Expatriate Forums in Nicaragua

sugar baby

alimshkt — Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:48 am

Author: alimshkt

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:48 am

"Only US and Canadian Citizens can get benefit from the offer mentioned below"
For the eventful and successful man who has grown tired of searching for that Dearest woman at crowded clubs and bars and for that beautiful woman looking for that guy who can make her dreams come true the wait is over as SugarBaby4Udotcom has created an online personals outlet that eliminates the hassle of the search and provides real results for your quest. SugarBaby4Udotcom is currently being featured on WallStreetNewsHourdotcom

For the Sugar Daddy, meeting Dearest women with supermodel looks and outgoing personalities is as quick as creating your SugarBaby4U profile. Once you create your profile find that cover girl and begin your mutually beneficial relationship as quickly as you’d like.

For the Sugar Cosset, finding a wealthy man that understands how to pamper and provide is as easy as creating a personal profile on SugarBaby4U where you can post pictures and provide a detailed description regarding who and what you are looking for in a Sugar Daddy.

SugarBaby4U is currently providing a inadequate time only opportunity for Sugar Babies and Sugar Daddies to take advantage of full use of the site for no charge. (All information provided by SugarBaby4U)

Get started on your SugarBaby4U profile at: wwwdotsugarbaby4udotcom/

Learn Spanish free, make a friend

HannahT — Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:30 pm

Author: HannahT

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:30 pm

Hi, I am from the UK, travelling in Central America, and have created a new free website to help anyone living in or visiting Nicaragua learn Spanish and make friends.

IntercambioCentralAmerica is a social networking site that connects people of different languages in Nicaragua to help them find language exchange partners for conversation practice in their area.

This isn't spam, I genuinely want to tell people about this website (the forum won't let me paste the address but you can find it on Google)

This is a fun, free way to improve foreign language skills, make new friends and contacts, and integrate into the country, while
helping local people with their English, or whatever language you speak.

This website is brand new, and I do not make money from it, but I hope
eventually the website will benefit many people. I believe there are
no other sites like it in Central America.

Please register, enjoy your intercambios, and tell your friends about the website.

Thanks! Hannah

Exchanging Currency?

Currency Guy — Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:03 pm

Author: Currency Guy

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:03 pm

If you are a Non-US Expat looking to buy property in Nicaragua, you will inevitably need to transfer your currency to US Dollars to buy the property or arrange financing. It is very important to pay attention to the exchange rate for your payments, or it could end up costing you a lot of money!

The fact is that many individuals will simply use the exchange rate offered by their personal bank. The bank's 'retail' rate of exchange is usually a few percent worse than the market rate. The bank may also charge wire transfer fees, commissions, and bank receiving fees. Since the bank takes a large profit that is built into the exchange rate, many individuals don't realize they are other options available to them. There is an alternative to using your bank that could save you significant sums of money.

Working with a 'specialist currency broker' like HiFX can not only save you time and hassle, it can also save you money. Their focus is to educate clients on the currency market, secure a better exchange rate than the banks, and transfer funds free of charge. Because the exchange rate that HiFX can offer is much better than the bank's rate, you will save substantially (on average 1%-4% of the amount) which on larger transfers can turn into thousands of dollars.

HiFX can help you take advantage of recent currency movements and protect against future fluctuations by locking in a rate of exchange, which can be useful if you have future property payments.

HiFX services are free of any fees and there is no obligation to use their services, even as a registered client.

For more information and to speak with our dedicated account representative at HiFX, please contact David Lazenski +1 (415) 678-2770

Replies

Kavenaugh — Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:43 am

Author: Kavenaugh

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:43 am

fWhat's with this forum? Isaw the numbers for viewing, and they numbered about 1000, but not one reply. What gives?

