald Toucanet|toucanet]]s.
[[Image:ToucanNica.JPG|left|thumb|Toucan is a common bird in Nicaragua´s Rainforests]]
===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.
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 Rainforest|Amazon]] in [[Brazil]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bosawas Bioreserve Nicaragua|url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2006/1718459.htm|accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref>
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.
A great variety of birds can be observed including [[eagle]]s, [[turkey (bird)|turkey]]s, [[toucan]]s, [[parakeet]]s and [[macaw]]s. Animal life in the area includes different species of [[monkey]]s, [[ant-eater]]s, white-tailed [[deer]] and [[tapir]]s.
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Nicaragua}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:NI C$100 2002.JPG|thumb|right|The Nicaraguan 100 Córdoba banknote, showing a portrait of [[Rubén Darío]] (top) and the [[Rubén Darío National Theater]](bottom).]] -->
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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Index Of Economic Freedom: Nicaragua | url =http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Nicaragua | work =Heritage.org | accessdate = 2007-11-02}}</ref> 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 [[banana]]s, [[coffee]], [[sugar]], [[beef]] and [[tobacco]]. At present agriculture constitutes 60% of its total exports which annually yield approximately US $300 million.<ref>{{cite news | title=General Information - Nicaragua: Economy | url =http://centralamerica.com/nicaragua/info/general.htm#economy | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | first=Jean R. | last=Tartter | title=The Nicaraguan Resistence | publisher=Library of Congress | url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?cstdy:10:./temp/~frd_famN:: | work =Country Studies | accessdate = 2007-11-02 }}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nicaragua:Economy | url =http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1850.htm | work = U.S. State Department | accessdate = 2007-11-02}}</ref>
[[Image:nicar-currency-inflated.jpg|thumb|A 1000 Córdoba banknote, which was re-printed with a value of 200,000 Córdobas during the inflationary period of the late 1980s.]]
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]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Rank Order - GDP - per capita (PPP)|publisher=CIA World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Social indicators: Per capita GDP|publisher=United Nations|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/inc-eco.htm|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref> According to the [[The World Factbook|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 [[Underemployment|underemployed]] (2007 est.).
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 area|urban]] homes and 28% of [[rural]] homes.
[[Image:ometepe nic.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ometepe Island|Maderas and Concepcion Volcanoes]], popular tourist destination in Nicaragua.]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:CafeNica.jpg|thumb|Coffee is one of Nicaragua´s most important exports. It is exported worldwide throughout The Americas, Europe, [[Asia]] and as far as Australia.]] -->
The country is still a recovering economy and it continues to implement further reforms, on which aid from the [[International Monetary Fund|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 [[Heavily Indebted Poor Countries|HIPC]] program. According to the World Bank Nicaragua's [[gross domestic product|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. <ref>{{cite news|title=Poland forgives nearly 31 million dollars of debt owed by Nicaragua|date=2007-03-21|url=http://english.people.com.cn/200703/31/eng20070331_362713.html|work=People's Daily Online|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref>
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]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Economy Rankings: Doing Business|publisher=World Bank|url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/EconomyRankings/|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref>
The Nicaraguan unit of currency is the [[Córdoba (currency)|Córdoba]] (NIO) and was named after [[Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (founder of Nicaragua)|Francisco Hernández de Córdoba]], its national founder.
===Components of the economy===
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in [[purchasing power parity]] (PPP) in 2007 was estimated at $18.17 billion USD.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nicaragua: Economy| publisher=CIA World Factbook | url =https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nu.html | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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).
