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{{WPBiography
{{Infobox Country or territory
|living=yes
|native_name = {{lang|es|''República de Nicaragua''}}
|class=Stub
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Nicaragua
|priority=
|common_name = Nicaragua
|needs-photo=yes
|image_flag = Flag of Nicaragua.svg
|s&a-work-group=yes
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg
|listas=Baddeley, Alan
|image_map = LocationNicaragua.svg
|national_anthem = {{lang|es|''[[Salve a ti, Nicaragua]]''}}
|official_languages = [[Spanish language|Spanish]]{{smallsup|1}}
|capital = [[Managua]]
|latd=12 |latm=9 |latNS=N |longd=86 |longm=16 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[List of Presidents of Nicaragua|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Daniel Ortega]] ([[Sandinista National Liberation Front|FSLN]])
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
|sovereignty_note = from [[Spain]]
|established_event1 = Declared
|established_date1 = [[September 15]], [[1821]]
|established_event2 = Recognized
|established_date2 = [[July 25]], [[1850]]
|area_rank = 97th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area = 129,494
|areami² = 50,193 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|percent_water = 7.14
|population_estimate = 5,666,400
|population_estimate_rank = 106th
|population_estimate_year = July 2006
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density = 42
|population_densitymi² = 109 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 157th
|GDP_PPP = $20.996 billion <!--IMF-->
|GDP_PPP_rank = 108th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $3,636
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 119th
|HDI = 0.698
|HDI_rank = 112th
|HDI_year = 2006
|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 also spoken.
}}
}}

'''Nicaragua''' ({{lang-es|República de Nicaragua}}, [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] {{IPA|[re'puβlika ðe nika'raɰwa]}}) is a democratic republic in [[Central America]]. It is the largest nation in the [[isthmus]], but also the least densely populated with a demographic similar in size to its smaller neighbors. The country is bordered on the north by [[Honduras]] and on the south by [[Costa Rica]]. Its western [[coastal|coastline]] is on the [[Pacific Ocean]], while the east side of the country is on the [[Caribbean Sea]].

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.

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 that land when the first conquerors arrived. The term was eventually applied, by extension, to the group that inhabited that region: the Nicaraos or Niquiranos.

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.

==Post Colonial History==
{{portalpar|Nicaragua|Flag of Nicaragua.svg}}
{{main|History of Nicaragua}}
<p>
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> However, it was not until 1524, that [[Conquistador]] [[Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (founder of Nicaragua)|Francisco Hernández de Córdoba]] founded the first [[Spain|Spanish]] permanent settlements, including two of Nicaragua's principal towns: [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]] on [[Lake Nicaragua]], [[León, Nicaragua|León]] east of [[Lake Managua]] and also Nueva Segovia in Nicaragua's north. Settled as a colony of Spain within the kingdom of Guatemala in the 1520s, 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.

[[Image:grana gF.JPG|210px|right|thumb|Colonial architecture of the city of Granada, Nicaragua]]

The [[Mosquito Coast]] based on [[Bluefields]] on the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] 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 managed to negotiate with the British Queen , Queen Victoria, for the annexation of this region to the rest of Nicaragua. In his honour the entire region was named Zelaya, though this was later changed under the [[Sandinista]] government and it was divided into two autonomous regions.

[[Image:CornIsland.JPG|210px|left|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]]

Nicaragua was considered by the Spanish Kingdom as a very important colony, considering it had a natural route in which it would permit transportation of goods from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. However, at the time it was not considered of much value for the mining of minerals. Although there were high concentrations of gold, they were smaller compared to the amounts in the other Spanish colonies. During the early years of the colony Nicaragua produced many goods which gave it some prosperity, and there was an ever increasing desire to build a canal along the [[San Juan River (Nicaragua)|San Juan River]], through [[Lake Nicaragua]] and across the isthmus of Rivas.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=The river of our history | date=October 1986 | publisher= | url =http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/3242 | work =Revista Envío | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-12 | language = }}</ref>

[[Image:DeutscheClub.JPG|210px|left|thumb|German migration to Nicaragua began in the 1840s. Pictured here are the founding members of the Deutsche Club in Nicaragua]]
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. In the late 1800s, the United States government negotiated with President [[Jose Santos Zelaya]] to lease the land so they could build a [[canal]] through Nicaragua. Luis Felipe Corea, the Nicaraguan minister in Washington wrote to United States Secretary of State [[John Hay]] expressing support of such a canal by the Zelaya government. The Sánchez-Merry Treaty with Nicaragua was signed in case the negotiations of a canal through [[Colombia]] fell through, although it was later rejected by John Hay. In the end the Spooner Act (which proposed a canal through Panama) was presented before Corea completed a draft of a canal through Nicaragua. In addition to the earlier completion of the Panama canal proposal, opponents of the Nicaraguan canal suggested [[Momotombo]] posed a threat of volcanic activity, as depicted on a Nicaraguan stamp, though it was far away from the site. They favored construction of a canal through the isthmus of Panama.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=CAMPAIGN IN AMERICA AGAINST THE NICARAGUA CANAL... | date= | publisher= Brigham Young University| url =http://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/comment/Panama/Panama02.htm | work = | pages = CHAPTER VII| accessdate = | language = }}</ref>

Nicaragua experienced high economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s largely as a result of industrialization,<ref>{{cite news | first=Barbara | last=Annis | coauthors= | 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) | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 major earthquake in 1972 which toppled most of the city centre, creating major losses. 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.