Coffee plantation or Farm

Kavenaugh — Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:14 pm

Author: Kavenaugh

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:14 pm

I am hunting for a farm or coffee plantation. that is no longer being used. I would like to bring it back to life, and give the locals something for them to earn some money. anyone having any info or ideas please help. Thanks

Violence

Spaced91 — Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:50 am

Author: Spaced91

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:50 am

Hello to all,

I am a univeristy student in England, and am completeing a project about violence towards foreigners in Latin America. My Sister in law has lived in Nicaragua, so suggested this would be a good place to ask.

Please PM me if you have an experience you are willing to share, or any advice where I can gain more imformation.

I apologise if this topic offends anyone.

Regards,
Amy

Changing Skylines

Soraya Somarathne — Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:37 pm

Author: Soraya Somarathne

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:37 pm

Dear All,

Parts of South America are beginning to see changing skylines - in some parts of China this is happening faster than you realise.

Please check out: www.spyshanghai.com

Since living and working in the architectural sector in Shanghai for the past 6 months, I've been keeping a blog covering Shanghai's changing skyline as well as some of the stuff I have been getting up to!

Hopefully you'll find some time to have a bit of a read!

Also, writers are wanted!

Thanks and all the best for 2007!

Soraya

Someone living in Nicaragua?

Colossal_ — Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:34 pm

Author: Colossal_

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:34 pm

I need one little favour from someone living in Nicaragua. .

only take few minutes

Send me PM please. .

NICARAGUA COUNTRY PROFILE / NICARAGUA COUNTRY GUIDE

Nicaragua Info — Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:27 pm

Author: Nicaragua Info

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:27 pm

NICARAGUA COUNTRY PROFILE

Introduction

The Pacific Coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. 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, 1996, and again in 2001 saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its economy during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

Geography

Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 85 00 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 129,494 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the state of New York

Land boundaries:
total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Coastline: 910 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation

Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m

Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land: 15.94%
permanent crops: 1.94%
other: 82.12% (2001)

Irrigated land: 880 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

People

Population: 5,465,100 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.2% (male 1,036,487/female 999,226)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 1,623,065/female 1,638,017)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 73,935/female 94,370) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.56 years
male: 20.15 years
female: 20.98 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.92% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 24.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 29.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.33 years
male: 68.27 years
female: 72.49 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.81 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,400 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census)

Languages: Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.5%
male: 67.2%
female: 67.8% (2003 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua
local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
local short form: Nicaragua

Government type: republic

Capital: Managua

Administrative divisions:
15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000

Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
election results: Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (PLC) elected president - 56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PCN) 1.4%; Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice president

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; members are elected by proportional representation and party lists to serve five-year terms; one seat for previous President, one seat for runner-up in previous Presidential election
elections: last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Alliance (ruling party - includes PCCN, PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN 36.55%, PCN 2.12%; seats by party - Liberal Alliance 53, FSLN 38, PCN 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon, Oscar WENDOLYN Vargas, Karla WHITE]; Central American Unionist Party or PUCA [leader NA]; Christian Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Mario RAPPACCIOLI]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [leader NA]; Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal Party or PALI [leader NA]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO Molina]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [leader NA]; Unity Alliance or AU [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labour unions including - Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labour union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups

International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN (since 5 December 2003)
chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Calandra MOORE
embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
mailing address: APO AA 34021
telephone: [505] 266-6010
FAX: [505] 266-9074

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centred in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centred in the white band

Economy

Economy - overview:
Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, massive unemployment, and huge external debt. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has made progress toward macroeconomic stability over the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs. As a result of successful performance under its International Monetary Fund policy program and other efforts, Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Even after this reduction, however, the government continues to bear a significant foreign and domestic debt burden. If ratified, the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will provide an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and deepen economic development. While President BOLANOS enjoys the support of the international financial bodies, his internal political base is meager.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.34 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.7%
industry: 24.7%
services: 54.6% (2004 est.)

Labour force: 1.93 million (2004 est.)

