Nicaragua+(Hannah)

= Nicaragua =



**Age structure**
0-14 years: 31.7% 15-64 years: 63.8% 65 years and over: 4.5%

**Life expectancy**
Total population: 71.9 years Male: 69.82 years Female: 74.09 years

**__Religion__**:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Jehovah's Witnesses are the main religions.

**__Official Language(s):__**
Spanish (official), Miskito, and English and indigenous languages are found on the Atlantic coast.

**__Monetary System__****:** Cordoba (since 1912)

 * Currently takes 22.9 Cordoba’s to make $1.
 * Now you can pay with anything from dollars to VISA cards.

**__Climate:__**
There are three temperature zones in Nicaragua. In the lowlands temperatures vary roughly between 72° F at night and 86° F at daytime. Temperatures can reach 100° F in May. The central part of the country is about 9° F cooler, and in the mountains in the north it's about 18° F cooler.

**__What is the land like__****?**
Nicaragua’s land consists of a lot of farmland. There are many small farms and many farming industries all over the country. Farming is very prominent because of the fertile soil they have in Nicaragua.



**__How does its geography affect its economy__****?**
Agriculture plays a key role in Nicaraguan economy. On average agriculture accounts for about 25% of total domestic product, and over 70% of the nation’s main exports.

**__Natural Hazards__**:
Destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and known to have hurricanes.

**__Area Comparative__**:
Slightly smaller than the state of New York.

**Brief History**
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America; it’s located between Costa Rica and Honduras. Nicaragua began as a colony of Spain in the early 16th century. Before the Spanish came it had been home to several indigenous peoples, Mesoamerican and Andean were a two of the most popular groups. The Spanish sold hundreds of thousands of indigenous Nicaraguans into slavery in Peru's silver mines and they killed thousands more. A population of approximately 2 million indigenous people was reduced to 8,000 in only 35 years under Spanish rule. In 1821 Nicaragua won its independence from Spain. Now that Spain was out of the picture, Nicaragua and all other countries from Central America decided they wanted to join the Mexican Empire, which only lasted a few years. The small countries then decided to form the ‘Federation of Central American States’, which did not last long either. Consequently, Nicaragua gained its complete independence on April 30th, 1838.

**__Current Leader:__**
Daniel Ortega

**__Type of Government:__**
Republic/Democracy

**__Political Climate:__**
Like the US, Nicaragua has elections for their leaders. Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua’s president, holds all decision making with the laws. Unlike the US, their president doesn’t have a congress to get approved by; what he says is what happens.

**__Food:__**
• Corn and beans are staples of the diet, and garlic and onions season most dishes. • Like other Central Americans, Nicaraguans consume corn tortillas with most meals. Nicaragua's version of the tortilla is large, thin and made of white corn. • Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. At celebration meals, Nicaraguans eat steak, either grilled steak, or grilled sirloin.

**__Clothing:__**
Typically women wear simple cotton dresses. Traditional dresses for women vary. It may consist of a long, loose cotton skirt and short-sleeved cotton blouse, both brightly colored and embroidered. A shawl, jewelry, and they put flowers in their hair to complete the outfit. Many men wear work shirts, jeans, sneakers or sandals, and straw hats. Even businessmen will often wear sport shirts, or leave off their jackets in hot weather in favor of the guayabera, which is just a long cotton shirt.

**__Sports:__**
In most of Central America, futbol (the American version of soccer) is most popular. However, in Nicaragua baseball is another popular sport. Also popular are boxing, basketball, volleyball, and water sports.

**__Holidays/Celebrations:__**
La Purísima is one of the most important holidays in Nicaragua. Its a week-long celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception held around December 8. Elaborate altars to the Virgin Mary are built and decorated in homes and workplaces. People, especially children, go from altar to altar singing songs and reciting prayers. Secular (nonreligious) holidays include Independence Day, September 15, commemorating the 1821 Central American declaration of independence from Spain; and Liberation Day, which was July 19, marking the 1979 overthrow of the government.

**__Rio San Juan__**
Lovers of rainforest vegetation and wildlife will find the southeastern part of the Lake Nicaragua and its Caribbean drainage, the Rio San Juan, the most exciting region of the nation.



**__Leon Cathedral__**
The largest church in Central America is a must see attraction when visiting the historical university city of Leon.



**__Playa El Coco__**
If you want to visit a beach while in Nicaragua Playa El Coco is a great choice. It’s a long tan colored cove backed by forest and caressed by medium sized waves. Playa El Coco is the only lodging close to the very special sea turtle nesting site of La Flor Wildlife Refuge, just a 20 minute walk south of the beach. El Coco is 30 minutes from San Juan del Sur and 2 hours from Granada.



Current Events
[|Strang Illness] A growing epidemic is frightening many Central American people. Unexplained kidney failure has killed over 24,000 in Nicaragua and El Salvador, since 2000. There is no known cure for this disease because there is no pure evidence of what it is. This mysterious disease is spreading rapidly and killing many.

[|The Cordoba family] A family of five in Nicaragua is living in a tent type structure they call home. The youngest of the family Maria Angel Córdoba, who is eight years old, is the only one attending school. This family clearly has an unstable living environment and needs help. A couple from America who were on vacation at the time, decided to help. The couple helped build a more stable ‘home’ for the Córdoba family; they added wooden walls instead of the original tarps. The Córdoba’s’ were so blessed and said that they couldn’t ask for more.

**Sources**
[] [] [] [] L.A. Newson, Indian Survival in Colonia Nicaragua, vol. 175. 2001. Print.