==Political History==
{{main|Political history of Nicaragua}}
[[Image:Pre-quakeManagua.JPG|210px|right|thumb|Street scene of Managua city centre prior to the 1972 earthquake]]
Much of Nicaragua's early politics following independence was characterized by the rivalry between the liberal elite of [[León, Nicaragua|León]] and the conservative elite of [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]]. This rivalry sometimes spilled into [[civil war]]. Initially invited by the liberals in 1855 to join their struggle against the conservatives, a U.S.-born adventurer named [[William Walker (soldier)|William Walker]] won the Liberals' war so easily that it seemed like he barely even fought. As a result, he saw the chance to take over the country. Walker appointed himself as president in 1856. Fearing the possibility of his plans for expansion, several [[Central America]]n countries united to drive him out of Nicaragua in 1857, ironically supported by American industrialist [[Cornelius Vanderbilt]], who had earlier sponsored Walker's pirating of Nicaragua. Walker was executed in neighboring Honduras on Sept. 12, 1860.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=William Walker | date= | publisher=Goodfelloweb | url =http://goodfelloweb.com/honduras/trujillo/walker.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> A period of three decades of conservative rule ensued.

Taking advantage of divisions within the conservative ranks, [[José Santos Zelaya]] led a liberal revolt that brought him to power in 1893. Zelaya ended the long-standing dispute with the United Kingdom over the Atlantic Coast in 1894, and incorporated the Mosquito Coast into Nicaragua.

Nicaragua offered assistance to the [[Allies]] during [[World War II]], and was the first country in the world to ratify the [[UN Charter]]<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | 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 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>. Nicaragua has seen many interventions by the United States. Nicaragua has also experienced lengthy periods of military dictatorship, 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> The only Nicaraguan general to refuse to sign this pact (el tratado del Espino Negro) was [[Augusto César Sandino]] who 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 | coauthors= | title=A Disaster Foretold | date= | publisher=The Advocacy Project | url =http://www.advocacynet.org/news_view/news_141.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>

[[Image:Sandino.JPG|210px|left|thumb|Augusto Cesar Sandino]]
After the U.S. 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Biographical Notes | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.sandino.org/bio_en.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> There followed a growing hostility between Sandino and Anastasio Somoza Garcia, chief of the national guard, which prompted Somoza to order the assassination of Sandino.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=History of U.S. Violence Across the Globe: Washington's War Crimes (1912-33) | date=2001-12-16 | publisher= | url =http://www.bulatlat.com/news/2-5/2-5-reader-arnove.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Toni | last=Solo | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua: From Sandino to Chavez | date=2005-10-07 | publisher=Dissident Voice | url =http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Oct05/solo1007.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> 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. Following the death of Sandino was the execution of hundreds of men, women, and children.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=The Somoza Dynasty | date= | publisher=University of Pittsburgh | url =http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/nicaragua_proj/history/somoza/Hist-Somoza-dinasty.pdf | work = | pages =1 | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>

With Sandino's death and using his troops, the National Guard, to force Sacasa to resign, Somoza had taken control of the country in [[1937]] and destroyed any potential armed resistance.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Sandino and Somoza | date= | publisher=Grinnell College | url =http://web.grinnell.edu/LatinAmericanStudies/this.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Somoza was in turn assassinated by [[Rigoberto López Pérez]], a Nicaraguan poet, in 1956. [[Luis Somoza Debayle]], the eldest son of the late dictator, officially took charge of Nicaragua after his father's death.

Luis Somoza, remembered by some for being moderate, was in power only for a few years and then died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. Then came president [[Rene Schick]] which most Nicaraguans viewed "as nothing more than a [[puppet]] of the Somozas".<ref>{{cite news | first=Thomas M | last=Leonard | coauthors= | 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 | work = | pages =11 | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Somoza's brother, [[Anastasio Somoza Debayle]], who succeeded his father in charge of the National Guard, held control of the country, and officially took the presidency after Schick. In 1961, a young student, [[Carlos Fonseca]], turned back to the historical figure of Sandino, and founded the [[Sandinista National Liberation Front]] (FSLN). The FSLN was a tiny party throughout most of the 1960s, but Somoza's utter hatred of the FSLN and heavy-handed treatment of anyone he suspected to be a [[Sandinista]] sympathizer gave many ordinary Nicaraguans the idea that the Sandinistas were much stronger than was the case.
[[Image:SomozaBrothers.JPG|right|thumb|Anastasio Somoza García and his sons Anastasio Somoza Debayle and Luis Somoza Debale]]
Some Nicaraguan historians point to the 1972 earthquake that devastated [[Managua]] as the final 'nail in the coffin' for Somoza. Some 90% of the city was destroyed, and Somoza's brazen corruption, mishandling of relief (which prompted [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] star [[Roberto Clemente]] to personally fly to Managua on December 31, 1972- a flight that ended in his death)<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Roberto Clemente - Bio | date= | publisher=he National Baseball Hall of Fame | url =http://baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/clemente_roberto.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> and refusal to rebuild Managua flooded the ranks of the Sandinistas with young disaffected Nicaraguans who no longer had anything to lose.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=The Sandinistas and the Revolution | date= | publisher=Grinnell College | url =http://web.grinnell.edu/LatinAmericanStudies/this.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>