==Tourism==
[[Image:PLAYA MARSELLA NICARAGUA.jpg|thumb|Pacific beaches in Nicaragua]]
{{Main|Tourism in Nicaragua}}
Tourism in Nicaragua is booming, it is currently the second largest industry in the nation,<ref>{{cite news | title=Travel And Tourism in Nicaragua| publisher=Euromonitor International | url =http://www.euromonitor.com/Travel_And_Tourism_in_Nicaragua | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> over the last 7 years [[tourism]] has grown about 70% nationwide with rates of 10%-16% annually.<ref name="C2">{{cite news | first=Giselle | last=Alemán| title=Turismo en Nicaragua: aportes y desafios parte I | url =http://www.canal2tv.com/Noticias/Marzo%202007/turismo%20con%20gran%20empuje%20en%20Nicaragua.html | work =Canal 2 | accessdate = 2007-07-29 | language = Spanish }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | title=A Dynamic Economy: Dynamic Sectors of the Economy; Tourism | url =http://www.pronicaragua.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=98 | work =ProNicaragua | accessdate = 2007-08-01}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.travelotica.com/travelguide/100/nicaragua/index.htm Travelotica.com] Nicaragua Travel Guide</ref><ref>[http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0611/living_in_nicaragua_the_evolution.shtml TransitionsAbroad.com] Living Abroad in Nicaragua: Nicaragua’s Evolution</ref>
Every year about 60,000 U.S. citizens visit Nicaragua, primarily business people, tourists, and those visiting relatives.<ref>{{cite news | title= Background Note: Nicaragua; Economy | publisher=U.S. State Department | url =http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1850.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref>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 America|Central]] or [[South America]], and [[Europe]]. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua (INTUR),<ref>{{cite news | title=Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua | publisher=INTUR | url =http://www.intur.gob.ni/ | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> the colonial city of [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]] is the preferred spot for tourists. Also, the cities of [[Leon, Nicaragua|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.
According to TV Noticias (news program) on [[Televicentro (Canal 2)|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.<ref name="C2"/>
==Demographics==
{{main|Nicaraguans|Demographics of Nicaragua}}
===Population===
[[Image:Nicaragua-demography.png|thumb|Evolution of the Nicaraguan population. (1961-2003)]]
According to the [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]], Nicaragua has a population of 5,570,129; 69% [[mestizo]], 17% [[White Latin American|white]], 9% [[Afro Latin American|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,<ref>{{cite news | title=Expatriates of Nicaragua | url =http://www.nicaragua.com/expatriates/ | work =Nicaragua.com | accessdate = 2007-07-30 }}</ref> 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, Nicaragua|Granada]] and [[San Juan del Sur]].
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.<ref name="CN">{{cite news | title=VIII Censo de Poblacion y IV de Vivienda | date=October 2005 | url =http://www.inec.gob.ni/censos2005/ResumenCensal/RESUMENCENSAL.pdf | work =Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos | accessdate = 2007-07-07 | language = Spanish }}</ref> The population is 54% urban and many [[Nicaraguan Diaspora|Nicaraguans live abroad]], outside of Nicaragua.
===Ethnic groups===
[[Image:Nicaboy.jpg|left|thumb|Nicaraguan boys in the [[American Nicaraguan School]].]]
[[Image:Nica Women.jpg|thumb|right|Nicaraguan women at a concert in Managua.]]
[[Image:AfroNicoya.jpg|thumb|right|An Afro-Nicaraguan.]]
The majority of the Nicaraguan population is Mestizo and White. Exactly 69% are [[Mestizo]]s (mixed [[Amerindian]] and [[White people|White]]) and 17% are White with the majority being of [[Spanish people|Spanish]], [[German people|German]], [[Italian people|Italian]], or [[French people|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.
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 [[Antilles|West Indian]] (Antillean) origin, the [[Kinship|descendants]] of indentured laborers brought mostly from [[Jamaica]] when the region was a [[United Kingdom|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 remaining 5% are [[Amerindian]]s, 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 [[Miskito]]s, [[Rama people|Ramas]] and [[Sumo (people)|Sumos]]. In the [[19th century|nineteenth century]], there was a substantial [[Indigenous (ecology)|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 (Nicaragua)|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.
===Immigration===
[[Image:Palestinian March in Nicaragua.jpg|thumb|right|[[Palestinian Nicaraguan]]s celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Nicaraguan revolution in Managua waving Palestinian and [[Sandinista]] flags.]]
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.
Also present is a small [[Middle East]]ern-Nicaraguan community of [[Demographics of Syria|Syrian]]s, [[Armenians]], [[Palestinian Nicaraguan]]s, [[Jewish Nicaraguan]]s, and [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] people in Nicaragua with a total population of about 30,000. There is also an [[East Asia]]n community mostly consisting of [[Han Chinese|Chinese]], [[Taiwan]]ese, and [[Japan]]ese. The [[Chinese Nicaraguan]] population is estimated at around 12,000.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nicaragua: People groups | url =http://www.joshuaproject.net/countries.php?rog3=NU | work =Joshua Project | accessdate = 2007-03-26}}</ref> The Chinese arrived in the late 1800s but were unsubstantiated until the 1920s.