Labour force - by occupation: agriculture 30.5%, industry 17.3%, services 52.2% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.8% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 45% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 55.1 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.3% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 28% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $725.5 million
expenditures: $1.039 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 69.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products

Industries:
food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 2.553 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - consumption: 2.318 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 6.8 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 15.3 million kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption: 25,770 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports: 738 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports: 27,950 bbl/day (2003)

Current account balance: $-843.1 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $750 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts

Exports - partners: US 63.5%, El Salvador 9%, Costa Rica 4.2% (2004)

Imports: $2.02 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products

Imports - partners: US 26.3%, Venezuela 9.6%, Costa Rica 7.5%, Mexico 7.1%, Guatemala 6.1%, El Salvador 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $670 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $4.573 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $541.8 million (2003)

Currency (code): gold cordoba (NIO)

Exchange rates:
gold cordobas per US dollar - 15.937 (2004), 15.105 (2003), 14.251 (2002), 13.372 (2001), 12.684 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 171,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 202,800 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
international: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code: .ni

Internet hosts: 7,094 (2003)

Internet users: 90,000 (2002)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 6 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 18,712 km
paved: 2,126 km
unpaved: 16,586 km (2002)

Waterways: 2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (1997)

Pipelines: oil 54 km (2004)

Ports and harbours: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff

Airports: 176 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 165
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 141 (2004 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army (includes Navy, Air Force)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 17-49: 1,309,970 (2005 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,051,425 (2005 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 65,170 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $32.8 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.7% (2004)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

Used Postage Stamp Appeal for Charity

Terri1968 — Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:00 pm

Author: Terri1968

Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:00 pm

Dear Friends

I am not an expat but wondered if you could help us at the Royal National Institute of the Blind in the UK. We provide over sixty services for blind and partially sighted children and adults and can only do this with help from people like yourself. For more information on the RNIB please visit our website at www.rnib.org.uk

I am appealing to you to send us any used postage stamps that you would normally dispose of. We are deperate for stamps from anywhere in the world so any amount at anytime would be great. We still need stamps from the UK as well. Please could you also tell your friends and family.

If you can help please can stamps be left on the envelope, but have the back of the envelope removed. This will make it cheaper for stamps to be sent as well as saving us a job. There should be approximately1/2 - 1cm of paper surrounding the stamp, but do not worry if this is not possible. Stamps then should be sent to RNIB Stamp Recycling, PO Box 185, Benfleet, England, SS7 9BH. I can be emailed at Puddenhead@blueyonder.co.uk

I thank you for your time.

Terri Bush
RNIB

Every day one hundred people start to lose their sight.

NICARAGUA PROFILE : NICARAGUA Country Profile

Anonymous — Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:47 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:47 pm

NICARAGUA PROFILE : NICARAGUA Country Profile

NICARAGUA

Nicaragua is a sovereign and democratic nation in Central America. Although it is the largest republic in the region, it is also the least densely populated. The country is bordered on the north by Honduras and on south by Costa Rica. Its western coastline is on the Pacific Ocean, while the east side of the country is on the Caribbean Sea.

The country's name is a portmanteau of Nicarao, employed by the Spanish colonialists for the Nahuatl-speaking indigenous tribe, and the Spanish word Agua, meaning water, named after one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world Lago Nicaragua and the indigenous leader Nicarao.

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.

Accepted etymologies:

Nic-atl-nahuac: "here near the water".

Nic Anahuac: "here the Anahuac" or "the Anahuac from here".

The pre-columbian Nicarao came to the area from northern regions after the fall of Teotihuacan, on the advice of their priests or religious leaders. According to tradition, they were to travel south until they encountered a lake with two volcanoes rising out of the waters... which is today known as Island of Ometepe, the largest fresh-water volcanic island in the world.

History

Colonized by Spain in 1524, Nicaragua achieved independence in 1821 when it was a province of the Audience of Guatemala and became part of the United Provinces of Central America. It separated from the federation in 1838, becoming a completely sovereign republic.