Somoza acquired monopolies in industries that were key to rebuilding the nation, not allowing other members of the upper class to share the profits that would result from the reborn economic activity. This weakened Somoza further since even the economic elite were reluctant to support him. In 1976 a synthetic brand of [[cotton]], one of Nicaragua's economic pillars of the epoch, was developed. This caused the price of cotton to decrease, placing the [[economy]] in great trouble.
[[Image:Castro-Ortega.JPG|left|thumb|Cuban President of The Council of State [[Fidel Castro]] in Nicaragua, with former and current President Daniel Ortega (1980)]]
These economic problems propelled the Sandinistas forward in their struggle against Somoza by leading many middle and upper class Nicaraguans to see the Sandinistas as the only hope for ridding the country of the brutal Somoza regime. The January 1978 assassination of [[Pedro Joaquin Chamorro]], the editor of an important newspaper in Nicaragua and an ardent opponent of Somoza, is believed to have been the spark that that led to extreme general disappointment against Somoza. The intellectual planners and perpetrators of the murder were at the highest echelons of the Somoza regime and included the dictator's son, “El Chiguin”, Somoza’s President of Housing, Cornelio Hueck, Somoza’s Attorney General, and Pedro Ramos, a close [[Cuba]]n ally who commercialized in illegal blood plasma.

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 abandoned 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Timeline: Nicaragua | date= | publisher=Stanford University | url =http://www.stanford.edu/group/arts/nicaragua/discovery_eng/timeline/ | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 pluriform 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.

===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 | coauthors= | title=Ortega's Comeback Schemes Roil Nicaragua | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.mre.gov.br/portugues/noticiario/internacional/selecao_detalhe.asp?ID_RESENHA=154683&Imprime=on | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 [[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"<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> about "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 . . ."
Exit polls of Nicaraguans reported Chamorro's victory over Ortega was achieved with only 55 percent.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Was February 25 a 'triumph'? National Review v. 42 | date= | publisher=Tulane University | url =http://lal.tulane.edu/RESTRICTED/CABIB/nicabib_.txt | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Exit polling also 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=El Sandinista Daniel Ortega se convierte de nuevo en presidente de Nicaragua | date=2006-11-08 | publisher= | url =http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/11/08/internacional/1162945503.html | work =El Mundo | pages = | 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 | coauthors= | 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) | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Much to the surprise of the US 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 twenty-years in prison for [[embezzlement]], [[money laundering]], and corruption.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua: Political profile | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/db/cp/nicaragua.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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:Enrique Bolaños Geyer 2004.jpg|right|thumb|Enrique Bolaños Geyer, former president of Nicaragua]]
The Sandinistas alleged that their support for Bolaños was lost when US Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] told Bolaños to keep his distance from the FSLN. The FSLN once again instigated havoc, chaos and violent protest against the Bolaños administration primarily on the streets of Managua.<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 | work = | pages =3 | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua 'creeping coup' warning | date=2005-09-30 | publisher= | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4296818.stm | work =BBC News | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 1 day before they were enforced the National Assembly postponed their enforcement until January 2008.

Legislative and presidential elections took place on [[Nicaraguan election, 2006|Nov. 5 2006]]. [[Daniel Ortega]] returned to the presidency with 37.99% of the vote. This percentage was enough to win the presidency outright as a result of the well-known "Pacto Alemán-Ortega", which lowered the percentage necessary to avoid a runoff election from 45% to 35% (with a 5% margin of victory). <ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Bolaños Will Move To The National Assembly After All | date=Novermber 2006 | publisher= | url =http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/3439 | work =Envío Magazine | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Nicaragua}}{{see also|Volcanoes of Nicaragua|List of cities in Nicaragua|Wildlife of Nicaragua}}

[[Image:NicaraguaDepartmentsNumbered.png|thumb|'''Departaments''' (capitals):
<br> '''1''' [[Boaco (department)|Boaco]] ([[Boaco]]) <br> '''2''' [[Carazo (department)|Carazo]] ([[Jinotepe]]) <br> '''3''' [[Chinandega (department)|Chinandega]] ([[Chinandega]]) <br> '''4''' [[Chontales]] ([[Juigalpa, Chontales]]) <br> '''5''' [[Estelí (department)|Estelí]] ([[Estelí]]) <br> '''6''' [[Granada (department)|Granada]] ([[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]]) <br> '''7''' [[Jinotega (department)|Jinotega]] ([[Jinotega]]) <br> '''8''' [[León (department)|León]] ([[León, Nicaragua|León]]) <br> '''9''' [[Madriz (department)|Madriz]] ([[Somoto]]) <br> '''10''' [[Managua (department)|Managua]] ([[Managua]]) <br> '''11''' [[Masaya (department)|Masaya]] ([[Masaya]]) <br> '''12''' [[Matagalpa (department)|Matagalpa]] ([[Matagalpa]]) <br> '''13''' [[Nueva Segovia]] ([[Ocotal]]) <br> '''14''' [[Rivas (department)|Rivas]] ([[Rivas]]) <br> '''15''' [[Río San Juan (department)|Río San Juan]] ([[San Carlos]]) <br> '''Autonomous Regions''' <br> '''16''' [[Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte|RAAN]] ([[Bilwi]]) <br> '''17''' [[Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur|RAAS]] ([[Bluefields]])]]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 somehow protected as national parks or biological reserves. The country is bordered by [[Costa Rica]] on the south and [[Honduras]] on the north, with the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the east.