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 America]]n 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.<ref name="CN"/> This is not to say that immigrants were not important to the evolution of Nicaragua or the Nicaraguan society.
==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Nicaragua}}{{see also|Literature of Nicaragua|Music of Nicaragua}}
[[Image:Nicaragua Mestizaje.jpg|right|thumb|Nicaraguan women wearing the Mestizaje costume, which is a traditional costume worn to dance the Mestizaje dance. The costume demonstrates the Spanish influence on Nicaraguan clothing.<ref>{{cite news | title=Traditional Nicaraguan Costumes: Mestizaje Costume | url =http://www.vianica.com/go/specials/19-traditional-nicaraguan-costumes.html | work =ViaNica.com | accessdate = 2007-11-21}}</ref>]]
[[Culture of Nicaragua|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 [[Iberian Peninsula|Europeans]]. It was colonized by [[Spain]] and has a similar culture to other [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-speaking [[Latin America]]n countries. The Caribbean coast of the country, on the other hand, was once a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[protectorate]]. [[English language|English]] is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically along with Spanish and [[Languages of Nicaragua|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.
[[Image:CarnavalNica.jpg|left|thumb|Celebrating the annual ''"Alegria por la vida"'' [[Carnaval]] in [[Managua]], Nicaragua]]
[[Image:ArtesaniaNica.jpg|thumb|left|An example of typical Nicaraguan artisans which are sold in markets all over the country]]
[[Music of Nicaragua|Nicaraguan music]] is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially [[Spain|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 [[hammer]]s. 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:gueguense diriamba.jpg|thumb|right|Distinctive traditional costumes and dance from a very renowned folk dance from Nicaragua, [[El Güegüense]].]]
[[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 America]]n 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.<ref name="NI">{{cite news | title=Showcasing Nicaragua's Folkloric Masterpiece - El Gueguense - and Other Performing and Visual Arts | url =http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-150984344.html | work =Encyclopedia.com | accessdate = 2007-08-03}}</ref> Other literary figures include [[Ernesto Cardenal]], [[Gioconda Belli]], [[Claribel Alegría]] and [[Jose Coronel Urtecho]], among others.
[[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.<ref name='NI'>{{cite news | title=Showcasing Nicaragua's Folkloric Masterpiece - El Gueguense - and Other Performing and Visual Arts | url =http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-150984344.html | work =Encyclopedia.com | accessdate = 2007-08-03}}</ref> The [[theatrical]] [[Play (theatre)|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]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Native Theatre: El Gueguense | date= | publisher=Smithsonian Institution | url =http://www.nmai.si.edu/calendar/index.asp?month=10&year=2006&day=22 | accessdate = 2007-08-03}}</ref> The story was published in a book in 1942 after many centuries.<ref>{{cite news | title=El Güegüense o Macho Ratón | url =http://www.vianica.com/go/specials/21-el-gueguense-macho-raton.html | work =ViaNica | accessdate = 2007-08-03}}</ref>
===Language===
{{Main|Languages of Nicaragua|Central American Spanish}}
[[Image:BluefieldsSign.jpg|thumb|A sign in [[Bluefields]] in English (top), Spanish (middle) and Miskito (bottom).]]
[[Spanish 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 language|English]] and [[creole English]] as their first language. Also in the Caribbean coast, many Indigenous people speak their native languages, such as the [[Miskito language|Miskito]], [[Sumo language|Sumo]], [[Rama language|Rama]] and [[Garifuna language]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Languages of Nicaragua | url =http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=NI | work =Ethnologue | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> In addition, many [[ethnic group]]s in Nicaragua, such as the [[Chinese Nicaraguan]]s and [[Palestinian Nicaraguan]]s, have maintained their ancestral languages, which are minority languages, while also speaking Spanish or English. These minority languages include [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[German language|German]], and [[Italian language|Italian]], among others.
Nicaragua has a total of 3 [[extinct language]]s, one of which was never classified. [[Nicaraguan Sign Language]] is also of particular interest to [[linguists]].