The nation's early history was marked by the desire of U.S. commercial interests to make use of Nicaraguan territory. When gold was discovered in California, Cornelius Vanderbilt's Accessory Transit Company undertook a steamship and carriage business to link Greytown (present-day San Juan del Norte), at the mouth of the San Juan River (linking the Lago Nicaragua with the Gulf of Mexico), to the Pacific. Nicaragua's strategic position has ever since been of interest to the United States.

Nicaragua offered token assistance during World War 2, and was the first country in the world to ratify the UN Charter.

Nicaragua has seen U.S. military interventions and lengthy periods of military dictatorship, the most infamous being the rule of the Somoza family (supported by successive U.S. governments) for much of the early 20th century. Through large scale clandestine Soviet and Cuban assistance, the Somoza family was deposed in 1979, and a multi-factional coalition, led by the FSLN, took control of the government. Conflicts within the coalition eventually resulted in power being consolidated by Daniel Ortega, who was elected President in 1984 elections in which some opposition parties refused to participate, complaining of government restrictions. Although the elections were certified fair by Western NGOs allowed into Nicaragua, Ortega and the FSLN had, in fact, been actively suppressing opposition parties while leaving moderate parties alone claiming that the moderates “presented no danger and served as a convient facade to the outside world”. Ortega and the FSLN leadership implemented a series of ambitious communist reforms to the country, but the new president's rule was undermined by increasing civil war in which the United States, under President Ronald Reagan, secretly funded anti-Communist rebel forces called Contras despite a 1982 Congressional amendment prohibiting aid. The US was found guilty of having violated international law at the International Court of Justice but refused to pay restitutions even when a United Nations General Assembly resolution was passed. A new government of Nicaragua abandoned its claim. Nicaragua v. United States

The 1990 elections and U.S. involvement
Multi-party elections held in 1990 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 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.

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 Wilson to the Contra threats to continue the war if the Sandinistas retained power, the general war-weariness of the Nicaraguan population, and extensive U.S. funding of the opposition.

On the other hand, P. J. O'Rourke wrote in "Return of the Death of Communism" about "the unfair advantages of using state resources for party ends, about how Sandinista control of the transit system prevented 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 the largest plurality of voters voted for Charmorro due to American economic sanctions against the Ortega government. 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.

In subsequent elections in 1996, Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas of the FSLN were again defeated, this time by Arnoldo Alemán and the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) and its allies, but ran a reasonably strong second. President Alemán came to a strategic understanding with Ortega and the FSLN, and Nicaragua's politics seemed to settle into a two party system, with the PLC and FSLN cooperating in dividing certain government spoils and positions and helping to shut out smaller parties(Note that Dhimokratía is the greek word for Republic wich is in Latin (Roman)). In the 2001 elections, the PLC again defeated the FSLN, with Enrique Bolaños winning the Presidency. However, President Bolaños subsequently broke with the PLC and charged former President Alemán with corruption, securing a twenty-year prison term for embezzlement, money laundering, and corruption. The Sandinista party and Liberal members loyal to Alemán reacted by stripping powers from President Bolaños and his ministers, and threatening impeachment. This "slow motion coup" was averted partially due to U.S. pressure, with proposed constitutional changes delayed until the scheduled 2006 elections.

Politics

Nicaragua rainforestNicaragua is a constitutional republic with an elected president holding executive power. The unicameral legislative body is the National Assembly, which has 92 members elected for 5-year terms. The President, and the runner-up are both members of the National Assembly, as well, and the government operates according to pseudo-parliamentary rules.

For administrative purposes, Nicaragua is divided into 15 departments and two autonomous regions. The departments are Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, León, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rivas, Río San Juan. 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.

Geography

Bordered by Costa Rica on the South and Honduras on the North, the balmy Caribbean Sea the east. It is a warm and friendly land of lakes and mountains; rivers and volcanoes, sea and sun.

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the North-Central Mountains and the Atlantic Lowlands.

