Nicaragua

- Amazing rainforests
- Agribusiness centre of cigars in Esteli
- The Spanish city Granada with its volcano Mombacho
- The world’s largest lake islands, Isla de Ometepe

Bordered by Costa Rica on the South and Honduras on the North, Nicaragua is the largest Central American republic. The vast Pacific Ocean forms her western border, the balmy Caribbean Sea the east. Is is a warm and friendly land of lakes and mountains; rivers and volcanoes, sea and sun. The country is divided into three geographic regions: the Pacific Lowlands on the west, the mountainous Central Region and the Atlantic Lowlands on the east.

Spanish is spoken by 90% of the country's population. The black population of the east coast region has English as their first language. Several indigenous people of the east still use their original language, the main languages being Miskito language, Sumo language, and Rama language.

Nicaragua has a 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 said to have the highest temperature and humidity. The temperature in this region corresponds to that in tropical jungles and ranges above 89° F.

The gastronomy of Nicaragua is very rich and varied. Meat -whether roast, stewed or marinated with aromatic herbs- and vegetables are the principal ingredients of the majority of tempting Nicaraguan dishes

Some of the most popular culinary specialties include "Nacatamal", a delicious combination of meat and corn paste; "Vigorón", a blend of yucca with pork and salad; and "Vaho", a tasty dish containing plantains, yucca and meat. You can try these dishes and other examples of national and international cuisine at various restaurants in the region.

Nicaragua has its own currency: the córdoba. The US dollar is also virtually everywhere accepted. Often prices are based on dollars but quoted in córdobas. If you pay in dollars, you will receive your change in córdobas.
1 USD = 32,8 Cordobas (March 2019)

Nicaragua, which name is derived from the chief of the area's leading Indian tribe at the time of the Spanish Conquest, was settled by the Spanish in 1522. The country won independence in 1838. For the next century, Nicaragua's politics were dominated by the competition for power between the Liberals and the Conservatives.

Over 90% of Nicaragua's population is members of Christian denominations. Approximately 73% of Nicaraguans follow the Roman Catholic religion.

The popularity of the religion in Nicaragua is clearly seen in yearly festivals held throughout Nicaragua in honor of the patron saints as well as several other religious celebrations. The great influence of religion in the lives of Nicaraguans is often evident in their speech as they utter phrases like “if it is God's will”.

The country has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavours. Nicaragua has historically been an important source of poetry in the Hispanic world, with internationally renowned contributors, the best known being Rubén Darío.

Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The west of the country was colonized by Spain and its people are predominantly Mestizo or European in composition.
The eastern half of the country, on the other hand, was once a British protectorate. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or are British colonies, such as Jamaica, Belize, The Cayman Islands, etc. 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 relatively large population of people of mixed African descent, as well as a smaller Garifuna population.

Modern Nicaraguan music is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others common across Central America. Pop music includes Cuban, Brazilian, Mexican and Panamanian performers, as well as stars from Europe and the United States.

The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is known for a lively, sensual form of dance music that is especially loud and celebrated during the May Palo de Mayo festival. The Garifuna community exists in Nicaragua and is known for its popular music called Punta. Another popular musical genre in Nicaragua is the Chicheros, often consisting of trumpet and trombone or other brass instruments, with additional musicians playing various percussions.

Nicaragua is full of animals of all kinds. The rainforests, lakes, mountains and volcanoes of Nicaragua are home to a large variety of animals, birds, and sea life.
Lake Nicaragua and the River San Juan are home to the only known fresh water sharks in the world. They are bull sharks that came from the Caribbean up the River San Juan and slowly adjusted to the freshwater. On the Pacific coast, a refuge has been set aside for the thousands of sea turtles that come out of the ocean at night to lay there eggs on the sandy beaches. The guardabarranco is the national bird of Nicaragua. It is red and yellow with green tail feathers. It eats bugs, small lizards, and fruit. Green parrots, known as chocoyos live within the crater of Masaya volcano, nesting on rocky ledges, surrounded by sulfur dioxide gas. Other colorful birds in Nicaragua are macaws, parrots, and toucans. It is common to see people selling parrots on the roadside, or having them as pets in their homes.
The jaguar is the largest wild cat that lives in Nicaragua. Some others are the puma, cougar, jaguarondi, margay, and ocelot