Nicaragua+(Cory)

=__**Nicaragua**__= __The capitol city of Nicaragua is Managua__,the poulation has dramatically risen and to present day is now __5,570,129__ Nicaragua has __major exports of coffee,beans, shrimp, lobster, tobbacco, sugar gold, and peanuts.__ __**I**__n__dustries__-__The agriculture and industries are quite varied in Nicaragua__. They do have a __life stock industry which consists of beef, pork, poultry, veal and dairy products__. They also have __indsutries such as food processing, textile and a major one is petroleum refining and distribution__. __Nicarugua also produces product from their land such as bananas, coffee, tobacco__, __sesame, sugarcane, soya, beans and cotton__. __**The Monitary sysyem**__-The __//Nicaraguan Cordova Oro// (gold)__ __**Geography Of Nicaragua-**__ There are four main geographic areas. The northwestern highlands have peaks as high as 8,000 ft (2,440 m). On the Caribbean is the torrid Mosqito coast, with the historic port of Bluefields. This region is home to the Miskito people, who were given limited autonomy by the government in 1987. A lowland belt running northwest to southeast contains lakes Managua and Nicaragua. The fourth region is a narrow volcanic belt squeezed between the lakes and the Pacific; in this region the productive wealth and the population (largely of Spanish and indigenous descent) are concentrated. The geography affects the economy by

__**Economy**__ Nicaragua has long had, in effect, two economies: an export segment, producing mainly cotton, meat, coffee, and sugar, and a subsistence segment, tying a majority of both urban and rural Nicaraguans to an impoverished existence. Nicaragua has been one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, partially due to enormous external debt, low per-capital income, massive unemployment, and one of the most unequal income distributions in the world. Some 50% of the population lived below the poverty line. The 10% of the population with the lowest income consumed 1.2% of GDP, whereas 10% of the population with the highest income consumed 45% of GDP. As of 2004, per capita GDP was $2,300. Agriculture and forestry remain mainstays of the Nicaraguan economy, employing about 30.5% of the labor force, but the services sector is increasingly important, employing about 52.2% of the labor force. Industry employs 17.3% of the labor force. Agriculture, industry, and services comprise 20.7%, 24.7%, and 54.6% of the GDP. __**Weather and Climate**__ Nicaragua has a predominantly tropical climate, alternating between two seasons: rainy and dry (winter and summer). This is the result of its geographic location between 11 and 15 degrees latitude north and the humidity from both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans which give it a fairly stable season. In the Central Region the rainy season lasts from May to October. The dry season occurs from November through April. During December the weather is more temperate. The warmest months are March, April and May, Nicargua's "sea season". The climate in the Atlantic Coast has been classified as having the highest temperature and humidity. The temperature in this region corresponds to that in tropical jungles and ranges above 89° F.

__**Brief History **__ The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century. Nicaragua achieved its independence from Spain in 1821. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest, military intervention by the United States, dictatorship, and fiscal crisis the most notable causes that lead to the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Prior to the revolution, Nicaragua was one of Central America's wealthiest and most developed countries. The revolutionary conflict, paired with the 1972 earthquake, reversed the country's prior economic standing. Nicaragua is a Representive democratic republic, and has experienced economic growth and political stability in recent years. In 1990, Nicaragua elected Violeta Chamorro as its president, making it the first country in Latin American history and the second in the Western Hemisphere to democratically elect a female head of state.

__**Government/current political situation**__ Nicaragua has a Democracy and the current leader of the country is
 * Jose Daniel Ortega Saavedra** is the President of Nicaragua in 2011. He became the 83rd President of Nicaragua on 2007 January 10. This is the second time he has been president, as he was previously the 79th president from 1985 January 10 to 1990 April 25