The Pacific Lowlands:
Located in the west of the country, and consist of a broad, hot, fertile plain. Punctuating this plain are several large volcanoes, there are upwards of 40 volcanoes in the country, including Mombacho and Momotombo. The lowland area runs from the Gulf of Fonseca, on Nicaragua's Pacific border with Costa Rica south of Lake Nicaragua. From this lowland strip, the Maribios mountain range, with its 25 volcanic cones, towers overs some of the most beautiful and impressive beaches found anywhere else in Central America.

This region is the most populated. About 27 percent of the nation's entire population lives in and around Managua, the capital city, on the southern shores of Lake Managua. Few Latin American capital cities share Managua's picturesque location. Being on an open plain, it does not suffer the pollution of other capitals trapped in mountain valleys.

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 and León abound in Spanish colonial architecture and artifacts.

The Central Region:
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. An ecologically active area with mountains and ranges over 3,281 feet above sea level. Oaks, pines, moss, ferns and orchids are abundant in the massive cloud forests of the region. Large coffee plantations often welcome a weary visitor with a steaming cup of the homegrown product.

Hikers and backpackers, walking along the tree shaded paths can quench their thirst in the clear waters of the mountain springs.

A lucky bird watcher may be able to add a rare quetzal viewing to their inventory. Most certainly they will see goldfinches, hummingbirds, magpies or toucanets. Taking a branch of the famous Pan American Highway, the traveler can drive through the heart of this region to the border with Honduras.

The Atlantic Lowlands:
A large rainforest region, with several large rivers running through it, is very sparsely populated and is considered the second largest rainforest in the Americas after the Amazon in Brazil. The Río Negro borders the country 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 far 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 which further enriches the diversity of this country.

Nature lovers will find much to peak their interest in the tropical forests of the area. A great variety of birds are to be studied including eagles, turkeys, toucans, parakeets and macaws. Animal life in the area includes several different species of monkeys, ant-eaters, white-tailed deer and tapirs.

It is well worth the time to take the short flight from Bluefields to the Corn Islands. These small, beautiful islands are fringed with white coral and are a popular resort area for many Central Americans. They are a perfect spot for bathing, surfing, fishing and the small island even has a mountain to climb. If you are a lover of seafood and shell fish, the Corn Islands is the place to be.

As Nicaragua is the central American country with the higest touristic potential Nicaragua is becoming the new touristic capital in the Americas

Economy

The Nicaraguan unit of currency is the Córdoba (NIO) and was named after Francisco Hernández de Córdoba its national founder. It trades at around 16.450 to the U.S. dollar, trades at about 19.910 to the European euro, and trades at around 0.5139 to the Taiwanese dollar. Regardless of exchange rates, real value for foreign currencies tends to go much further in Nicaragua than the rest of the region.

Nicaragua's economy has historically been based on the export of cash crops such as bananas, coffee and tobacco. It is renowned to produce the best rum in Latin America; the second best tobacco in the world; and have the third ranking in beef quality only behind Argentina and Brazil. During the Contra War in the early 1980's, much of the country's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, poor administration by the Sandinista regime and an economic blockade by the U.S. combined with the economic stagnation of the aligned Soviet bloc led to the virtual collapse of the economy. Inflation ran at that time at several thousand per cent. Since the end of the war almost two decades ago, many state-owned industries have been privatized. Inflation has been brought to manageable levels, and the economy has grown quite rapidly in recent years.

As in so many other developing countries, most of the 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 homes and 28% of the rural ones.

The country is still a recovering economy and it continues to implement further reforms, on which aid from the International Monetary Fund is conditional. A new state agency (Pro Nicaragua) established in 2002 and the recent ratification of CAFTA have been instrumental for the democratic government of Nicaragua to launch an ambitious promotional campaign employing USA-educated nationals with executive expertise, to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy in such areas as BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) and Garment Sourcing.

By the end of 2005 these initiatives had already successfully launched Nicaragua as one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and a prefered destination for tourism and business as well as a retirement haven for North Americans, Europeans and many others alike with its incentive packages (Law 306) and an inrivaled natural beauty and abundance of resources... Nicaragua is ripe for the picking as some say.

