Background: 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.
July 21st 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Granada » Parque Central Sorry for the late entry. My computer has been upset at me, but it seems to be working now.
This past week has been very exciting for those of us in Nicaragua. Julio 19th is the anniversary of th ... [full story]
July 6th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Granada » Parque Central The past week in Nicaragua has been so full that it has left little time for journalling. Today we left the Island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua at 5am to arrive in the old Spanish colonial city of Gra ... [full story]
Map of Nicaragua
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