__**Culture of Nicaragua**__

Nicaragua has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by lberian culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavors. The west of the country was colonized by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking American countries. 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 along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or are British possessions, such as Jamaica, Belize, the Cayman Islands, __**Tourism**__ It is stunning. This gem boasts amazing ocean, mountain and valley views, from lots carefully selected to ensure maximum privacy. Awaiting you is a variety of vacation rental accommodations to choose from for your getaway at this 2,700-acre compound. It is the only oceanfront community with a **full service restaurant** serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week — featuring a mixture of American/Nicaraguan cuisine with a focus on local & seasonal ingredients. If you prefer, meals can be prepared by a **private cook** in the comfort of your vacation home. There is also a **convenience store** on-site where you can pick up items for a road trip. Should you choose to stay connected to the rest of the world, technology at the Ranch includes high-speed Internet, quality cellular service and satellite cable for your favorite channels. Rancho Santana has **five beaches** and 2,700 acres of property. Many guests enjoy surfing, fishing, snorkeling, horseback riding, yoga, bocce ball or horseshoes. Other guests enjoy relaxing at our new clubhouse with its unique sand dollar design pool just steps from the ocean, or getting a massage at the **Glow Spa**. The concierge at the clubhouse is available to help guests with travel and transportation arrangements, planning local tours and any inquiries. Our commitment to excellence ensures you receive the __best__ service during your stay at Rancho Santana.
 * Rancho Santana is by far the __most developed__ seaside community in Nicaragua.**



__**Current Event #1**__ =Cocaine: Another Approach= Submitted by fyl on Tue, 2012/01/03 - 07:36. The thread has an interesting discussion about what if Nicaragua legalized cocaine. Clearly there are pluses and minuses. As is pointed out in the discussion, payment for transport services in Central America are (at least sometimes) paid for in drugs which creates a local, secondary set of considerations. The problem is, of course, that the demand is in the US and Central America just happens to be in between the source and the demand. The fact that cocaine is illegal is what creates this new economy. So, what if the US legalized cocaine? (I don't expect this to happen but it certainly would change the dynamic.) If this happened (and the tax in the US was not so high that it was still cheaper to smuggle it) then this should move Central America out of the picture. That is, cocaine could be shipped by air or boat directly to the US. It would seem that use in Central America is only a byproduct of the US illegal demand and prices in Central America are much lower than those in the US, the problem for Nicaragua and the other Central American nations would just go away. If the governments of Central America are not involved this would seem like a huge win. On the other hand, if they are involved, it would mean a huge revenue loss. Looking at what each government thinks of this approach could be rather revealing. __**Current Event #2**__ MANAGUA - Ometepe Island in Cocibolca Lake became the third Nicaraguan site in the UNESCO world network of reserves of the biosphere.The selection of Ometepe is one of the 13 added to the list yesterday in Paris during the 22nd Session of the International Council of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere ProgramThe Council also included three Mexican proposals and one from Peru and added five more, one from Chile and another from Costa Rica.Ometepe, formed by two active volcanoes -the Madera and Concepcion-, is considered the largest island in the world located in a lake and "has numerous archeological pre-Columbian, petrography, statues and ceramic pieces that give proof the ancient human settlements in the locality," UNESCO declared.The surrounding lake "is an important source of sweet water," and also has many rare sub aquatic animal species such as sweet water swordfish and sharks," the declaration added.With the inclusion of Ometepe, inhabited by about 30,000 Nicaraguans, this Central American nation now has three sites that are part of the world network of reserves of the biosphere.The first, recognized in 1997 was Bosawas, the largest and unaltered tropical forest of Central America with an extension of 1.98 million acres occupying 14 percent of the national territory and has been throughout history a living space of communities of the Mayangnas and Miskitos ethnic groups.In 2003 UNESCO added the reserve of San Juan River in the southeast of Nicaragua a region that has a high amount of biodiversity of wetlands, important areas of forest development and sources of surface and subterranean water.After the decision adopted in Paris the world list of reserves of the biosphere now includes 564 sites in 109 countries. =Survivor: Nicaragua is Next= (CBS) A brand new set of "Survivor" contestants are set to play the game in Nicaragua next season, host Jeff Probst told fans Sunday night. As expected, the finale of "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" featured a preview of the 21st and next season of the game, title "Survivor: Nicaragua." According to Probst, the Central American nation offers shifts "impenetrable terrain, smoking volcanoes and savage wildlife." The season begins in the fall. CBS in January gave the green light to 21st and 22nd seasons of the show. Reports say both will take place in Nicaragua. "Survivor" is one of the oldest and most popular of the reality TV shows. The 20th season pitted fan favorites from previous games against one another in what became one of the livliest "Survivor"s ever.