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 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Background and socio-economic context | date= | publisher= | url =http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/vam/wfp073961.pdf | work = | pages =9 | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the [[Pacific]] Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains and the [[Mosquito Coast|Atlantic Lowlands]].

===The 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]]. This region is the most populous. About 90% of the nation's population lives in and around [[Managua]] and in the Pacific lowlands.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua: Who are the people? | date= | publisher=World Vision | url =http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/projects.nsf/countries/nicaragua | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>
[[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 city in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Richard L. | last=White | coauthors= | title=Pittsburghers find once war-ravaged country is a good place to invest | date=2004-08-24 | publisher= | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04237/366377.stm | work =Post Gazette | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>

===The Central Region===
[[Image:Guardabarranco.JPG|thumb|right|''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 the [[Resplendent Quetzal]], [[goldfinch]]es, [[hummingbird]]s, [[jay]]s and [[Emerald Toucanet|toucanet]]s.
[[Image:ToucanNica.JPG|left|thumb|180px|Toucan is a common bird in Nicaragua´s Rainforests]]
===The Atlantic Lowlands===
This large [[rainforest]] region, with several large rivers running through it, is very sparsely populated. The [[Rio Coco]] 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 [[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}}
Nicaragua's 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 percent of its total exports which annually yield approximately US $300 million.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=General Information - Nicaragua: Economy | date= | publisher= | url =http://centralamerica.com/nicaragua/info/general.htm#economy | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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. During the war between the [[Contras]] and the [[Sandinistas]] in the 1980s, much of the country's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. [[Inflation]] averaged 30% throughout the 1980s. After the United States imposed a trade embargo in 1985, Nicaragua's inflation rate rose dramatically. The 1985 annual rate of 220 percent tripled the following year and skyrocketed to more than 13,000 percent 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 13,500% to 9.6%, and cutting the foreign debt in half. [[Image:CafeNica.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Coffee is one of Nicaragua´s most important exports. It is exported worldwide throughout The Americas, Europe, [[Asia]] and as far as Australia.]]

Though sources give slightly differing data on the country's [[gross domestic product]] (GDP), Nicaragua ranks among the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, along with [[Bolivia]], [[Honduras]] and [[Haiti]].<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Rank Order - GDP - per capita (PPP) | date= | publisher=CIA World Factbook | url =https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Social indicators: Per capita GDP | date= | publisher=United Nations | url =http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/inc-eco.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> According to the [[The World Factbook|CIA Fact Book]], inflation averaged 8.1% from 2000 through 2006. Nicaragua ranks 39% highest for inflation in the world. [[The World Bank]] also indicates moderate economic growth at and average of 5% from 1995 through 2004. In 2005 the economy grew 4%, with overall GDP reaching $4.91 billion. The reduction in inflation, [[economic growth]] and privatization has not helped with Nicaragua's many [[social issues]]. 48% of the population in Nicaragua live below poverty, [[unemployment]] is 3.8%, and another 46.5% are [[Underemployment|underemployed]] (2006 est.).
[[Image:ometepe nic.jpg|thumb|180px|left|[[Ometepe Island|Maderas and Concepcion Volcanoes]], popular tourist destination in Nicaragua]]

As in many other [[developing countries]], a large segment of the economically poor in Nicaragua are women. In addition, a relatively high percentage of Nicaragua's average homes have a woman as head of household: 39% of [[Urban area|urban]] homes and 28% of [[rural]] homes.

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 [[1980]]s. <ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Poland forgives nearly 31 million dollars of debt owed by Nicaragua | date=2007-03-21 | publisher= | url =http://english.people.com.cn/200703/31/eng20070331_362713.html | work =People's Daily Online | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Economy Rankings: Doing Business | date= | publisher=World Bank | url =http://www.doingbusiness.org/EconomyRankings/ | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</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 [[2006]] was estimated at $16.83 billion USD<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua: Economy | date= | publisher=CIA World Factbook | url =https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nu.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 56.8%, followed by the industrial sector at 26 (2006 est.). Agriculture represents only 17.3% of GDP (2006 est.). Nicaraguan labor force is estimated at 2.261 million of which 29% is occupied in agriculture, 19% in the industry sector and 52% in the service sector (est. 2003).

==Tourism==
{{Main|Tourism in Nicaragua}}
[[Image:PLAYA MARSELLA NICARAGUA.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Pacific beaches in Nicaragua]]
Rapid expansion of the tourist industry has made it the nation's second largest industry.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Travel And Tourism in Nicaragua | date= | publisher=Euromonitor International | url =http://www.euromonitor.com/Travel_And_Tourism_in_Nicaragua | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Every year about 60,000 Americans visit Nicaragua, primarily business people, tourists, and those visiting relatives. <ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Background Note: Nicaragua; Economy | date= | publisher=U.S. State Department | url =http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1850.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> In the last 12 years or so, [[tourism]] has grown 394%.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Government Gets Tough on Environmental Scofflaws | date=Novermber 2006 | publisher=CALVET & ASSOCIATES | url =http://www.rcalvet.com/english/newsletter/investment01.php?id=85 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> The country is mostly famous for its [[landscape]]s, [[flora]] and [[fauna]], [[Culture of Nicaragua|culture]], [[beaches]] and of course, its lakes and [[List of volcanoes in Nicaragua|volcanoes]].