In 2005, finance ministers of the leading eight industrialized nations (G- agreed to forgive Nicaragua's foreign debt, as part of the HIPC program.

Demographics

According to the 2005 census, Nicaragua has a population of 5,483,400, an increase of 20% on the 1995 census figure of 4,357,099.

Nicaraguans of European or Mestizo (to varying degrees) stock make up a combined 86% of the population, and effectively the largest majority. Although there are not always clear lines of differentiation due to the large and varying caucasoid composition across this group, the segment can be divided for the most part along the lines of 69% Mestizos and 17% of European descent (mostly Spanish, German and Italian).

In the nineteenth century, there had been a substantial indigenous minority, but this group was also largely assimilated culturally into the Hispanic mainstream. Primarily in the 19th century, Nicaragua saw several waves of immigration from other European nations. In particular the northern cities of Esteli and Matagalpa have significant 4th generation German communities. Most of the Mestizo and European descent population live in the western regions of the country as in the cities of Managua, Granada and Leon.

A minority comprising about 9 % of Nicaragua's population is considered black or afronicaragüense, and mainly reside in the country's sparsely populated eastern or Atlantic coast. The black population is mostly of West Indian (Antillean) origin, the descendents of indentured labourers brought mostly from Jamaica and Haiti when the region was a British protectorate. As the largest country in the region, Nicaragua also 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 % is comprised of 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 Miskitos, Ramas and Sumos 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 thus granted the African and indigenous people of this region limited self-rule within the Republic.

There is also a small Middle Eastern-Nicaraguan community of Syrian, Armenian, Palestinian and Lebanese people in Nicaragua with a total population of about 30,000, and an East Asian community of Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese people of almost 8,000. These minorities speak Spanish while maintaining their ancestral languages as well.

Spanish is spoken by about 90% of the country's population; Nicaraguans speak standard Iberoamerican Spanish with some similarities to Galician Spanish—structurally similar to Argentinian Spanish which uses "vos" instead of "tu" along with the "vos" conjugation, but with a different intonation. The black population of the east coast region has English as its first language. Several indigenous peoples of the east still use their original languages.

Roman Catholicism is the major religion, but evangelical Protestant groups have grown recently, and there are strong Anglican and Moravian communities on the Caribbean coast.

90 % of Nicaraguans live in the Pacific lowlands and the adjacent interior highlands. The population is 54% urban. An estimated 2 million Nicaraguans live outside of Nicaragua, popular destinations are Costa Rica, the United States, Mexico, Germany, and Spain.

Culture

The "Nicas" are friendly and obliging people, with a matriarchal society. The population is very young with 60 percent under 17 years of age. As a whole the country is rich in colorful folklore, music and religious traditions. A fusion of Old World and New World emerged as the national psyche creating a society largely founded on European-Iberian culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavours. Nicaragua has historically been a literary treasure in poetry of the Hispanic world with internationally renowned contributors such as Ruben Darío who is widely acclaimed as the Father of Modernism and Prince of Spanish Literature.

Through education Nicaragua's Government promotes the formation of nationals, giving them a decisive, scientific and humanist conscience. Education is free and the same for all Nicaraguans. Elementary education is free and compulsory. Communities localted on the Atlantic Coast have access to education in their native language. Higher education has financial, organic and administrative autonomy, according to the law. Also, freedom of subjects is recognized.

Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The west of the country was colonized by Spain and its people are mostly Mestizos and European in composition; Spanish is invariably their first language.

The eastern half of the country, on the other hand, was once a British protectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically a par with Spanish which is formally taught in schools, its culture is somewhat similar to Caribbean nations, although recent immigration by Mestizos has largely influenced younger generations and an increasing number of people are either bilingual at home or speak Spanish only. There is a large population of people of mixed African stock, as well as a smaller Garifuna population.

Of the cultures that were present before European 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 Sumos and Ramas people still use their original languages.

Source : Wikipedia.com