Nicaragua

Lore & Background

Originally inhabited by various indigenous cultures since ancient times, the region was conquered by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Caribbean region (Mosquitia) followed a different historical path, being an independent kingdom under British protection from the 17th century until 1860 with the signing of the Treaty of Managua, which brought it into a union with Nicaragua, while its northernmost part was placed under Honduras by the Wyke-Cruz Treaty of 1859. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest, dictatorship, American occupation and fiscal crisis, as well as the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and the Contra War of the 1980s. Though nominally a unitary presidential republic, Nicaragua has experienced significant democratic backsliding since 2007 under the presidency of Daniel Ortega, resulting in large protests in 2018 and a subsequent crackdown. Following the 2021 election, it has been widely described as an authoritarian dictatorship. It is a developing country and has the second lowest GDP per capita (nominal) and fourth lowest GDP per capita (PPP) among Latin American and Caribbean countries. Nicaragua's multiethnic population includes people of mestizo, indigenous, European, and African heritage.

In Their Own Story

The morning mist clung to the emerald slopes of Mount Mombacho as Elias cut through the glassy surface of Lake Nicaragua. The air was thick with the scent of wet volcanic earth and the faint, briny promise of the distant Pacific. He gestured toward a tiny islet where a family of iguanas basked on sun-warmed rocks, their scales flashing like polished jade against the dark water. 'This lake keeps its secrets close,' Elias whispered, his voice competing only with the soft slap of waves against the hull. 'Bull sharks that never see saltwater, volcanoes that sleep for decades then wake up in a roar.' As they rounded the bend, the silhouette of a colonial church emerged from the haze on the distant shore—a silent sentinel built by conquistadors, standing firm while empires rose and crumbled around it.

Reader's Guide

Nicaragua is known as 'the breadbasket of Central America' due to having the most fertile soil and arable land in all of Central America. Known as the 'land of lakes and volcanoes', Nicaragua is also home to the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, the second-largest tropical rainforest of the Americas. The biological diversity, warm tropical climate and active volcanoes have made Nicaragua an increasingly popular tourist destination. The mixture of cultural traditions has generated substantial diversity in folklore, cuisine, music, and literature, including contributions by Nicaraguan poets and writers such as Rubén Darío. Nicaragua is a founding member of the United Nations and is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Did You Know?

• The etymology of Nicaragua comes from Nicānāhuac, meaning 'here surrounded by water' in Nahuatl.
• The Bosawás Biosphere Reserve is the second-largest tropical rainforest of the Americas.
• Nicaragua is the largest country by area in all of Central America.
• The Caribbean region (Mosquitia) was an independent kingdom under British protection until 1860.