According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua (INTUR),<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua | date= | publisher=INTUR | url =http://www.intur.gob.ni/ | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> the colonial city of [[Granada]], Nicaragua 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.

==Demographics==
[[Image:Nicaragua-demography.png|right|220px|thumb|Evolution of the Nicaragua population. (1961-2003)]]{{main|Demographics of Nicaragua}}
According to the [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]], Nicaragua has a population of 5,570,129. [[Whites]] and [[Mestizos]] make up the majority (86%) of the population of Nicaragua with approx. 69% Mestizos and 17% Caucasian (mostly of [[Spanish people|Spaniard]], [[German people|German]], [[Italian people|Italian]], or [[French people|French]] ancestry), making it the country with the second largest white population in [[Central America]]. Nicaraguan demographics reflected a different composition prior to the Sandinista revolution of [[1979]] since most of the migration during the years that followed were primarily of upper or middle class Nicaraguans which were comprised primarily of whites. A growing number of these expats have been returning after, though a vast majority remains living abroad for the most part.

In the [[19th century|nineteenth century]], there was a substantial [[indigenous]] minority, but this group was also largely assimilated culturally into the [[mestizo]] majority. Primarily in the 19th century, Nicaragua saw several waves of [[immigration]] from other European nations. In particular the northern cities of [[Esteli]], [[Jinotega]] and [[Matagalpa]] have significant fourth generation [[Germans]]. Most of Nicaragua's population lives in the western region of the country in the departments of Managua, Granada and Leon.[[Image:Nicaboy.jpg|left|170px|thumb|Nicaraguan boys in the [[American Nicaraguan School]].]]

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 [[descendant]]s of indentured laborers brought mostly from [[Jamaica]] and [[Haiti]] when the region was a [[United Kingdom|British protectorate]]. Nicaragua has the second largest black population in [[Central America]] after Panama. There is also a smaller number of [[Garifuna]], a people of mixed [[Carib]], [[Angolan]], [[Congolese]] and [[Arawak]] descent.

The remaining 5% comprises the unmixed descendants of the country's indigenous inhabitants. Nicaragua's [[pre-Colombian]] population consisted of the [[Nahuatl]]-speaking Nicarao people of the west after whom the country is named, and six other ethnic groups including the [[Miskito]]s, [[Rama (people)|Rama]]s and [[Sumo (people)|Sumo]]s along the Caribbean coast. While very few pure-blooded Nicarao people still exist, the Caribbean peoples have remained distinct. In the mid-1980s, the government divided the department of [[Zelaya]] - consisting of the eastern half of the country - into two autonomous regions and granted the African and indigenous people of this region limited self-rule within the Republic.
[[Image:GenteNicaragüense.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Office workers in Managua]]

There is also a small [[Middle East]]ern-Nicaraguan community of [[Syrian]], [[Armenians|Armenian]], [[Palestinian]], [[Jewish]] and [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] people in Nicaragua with a total population of about 30,000, and an [[East Asia]]n community of [[Japan]]ese, [[Taiwan]]ese and [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] people of almost 8,000. The [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] arrived in the late 19th century but were unsubstantiated until the second census (in 1920) revealed 400 people of the Chinese nationality. ''See [[Chinese Nicaraguan]]''. These minorities speak Spanish while maintaining their ancestral languages as well.

90% of Nicaraguans live in the Pacific lowlands and the adjacent interior highlands. The population is 54% urban and an estimated [[Nicaraguan Diaspora|1.4 million Nicaraguans]] live outside of Nicaragua.

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Nicaragua}}
[[Image:gueguense diriamba.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Distinctive traditional costumes and dance from a very renowned folk dance from Nicaragua, [[El Güegüense]]]]
The country has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by [[Iberian Peninsula|European]] culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavours. Nicaragua has historically been an important source of [[poetry]] in the Hispanic world, with internationally renowned contributors, the best known being [[Rubén Darío]]. Also included in this group are [[Ernesto Cardenal]], [[Gioconda Belli]], [[Jose Coronel Urtecho]] and [[Pablo Antonio Cuadra]].

Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The west of the country was colonized by [[Spain]] and its people are predominantly [[Mestizo]] or [[European]] in composition. Spanish is invariably their first language.
[[Image:ArtesaniaNica.jpg|200px|thumb|left|An example of typical Nicaraguan artisans which are sold in markets all over the country]]
The eastern half of the country, on the other hand, was once a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[protectorate]]. [[English language|English]] and indigenous languages predominate in this region and are spoken domestically along with [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. Its culture is similar to that of [[Caribbean]] nations that were or are British colonies, such as [[Jamaica]], [[Belize]], The [[Cayman Islands]], etc. Although recent immigration by [[mestizo]]s has largely influenced younger generations and an increasing number of people are either bilingual at home or speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] only. There is a relatively large population of people of mixed [[Africa]]n descent, as well as a smaller [[Garifuna]] population. Due to the African influence, in the Caribbean Coast, there is a different kind of music. It is the popular [[dance music]] called 'Palo de Mayo', or Maypole, which is celebrated during the Maypole Festival, during the month of May. The music is sensual with intense rhythms. The celebration is derived from the British [[Maypole]] for [[May Day]] celebration, as adapted and transformed by the Afro-Nicaraguans on the Caribbean Coast.

