Info+About+Nicaragua

Nicaragua is called the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes, because it is home to about 50 volcanoes and many lakes and lagoons. Lake Cocibolca, also known as Lake Nicaragua, is the second largest lake in Latin America, and at one time housed the world´s only fresh-water sharks, which are now extinct. Twenty-five volcanoes are part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, which runs down the Pacific side of Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is the largest Central American country, land-wise, but the least densely populated. It is a little big than New York state. The population is almost 6 million, with about 500,000 Nicaraguans living in the United States. The majority of the population speaks Spanish, and is a mix of Indigenous and Spanish descent. On the Atlantic side of the country, there is a population of people of African descent, who speak a mix of English, Creole, and Spanish. Indigenous Miskito also have their own language. The majority of Nicaraguans are Christian, and the majority are Catholic.

Nicaragua is known for its farming. Many, like the families in La Danta, are peasant farmers, who have a small piece of land and farm about an acre or less. Sugarcane, coffee, red beans, corn and rice are the main crops of Nicaragua. In La Danta, most families grow corn and red beans, but some families also plant tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, watermelon, wheat and sesame. Most families in the countryside have cows, pigs, and chickens. The typical Nicaraguan dish is called gallo pinto, or painted rooster, because of the color that the red beans make when mixed together with rice. Other typical food is tortillas, fried bananas, plaintain chips, and a chocolate and corn drink called cacao.

Nicaragua is the second most impoverished country in Latin America, behind Haiti. About 75 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. They were under a dictatorship led by the Somoza family from 1936 to 1979. In 1979, the Sandinista movement overthrew the dictatorship and was in power until 1990. The Sandinistas led successful health campaigns to vaccinate children and a literacy campaign that reduced illiteracy from 50 percent to 13 percent nationwide. During this time, the Sandinistas were also fighting a war against U.S.-backed Contras, because the U.S. considered the movement to be supported by Communists. From 1990 to 2006 more conservative presidents were in power, and from 2006 to the present, the Sandinistas have returned to power, with President Daniel Ortega, who was also president in the 1980´s. Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, has a population of about 1.2 million. An earthquake destroyed the capital on December 23, 1972, and left only 3 skyscrapers standing. Since that time, the majority of buildings constructed in Managua are only 1 or 2 levels, and the city grew out towards the country-side instead of up with skyscrapers. Hurricane Mitch devastated the country in 1998, causing mudslides and around 4,000 deaths.

Education in Nicaragua is free, but with the costs of a uniform (typically a white shirt and navy blue pants or a skirt), and school supplies, many children can not afford to attend. In rural areas, they are also needed to work the farmland or help around the house. According the Ministry of Education, there are over 500,000 children not in school. The average education level is around 6th grade, and in the rural areas in 4th grade.

Baseball is very popular in Nicaragua, as are boxing and soccer. There are three Nicaraguans playing in Major League Baseball; Vicente Padilla for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Everth Cabrera for the San Diego Padres, and Wilton Lopez for the Houston Astros. Nicaragua is also known as the land of poets; Ruben Dario is considered the Father of Spanish Modernism for poetry. Folkloric dancing is also popular, as well as salsa and bachata music. Tourism in Nicaragua is growing, with many people coming to surf and go to the beaches and rainforest.