Nicaragua :: essays research papers

NicaraguaThe area of Nicaragua is 50,193 sq. mi. The Nicaraguan highlands, with aelevation about 2000 ft, cross Nicaragua from the northwest to the southeast.Several mountain ranges, the highest of which, the Cordillera Isabelia, reachesan elevation of to a greater extent than 6890 ft, cut the highlands from east to west. In thewest is a great basin, or depression, containing two lakes, Nicaragua, thelargest in Central America, and Managua. The two are connected by the TipitapaRiver. A chain of volcanoes, which are a contributory cause of local anaestheticearthquakes, rises between the lakes and the Pacific coast. In the east, theCaribbean coastal plain known as the Costa de mosquitoes (Mosquito Coast)extends many 45 mi. inland and is partly overgrown with rain forest. The fourprincipal rivers, the San Juan, Coco (Wanks), Grande, and Escondido, empty intothe Caribbean.The natural resources of Nicaragua are primarily agricultural. Deposits ofvolcanic material fall in enriched the soil, which is extremely fertile. Abouthalf the land is covered with forests. The country has some deposits of gold,silver, and copper.About 77% of the Nicaraguan macrocosm is mestizo (people of mixed white and primeval American descent), about 10% is white, and the remainder is NativeAmerican (4%) and black (9%). The population of Nicaragua is 3,745,000,yielding an overall density about 75 per sq. mi. Approximately 60% of thepopulation is concentrated in the western part of the country, and more than 55%is urban.Political Divisions and Principal CitiesNicaragua is divided into six regions and three special zones. Managua, with apopulation of 682,100, is the capital and commercial center. Len is animportant religious and cultural center. Granada is the terminus of the railwayfrom the main port of entry, Corinto, on the Pacific coast.Spanish is the authorised language of Nicaragua. Nearly 90% of the Nicaraguanpeople are Roman Catholic most of the remainder are Protestant.As in othe r Latin American countries, the culture of Nicaragua reflects Spanishcultural patterns, influential since the colonial period, combined with anancient Native American heritage. Nicaraguans hold many colorful celebrationsto commemorate local saints days and ecclesiastical events. The marimba isextremely popular, and ancient instruments such as the chirima (clarinet),maraca (rattle), and zul (flute) are common in rural areas. Dances fromcolonial times survive, as do fine examples of architecture.The coast of Nicaragua was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1502, but thefirst Spanish expedition, under Gil Gonzlez Dvila, did not arrive until 1522it naturalised several Spanish settlements. A second conquistador, FranciscoFernndez de Crdoba, founded Granada in 1523 and Len in 1524.