{{clear}}
===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Nicaragua}}
{| class="toc" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2 width=200px style="float:right; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.5e text-align:left;clear:all; margin-left:3px; font-size:90%"
|colspan=2 style="background:#black; color:white;" align=center bgcolor="black" | Religious Affiliation in Nicaragua
|-
{{#if:Image:IglesiaManagua.png|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center;">[[Image:IglesiaManagua.png|200px]]
{{#if:The Cathedral in Managua|</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center">''The [[Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception]] in [[Managua]]''|}}
</td></tr>}}
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" align=center | Religion
! style="background:#efefef;" align=center | Percentage
|-
|[[Roman Catholic]]
|align=right|58.5%
|-
|[[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]]
|align=right|21.6%
|-
|[[Moravian Church|Moravian]]
|align=right|1.6%
|-
|[[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
|align=right|0.9%
|-
|[[None]]
|align=right|15.7%
|-
|[[Other]]<sup>1</sup>
|align=right|1.6%
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#efefef;" align=left|<sup>'''1'''</sup> <small>Includes [[Buddhism]], [[Islam]], and [[Judaism]] among other religions.</small>
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#e9e9e9;" align=center|Source: 2005 Nicaraguan Census<ref>{{cite news | title=2005 Nicaraguan Census | url =http://www.inec.gob.ni/censos2005/ResumenCensal/Resumen2.pdf | work =National Institute of Statistics and Census of Nicaragua (INEC) | pages =42-43 | accessdate = 2007-10-30 | language = Spanish}}</ref>
|-
|}
Religion is a significant part of the culture of Nicaragua and forms part of the [[Constitution of Nicaragua|constitution]]. Religious freedom, which has been guaranteed since 1939, and religious tolerance is promoted by both the Nicaraguan government and the constitution. [[Bishop]]s 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.<ref name="LOCR">{{cite news | first=Gilbert | last=Dennis | title=Nicaragua: Religion | publisher=Library of Congress | url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0040) | work =Country Studies | accessdate = 2007-10-30}}</ref>
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 [[evangelism|evangelical]] [[Protestant]] groups and [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormons]] have been rapidly growing since the 1990s. There are also strong [[Anglican]] and [[Moravian Church|Moravian]] communities on the Caribbean coast.
Roman Catholicism came to Nicaragua in the sixteenth century with the Spanish conquest and remained, until 1939, the established faith. [[Protestantism]] and other [[Christian denomination]]s 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 saint]]s, 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.<ref name="LOCR"/>
==Cuisine==
[[Image:NicaraguanGalloPinto.jpg|thumb|A dish containing gallopinto, [[Plantain#Tajadas|tajadas]], fried cheese and cabbage.]]
{{Main|Cuisine of Nicaragua}}
The Cuisine of Nicaragua is as diverse as its inhabitants. It is a mixture of criollo style food and pre-Columbian dishes. When the [[Spaniard]]s first arrived in Nicaragua they found that the [[Creole peoples|Creole people]] present had incorporated foods available in the area into their [[cuisine]].<ref name="NICA">{{cite web | title = Try the culinary delights of Nicaragua cuisine| publisher = Nicaragua.com |url=http://www.nicaragua.com/cuisine/| accessdate = 2006-05-08 }}</ref> 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]].
[[Gallopinto]] is Nicaragua's [[national dish]], it consists of red [[bean]]s 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.
===Main staple===
As in many other [[Latin America]]n countries, [[corn]] is a main staple. Corn is used in many of the widely consumed dishes, such as the [[nacatamal]], and [[Indio Viejo|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 [[Coriander|cilantro]], [[oregano]] and [[achiote]].<ref name="NICA"/>
==Education==
{{main|Education in Nicaragua}}{{seealso|Universities in Nicaragua|List of Schools in Nicaragua}}
[[Image:literacy2.jpg|thumbnail|[[Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign|Literacy Campaign]] Propaganda Poster]]
Education is free for all Nicaraguans.<ref>{{cite news | first=Dan | last=Liu | title=Nicaragua's new gov't to enforce free education | date=2006-12-06 | url =http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-12/06/content_5442752.htm | work =CHINA VIEW | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nicaragua Education | url =http://www.nicaragua.com/culture/education/ | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref>
Nicaragua's higher education consists of 48 [[universities]] and 113 [[college]]s and technical institutes which serve student in the areas of [[electronics]], [[computer system]]s and [[Computer science|science]]s, [[agroforestry]], [[construction]] and [[trade]]-related services.<ref>{{cite news | title=Human Capital: Educationand Training | url =http://www.pronicaragua.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=87 | work =ProNicaragua | accessdate = 2007-08-01}}</ref> The educational system includes 1 [[Educational accreditation|U.S. accredited]] English-language university, 3 [[Bilingual education|Bilingual university program]]s, 5 Bilingual secondary schools and dozens of [[English Language Institute]]s. In 2005, almost 400,000 (7%) of Nicaraguans held a [[university degree]].<ref name="FTD">{{cite news | title=Central American Countries of the Future 2005/2006 | date=2005-08-01 | url =http://www.pronicaragua.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=87 | accessdate = 2007-08-01}}</ref> 18% of Nicaragua's total budget is invested in primary, secondary and higher education. University level institutions account for 6% of 18%.