Of the cultures that were present before [[Europe]]an [[colonization]], the [[Nahuatl]]-speaking peoples who populated the west of the country have essentially been assimilated into the Latino culture. In the east, however, several indigenous groups have maintained a distinct identity. The [[Miskito]], [[Sumo (people)|Sumo]], and [[Rama people]]s still use their original languages, and also usually speak English and/or Spanish. The [[Garifuna]] people speak their own Garifuna language in addition to English and/or Spanish.

===Language===

Spanish is spoken by 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]], [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Ecuador]]. Spanish has many different dialects spoken throughout Latin America, [[Central American Spanish]] is the dialect spoken in Nicaragua. The black population of the east coast region have [[English language|English]] as their first language. Several indigenous peoples of the east still use their original language, the main languages being [[Miskito language]], [[Sumo language]], and [[Rama language]]. Also, due to the arrival of the [[Chinese Nicaraguan|Chinese]] in the 19th century, there are an estimated 7,000 people who speak [[Chinese language|Chinese]].<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Languages of Nicaragua | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=NI | work =Ethnologue | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> [[Nicaraguan Sign Language]] is of particular interest to [[linguists]].

[[Image:IglesiaManagua.png|right|thumb|200px|Cathedral in Managua]]

===Religion===

Nicaragua is nominally Roman Catholic, but practicing Roman Catholics are no longer the majority and are declining while [[evangelism|evangelical]] [[Protestant]] groups including Mormons are growing rapidly. There are strong [[Anglican]] and [[Moravian (religion)|Moravian]] communities on the Caribbean coast. The 2005 census shows religious affiliation as follows: Roman Catholic 58.5% Most non-practicing), Evangelical 21.6%, [[Moravians|Moravian]] 1.6%, Jehovah's Witnesses 0.9%, none 15.7%, and other 1.6% (which includes [[Buddhism]], [[Islam]], and [[Judaism]] among others).<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Cendo de poblacion y de Vivienda | date=2005 | publisher=INEC | url =http://www.inec.gob.ni/censos2005/ResumenCensal/Resumen2.pdf | work = | pages =42-43 | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = Spanish }}</ref>

==Education==
{{main|Education in Nicaragua}}{{seealso|Universities in Nicaragua|List of Schools in Nicaragua|Education in Nicaragua}}

Education is free for all Nicaraguans.<ref>{{cite news | first=Dan | last=Liu | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua's new gov't to enforce free education | date=2006-12-06 | publisher= | url =http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-12/06/content_5442752.htm | work =CHINA VIEW | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Elementary education is free and compulsory although this is not strictly enforced and many children in rural areas are unable to attend due to lack of transportation or the need to find income for their families. Communities located on the Atlantic 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua Education | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.nicaragua.com/culture/education/ | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>
[[Image:CNALogo-ss.png|left|thumb|100px|National Literacy Crusade logo]]
When the [[Sandinista]]s came to power in 1979, they inherited an educational system that was one of the poorest in [[Latin America]]. Under the Somozas, limited spending on education and generalized poverty, which forced many adolescents into the labor market, constricted educational opportunities for Nicaraguans. In the late 1970s, only 65 percent of primary school-age children were enrolled in school, and of those who entered first grade only 22 percent completed the full six years of the primary school curriculum. Most rural schools offered only one or two years of schooling, and three-quarters of the rural population was illiterate. Few students enrolled in secondary school, in part because most secondary institutions were private and too expensive for the average family. At the [[college]] level, enrollment jumped from 11,142 students in 1978 to 38,570 in 1985. The Sandinistas also reshaped the system of higher education: reordering curricular priorities, closing down redundant institutions and programs and establishing new ones, and increasing lower-class access to higher education. Influenced by [[Cuba]]n models, the new curricula were oriented toward development needs. Agriculture, medicine, education, and technology grew at the expense of law, the humanities, and the social sciences.

A 1980 literacy campaign, using secondary school students as volunteer teachers, reduced the [[illiteracy]] rate from 50 percent to 23 percent of the total population. 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Historical Background of Nicaragua | date= | publisher=Stanford University | url =http://www.stanford.edu/group/arts/nicaragua/discovery_eng/history/background.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nicaragua Pre-election Delegation Report | date= | publisher=Global Exchange | url =http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/NicaraguaReportOct2001.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref>
[[Image:Delahoya.jpg|thumb|right|150px|De la Hoya Vs. [[Ricardo Mayorga|Mayorga]] promotional poster]]

==Sports==
[[Baseball]] is the number one played sport in Nicaragua. Although some of the professional Nicaraguan baseball teams have disappeared over the past few years, Nicaragua enjoys a strong tradition of American style Baseball. There are currently 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 is competing internationally. The country has had its share of [[MLB]] players but the most notable is [[Dennis Martínez]], who was the first baseball player from Nicaragua to play in [[Major League Baseball]], he also pitched the 13th perfect game in major league history.

