NICARAGUA: FOR THE INTREPID SPIRIT

The Republic of Nicaragua is a 50,567 square-mile Central American nation of 6.6 million people (2020 est.) located between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is Managua.

Nicaragua’s official language is Spanish: Regional languages include English, Miskito, Rama, Sumo, Garifuna, and Creole.

Population

Nicaragua’s population is predominantly composed of mestizos (mainly Spanish-Indigenous peoples) and Spanish descendants. Those with German, Italian, English, Turkish, Danish, and French ancestry are also found in Nicaragua.

Seven Indigenous peoples live in Nicaragua. The Chorotega, Matagalpa, Sutiaba, and the Nahuatl live along the central and northern regions of the Pacific Ocean, and the Miskitu, Sumu, and Rama live along the Caribbean or Atlantic coast.

Other peoples of Nicaragua include descendants from Africa-- the Creole and Garifuna.

Eighty-seven percent of the population is Christian.

Geography and Climate

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions—the Pacific Lowlands, the North-Central

Highlands, and the Atlantic Lowlands.

Pacific Lowlands

The Pacific Lowlands region has over half of Nicaragua’s population and is located on the western coast of Nicaragua.

The Pacific Lowlands region is a lush, fertile plain adjacent to the Cordillera Los Maribios mountain range running from the Gulf of Fonseca to Lake Nicaragua near the Costa Rican border. The region consists of a hot, dry season between November and April and a wet season between May and October.

The Pacific region is marked by 19 active volcanoes and the accompanying tremors and earthquakes associated with them.

Despite its volcanic nature, the Pacific Lowlands’ rich soils, beaches, resort communities, stable climate, colonial architecture, and artifacts make it Nicaragua’s economic and demographic center.

North-Central Highlands

The North-Central Highlands region is primarily a rugged forest and river-laden area with poor soils and a small population. The northwestern valleys, however, between Lake Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea are fertile and well-settled.

The mild climate and slightly wetter rainy season provide Nicaragua with lush forests of oaks, pines, moss, ferns, and orchids, and a rich array of bird life such as quetzals, goldfinches, hummingbirds, jays, and toucanets.

The North-Central Highlands region is ideal for agriculture and ecotourism.

Atlantic Lowlands

The Atlantic Lowlands region is located along the border with Honduras and has the largest rainforest north of the Amazon. It is a sparsely populated area forming 57% of the nation’s territory. Its lagoons, rivers, and deltas make the region rich in minerals.

The climate in the Atlantic Lowlands is tropical, with high temperatures and high humidity.

Wildlife is abundant: eagles, toucans, parakeets, and macaws fill the skies, and monkeys, anteaters, white-tailed deer, and tapirs roam the tropical forests.

Government

Nicaragua is a presidential representative democratic republic with three branches of government. The executive branch consists of a president who serves as the head of state and head of government. The legislative branch is made up of a multi-party national assembly. The judiciary forms the third branch of government.

Economy

Nicaragua is a developing country. According to the United Nations, 48% of Nicaragua’s population lives below the poverty line--79.9% live on less than $2 per day.

The World Bank ranks Nicaragua as the 123rd best economy for starting a business. The Heritage Foundation labels Nicaragua as a relatively free economy for business (with high levels of fiscal, government, labor, investment, financial, and trade freedom).

Nicaragua is predominantly an agricultural country. Approximately 60% of Nicaragua’s total exports are agriculture related. Its main exports include coffee, tobacco, bananas, sugarcane, cassava, peanuts, sesame, melons, and onions.

Other sectors of Nicaragua’s economy include:

• Shrimp and lobster fishing
• Mining
• Lumber harvesting
• Informal sector work
• Small-scale industrial production

Tourism has become the second largest industry in Nicaragua. In 2020, an estimated 500,000 tourists visited Nicaragua’s colonial cities, volcanoes, rainforests, lakes, lagoons, and beaches. Nature walks, hiking, climbing, camping, sport fishing, and surfing have made Nicaragua a popular, inexpensive tourist location. Two-and-a-half million acres of jungle containing 248 species of amphibians and reptiles, 183 species of mammals, 705 species of birds, 640 species of fish, and 5,796 species of plants, have made Nicaragua a favored ecotourism location for Americans and Europeans.

In Conclusion

Whether one is a tourist or entrepreneur, Nicaragua is not for the faint of heart. But for the adventurous in spirit, Nicaragua is a nation full of unexplored opportunities.



Sources: Parker, F. D., (2022, August 3). Nicaragua. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Nicaragua; (2022). Nicaragua. Nations Online. https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/nicaragua.htm; (2022). Nicaragua: History and Culture. Nicaragua Unica Original. https://www.visitnicaragua.us/about-nicaragua/culture.