Nicaragua
borders Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. To the east
lies the Caribbean, and to the west the Pacific. Lake
Nicaragua, largest Central American lakes & 10th largest freshwater
lake in world. Except for Bluefields, Puerto Cabezas & San Juan del
Norte on Atlantic, towns within 100 km of Pacific. Settled as a colony of Spain in the 1520s, Nicaragua
gained its independence in 1821. Violent opposition to governmental
manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted
in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista
guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El
Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas
through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990 and again in 1996 saw
the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its economy
during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.In
1998 the population was estimated at 4,807,000
people. The main language is Spanish.
Along the Mosquito Coast (Costa de Mosquito) there are English-speaking
communities in which African or mixed African and indigenous Indians
predominate.
The country's main feature in the southwest is
Lake Nicaragua, 148km (92 miles) long and about 55km (34 miles) at its
widest. The island of Ometepe is the largest of the 310 islands on the
lake. These islands have a reputation for great beauty and are one of
the country's main tourist attractions. In the north are the
Isabella Mountains. Lake Managua is situated to the
northwest. Volcanoes, including the famous Momotombo, protrude from the
surrounding lowlands northwest of the lakes. A
ring of volcanoes - many still
active - make up Cordillera de los Maribios, a chain of peaks running
from Gulf of Fonseca to Lake Managua. The volcanic soil makes fertile
farmland, and fields of corn, sugarcane, beans, cotton and, in higher
areas, coffee abound. The majority of Nicaragua's population lives and works in
the lowland between the Pacific and western shores of Lake Nicaragua,
the southwestern shore of Lake Managua and the southwestern sides of the
range of volcanoes. It is only in recent years that settlers have taken
to coffee growing and cattle farming in the highlands around Matagalpa
and Jinotega.
The country's main rivers
are the San Juan, the lower reaches of which form the border with Costa
Rica, and the Rio Grande. The Corn Islands (Islas del Maiz) in the
Caribbean are two small beautiful islands fringed with white coral and
palms. They are very popular as holiday resorts with both Nicaraguans
and tourists.
The capital
of nicaragua, bordering the shores of lake Managua, is
the city of Managua.
(estimated population in 1994 : 1,000,000). This city was hit by two
major earthquakes in the twentieth century. Since
the 1972 earthquake the city has had no center. Those returning to
Managua after a few years will notice marked changes. An improving
economy has produced a construction boom. It will be obvious, however,
that the recovering economy has not benefited everyone, as poverty is
still widespread. The Huellas de Acahualinca
museum houses the ancient footprints of people and animals
running toward the lake from a volcanic eruption. The Museo de la
Revolución has interesting historical exhibits with an emphasis on the
revolutionary struggle of this century. There are also several lagunas,
or volcanic crater lakes, which are popular swimming spots.
Several of Managua's attractions stand
around the Plaza de la República,
including the lakeside municipal cathedral, which has been reconditioned
with help from foreign donors and is now open to the public. Near the
cathedral is the recently renovated Palacio Nacional, which has two
giant paintings of Augusto Sandino and Carlos Fonseca at the entrance.