Recently, [[Soccer]] has gained some popularity, especially around 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 | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Like clockwork in Nicaragua | date= | publisher=FIFA | url =http://www.fifa.com/en/development/goal/index/0,1223,104011,00.html?articleid=104011 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-05-09 | language = }}</ref> Also popular among Nicaraguans is [[boxing]], the country has had champions such as world champions [[Alexis Argüello]] and [[Ricardo Mayorga]].

==Trivia==
*The first woman to be popularly [[elected]] as [[President]] of a [[Latin America]]n nation was [[Violeta Chamorro]] who served her term from [[1990]]-[[1997]] in Nicaragua. As of 2007 she is the only woman to have served in the role.

*In 1972, nearly 90% of the capital city of [[Managua]] was destroyed in an earthquake.

*[[Lake Nicaragua]] is the second largest freshwater lake in Latin America (19th largest in the world) and is home to the world's only freshwater sharks.

*Nicaragua's [[Bosawas Biosphere Reserve]] protects 1.8 million acres of Mosquitia forest - almost seven percent of the country's area - making it the second largest Biosphere reserve in the world after the [[Amazon Rainforest|Amazon]] in [[Brazil]].

*Most Nicaraguans begin and end every day with [[Gallo pinto]], a meal of rice and beans cooked separately and then fried together. On the Atlantic coast it is common to add [[coconut oil]] to the dish.

*In the 19th century, the United States had plans to build a waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the country. The [[Nicaragua Canal]] concept was abandoned after the U.S. opted to back the construction of the [[Panama Canal]] instead.

*Nicaragua is one of three countries in the world where [[abortion]] is [[Law|illegal]] with no exceptions, along with [[El Salvador]] and [[Chile]].

==See also==
{{main|List of Nicaragua-related topics}}
{{Nicaragua-related topics}}
{{portalpar|Nicaragua|Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg}}

{{clear}}
==References==
<div class="references-small">
*{{StateDept}}
{{reflist|2}}
* <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>
</div>

== Bibliography ==
<div class="references-small">
* ''After Revolution: Mapping Gender and Cultural Politics in Neoliberal Nicaragua'' Florence E. Babb
* ''Bernardo and the Virgin: A Novel'' Silvio Sirias
* ''Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua'' Stephen Kinzer
* ''The Civil War in Nicaragua: Inside the Sandinistas'' Roger Miranda and William Ratliff
* ''Confronting the American Dream: Nicaragua under U.S. Imperial Rule'' Michel Gobat
* ''Contradiction and Conflict : The Popular Church in Nicaragua'' Debra Sabia
* ''The Contras, 1980-1989 : A Special Kind of Politics'' R. Pardo-Maurer
* ''The Country Under My Skin : A Memoir of Love and War'' Gioconda Belli
* ''The Contras' Valley Forge: How I View the Nicaraguan Crisis'' [[Enrique Bermúdez]]'', ''[[Policy Review]]'' magazine, The [[Heritage Foundation]], Summer 1988
* ''Cultivating Coffee: The Farmers of Carazo, Nicaragua, 1880-1930'' Julie A. Charlip
* ''Dark Alliance : The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion'' Gary Webb
* ''The Death of Ben Linder: The Story of a North American in Sandinista Nicaragua'' Joan Kruckewitt
* ''To Die in This Way: Nicaraguan Indians and the Myth of the Mestizaje 1880-1965'' Jeffrey L. Gould
* ''Disparate Diasporas: Identity and Politics in an African Nicaraguan Community'' Edmund T. Gordon
* ''The Grimace of Macho Raton: Artisans, Identity, and Nation in Late-Twentieth Century Western Nicaragua'' Les W. Field
* ''The Jaguar Smile : A Nicaraguan Journey'' Salman Rushdie
* ''Life Is Hard: Machismo, Danger, and the Intimacy of Power in Nicaragua'' Roger N. Lancaster
* ''Life Stories of the Nicaraguan Revolution'' Denis Lynn Daly Heyck
* ''Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media'' Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky
* ''Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs: Gender Identity Politics in Nicaragua 1979 - 1999'' Lorraine Bayard de Volo
* ''My Car in Managua'' Forrest D. Colburn and Roger Sanchez Flores
* ''Nicaragua'' Thomas Walker
* ''Nicaragua Betrayed'' Anastasio Somoza and Jack Cox
* ''Nicaragua: Revolution in the Family'' Shirley Christian
* ''Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq'' Stephen Kinzer
* ''The Patient Impatience: From Boyhood to Guerilla : A Personal Narrative of Nicaragua's Struggle for Liberation'' Tomas Borge
* ''Peasants in Arms: War & Peace in the Mountains of Nicaragua, 1979-1994'' Lynn Horton
* ''The Real Contra War: Highlander Peasant Resistance in Nicaragua'' Timothy C. Brown
* ''Resistance and Contradiction: Miskitu Indians and the Nicaraguan State, 1894-1987'' Charles R. Hale
* ''Sandinista: Carlos Fonseca and the Nicaraguan Revolution'' Matilde Zimmermann
* ''Sandinista Communism and Rural Nicaragua'' Janusz Bugajski
* ''Sandinistas: The Party And The Revolution'' Dennis Gilbert
* '' Sandinistas Speak'' Tomas Borge
* ''The Sandino Affair'' Neill MacAulay
* ''Sandino's Daughters: Testimonies of Nicaraguan Women in Struggle'' Margaret Randall and Lynda Yanz
* ''Twilight Struggle: American Power and Nicaragua, 1977-1990'' Robert Kagan
* ''Under the Big Stick: Nicaragua and the United States Since 1848'' Karl Berman, Boston: South End Press, 1986.
* ''The War in Nicaragua'' William Walker
* ''Washington, Somoza and the Sandinistas : Stage and Regime in US Policy toward Nicaragua 1969-1981'' Morris H. Morley
* ''Washington's War on Nicaragua'' Holly Sklar
* ''With the Old Corps in Nicaragua'' George B. Clark
</div>