When the [[Sandinista]]s came to power in 1979, they inherited an educational system that was one of the poorest in [[Latin America]].<ref name="NE">{{cite news | first=Dennis | last=Gilbert | title=Nicaragua: Education | publisher=Library of Congress | url =http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ni0036) | work =Country Studies | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-02}}</ref> 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.<ref name="NLC">{{cite news | first=Ulrike | last=Hanemann | title=Nicaragua’s Literacy Campaign | url =http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/file_download.php/67b39f3aaf8f20da06be3c6a4e4c6dfeHanemann_U.doc | work =UNESCO | accessdate = 2007-07-02}}</ref> 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]], [[Trade union|unions]], and [[land reform]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Historical Background of Nicaragua | date= | publisher=Stanford University | url =http://www.stanford.edu/group/arts/nicaragua/discovery_eng/history/background.html | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Nicaragua Pre-election Delegation Report| publisher=Global Exchange | url =http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/NicaraguaReportOct2001.html | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | first=Juan | last=B. Arrien | title=Literacy in Nicaragua | publisher=UNESCO | url =http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001459/145937e.pdf | accessdate = 2007-08-01}}</ref>
==Sports==
[[Image:IMG9230 Fieras del San Fernando.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Batting (baseball)|Batter]] of the [[Fieras del San Fernando]], a [[Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League|Nicaraguan professional baseball]] team.]]
[[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.<ref name="BB">{{cite news | first=Beto | last=Villa | title=LA HISTORIA DEL BÉISBOL EN LATINOAMERICA: Nicaragua | url =http://latinobaseball.com/cwb-history.php | work =Latino Baseball | accessdate = 2007-07-29 | language = Spanish }}</ref> 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.<ref name="BB"/> 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 [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] players (including current [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] Pitcher [[Vicente Padilla]] and [[Boston Red Sox]] pitcher [[Devern Hansack]]), but the most notable is [[Dennis Martínez]], who was the first baseball player from Nicaragua to play in [[Major League Baseball]]. <ref>{{cite news | first=Gary | last=Washburn | title='El Presidente' happy in new job | url =http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050220&content_id=946722&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal | work =Major League Baseball | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> He became the first Latin-born pitcher to throw a [[perfect game]], the 13th in major league history, against the [[Dodgers]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite news | title=Baseball's Perfect Games: Dennis Martinez, Montreal Expos | publisher= The BASEBALL Page.com | url =http://www.thebaseballpage.com/stats/lists_feats/perfect_games.htm | accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref>