==External links==
{{columns |width=290px
|col1 =
'''Television sites'''
* [http://www.canal2tv.com/ Canal2tv.com]
* [http://www.telenica.com.ni/ Telenica.com.ni]

'''Music sites'''
* [http://www.rocknica.com/ RockNica.com]
* [http://www.ReggaetonNica.com/ ReggaetonNica.com]

'''Radio stations'''
* [http://www.nuevaya.com.ni/home.php Nueva Ya!]
* [http://www.radiooxigeno.net/ Radio Oxigeno]
* [http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/ Radio La Primerisima]
* [http://www.radio-corporacion.com/principal.html Radio Corporacion]
* [http://www.stereo-romance.com/ Stereo Romance]

'''Written media'''
* [http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/ El Nuevo Diario]
* [http://www.laprensa.com.ni/ La Prensa]
* [http://www.barricada.com.ni/ Barricada]
* [http://www.confidencial.com.ni/ Confidencial]
* [http://www.bolsadenoticias.com.ni/ Bolsa De Noticias]
* [http://www.notifax.com.ni/ NotiFax]
* [http://www.lavozdelsandinismo.com/ La Voz del Sandinismo]
* [http://www.wavesnicaragua.com/ Waves Nicaragua Magazine]
|col2 =
'''Art and literature'''
* [http://www.400elefantes.com 400 Elefantes] Nicaraguan Literature {{es icon}}
* [http://www.marcaacme.com Marcaacme] Art, Literture & Cultural Events {{es icon}}
* [http://www.artenicaraguense.com Arte Nicaraguense]
* [http://imagenes.ideay.net.ni/ Ideay.net.ni] Pictures of Nicaragua {{es icon}}
* [http://www.enicaragua.net Nicaragua Online] Art, history, politics, & more...
* [http://www.bildungsservice.at/faecher/geo/Staaten%20und%20Landschaften/Nicaragua/photogalerie_nicaragua_01.htm Bildungsservice] Nicaragua Photos (German)

'''Government and Travel'''
<br>Pages in {{en icon}} & {{es icon}}
* [http://www.eaai.com.ni Augusto C. Sandino International Airport]
* [http://www.Nicaragua.com Nicaragua.com]
* [http://www.intur.gob.ni INTUR] Nicaragua Tourism Institute
* [http://www.vianica.com ViaNica] Nicaragua travel website
* [http://www.pronicaragua.org ProNicaragua] Nicaragua Investment Promotion Agency
* [http://www.nicaraguasurfmaps.com/the%20basics.htm Nicaragua Surf Maps and] Surf Spot Guide {{en icon}}

<!--[Section hidden - notability of websites (especially blos) needs to be established before unhiding some, or all, of the links listed. Thanks]* '''Blogs and other Nicaragua-related links'''
** http://soynica.blogspot.com Soy Nica
** [http://www.TheRealNicaragua.com TheRealNicaragua] The Speakeasy of all matters Nicaraguan
** [http://www.lanicoya17.blogspot.com Nicaragua] A blog about Nicaragua
** [http://www.nicaliving.com NicaLiving.com] A mostly English-language site about living in Nicaragua
** [http://www.pinoleros.com/inicio/ Pinoleros.com] Nicaraguan Online Community
** [http://www.skatenica.com/fotos/index.php SkateNica]
** [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE3D81431F934A25751C1A9609C8B63&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=1/The New York Times:] The Rediscovery of Nicaragua
**{{dmoz|Regional/Central_America/Nicaragua}}
**[http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/ca/nicaragua/ Latin American Network Information Center: Nicaragua]
**[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1225218.stm BBC Country profile: Nicaragua]
**[http://www.business-anti-corruption.dk/normal.asp?pageid=81 Business Anti-Corruption Portal] Nicaragua Country Profile-->
|col3 =
{{sisterlinks|Nicaragua}}
}}

{{Template group
|title = [[Image:Nuvola apps package network.png|25lpx]]&nbsp;Geographic locale
|list =
{{Departments of Nicaragua}}
{{Countries of Central America}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{Latin Union}}
}}

<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Nicaragua| ]]
[[Category:Central American countries]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[Category:Geographic portmanteaus]]
[[Category:Spanish-speaking countries]]

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[[vo:Nikaraguvän]]
[[diq:Nikaragua]]
[[zh:尼加拉瓜]]

Revision as of 15:31, 19 June 2007

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