[[Boxing]] is the second most popular sport in Nicaragua.<ref>{{cite news | title=Salon de la Fama: Deportes en Nicaragua | url =http://www.manfut.org/museos/deportes1.html | accessdate = 2007-07-30 | language = Spanish }}</ref> The country has had world champions such as [[Alexis Argüello]] and [[Ricardo Mayorga]] among others. Recently, [[Football (Soccer)|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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Like clockwork in Nicaragua | publisher=FIFA | url =http://www.fifa.com/en/development/goal/index/0,1223,104011,00.html?articleid=104011 | accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref>
==See also==
{{main|List of Nicaragua-related topics}}
{{Nicaragua topics}}
{{portalpar|Nicaragua|Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg}}
{{clear}}
==References==
{{reflist|3}}
* <sup>{{note|Andrew}} Christopher Andrew, Vasili Mitrokhin. ''The World Was Going Our Way: The KGB and the Battle for the Third World'', Basic Books, September 20, 2005.</sup>
* <sup>{{note|Zimmermann}} Matilde Zimmermann. ''Sandinista'', Duke University Press, 2000.</sup>
* <sup>{{note|Encyclopedia}}''The Encyclopedia of World History'', Sixth addition, Ed. Peter N. Stearns, 2001. p. 954</sup>
*{{StateDept}}
== Bibliography ==
{{main|Bibliography of Nicaragua}}
{{Template group
|title = [[Image:Nuvola filesystems www.png|23px]] Geographic locale
|list =
{{Departments of Nicaragua}}
{{Countries of Central America}}
{{Countries of North America}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{Latin Union}}
}}
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Nicaragua| ]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[Category:Spanish-speaking countries]]
<!--Other languages-->
[[af:Nicaragua]]
[[ar:نيكاراجوا]]
[[an:Nicaragua]]
[[frp:Nicaragoa]]
[[ast:Nicaragua]]
[[az:Nikaraqua]]
[[bn:নিকারাগুয়া]]
[[zh-min-nan:Nicaragua]]
[[be-x-old:Нікарагуа]]
[[bs:Nikaragva]]
[[br:Nicaragua]]
[[bg:Никарагуа]]
[[ca:Nicaragua]]
[[ceb:Nicaragua]]
[[cs:Nikaragua]]
[[cy:Nicaragua]]
[[da:Nicaragua]]
[[de:Nicaragua]]
[[dv:ނިކަރާގުއާ]]
[[dsb:Nikaragua]]
[[et:Nicaragua]]
[[el:Νικαράγουα]]
[[es:Nicaragua]]
[[eo:Nikaragvo]]
[[eu:Nikaragua]]
[[fa:نیکاراگوآ]]
[[fo:Nikaragua]]
[[fr:Nicaragua]]
[[fy:Nikaragûa]]
[[ga:Nicearagua]]
[[gv:Yn Nickeraag]]
[[gd:Niocaragua]]
[[gl:Nicaragua]]
[[ko:니카라과]]
[[hy:Նիկարագուա]]
[[hi:निकारागुआ]]
[[hr:Nikaragva]]
[[io:Nikaragua]]
[[ilo:Nicaragua]]
[[bpy:নিকারাগুয়া]]
[[id:Nikaragua]]
[[ia:Nicaragua]]
[[os:Никарагуæ]]
[[is:Níkaragva]]
[[it:Nicaragua]]
[[he:ניקרגואה]]
[[jv:Nikaragua]]
[[pam:Nicaragua]]
[[ka:ნიკარაგუა]]
[[ks:Nikāraguvā]]
[[kk:Никарагуа]]
[[kw:Nikaragwa]]
[[sw:Nikaragua]]
[[ht:Nikaragwa]]
[[ku:Nîkaragûa]]
[[la:Nicaragua]]
[[lv:Nikaragva]]
[[lb:Nicaragua]]
[[lt:Nikaragva]]
[[lij:Nicaragua]]
[[ln:Nikalagwa]]
[[hu:Nicaragua]]
[[mk:Никарагва]]
[[ms:Nicaragua]]
[[nah:Nicānāhuac]]
[[nl:Nicaragua]]
[[ne:निकाराग्वा]]
[[ja:ニカラグア]]
[[no:Nicaragua]]
[[nn:Nicaragua]]
[[nov:Nikaragua]]
[[oc:Nicaragua]]
[[uz:Nikaragua]]
[[ps:نيکاراګوا]]
[[pms:Nicaragua]]
[[nds:Nicaragua]]
[[pl:Nikaragua]]
[[pt:Nicarágua]]
[[crh:Nikaragua]]
[[ro:Nicaragua]]
[[qu:Nikarawa]]
[[ru:Никарагуа]]
[[sa:निकारगुवा]]
[[sq:Nikaragua]]
[[scn:Nicaragua]]
[[simple:Nicaragua]]
[[sk:Nikaragua]]
[[sl:Nikaragva]]
[[sr:Никарагва]]
[[sh:Nikaragva]]
[[fi:Nicaragua]]
[[sv:Nicaragua]]
[[tl:Nicaragua]]
[[ta:நிக்கராகுவா]]
[[th:ประเทศนิการากัว]]
[[vi:Nicaragua]]
[[tg:Никарагуа]]
[[tr:Nikaragua]]
[[uk:Нікарагуа]]
[[ur:نکاراگوا]]
[[vec:Nicaragua]]
[[vo:Nikaraguvän]]
[[diq:Nikaragua]]
[[bat-smg:Nėkaragva]]
[[zh:尼加拉瓜]]