Nicaragua

Brief History

• West was settled as a Spanish colony in the early 16th century
• became an independent republic in 1838
• a short civil war gave power to Marxist guerillas in 1979
• Hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1978
• Economy badly damaged by war and hurricane

Overview

• HDI: 0.614
• GDP: per capita; $4,500 | total; $11.26 billion
• Population: 5,848,641
• Stage of demographic tranisition: 3
• Capital City: Managua

Population Pyramid

Food

A major component of Nicaraguan cuisine is corn. Food dates back to pre-Colombian times, and ingredients used in dishes include vegetables like yucca, papaya, tamarind and avocado. Choices of meat are interesting. Nicaraguans eat cow brain, tail, and udder, as well as some species on the endangered list, such as Boa constrictors and turtle eggs.

Native Recipe- Tres Leches

This cake is prepared with milk, condensed milk and cream; hence the name Tres Leches (3 Milks). To make, you prepare a flour/eggs cake like normal, and then add a mixture of these three milks. After baking, you top the finished dessert with meringue.

Music

The national instrument is the Marimba (shown in picture). A theatrical country, music is often paired with stage plays. Popular shows include "The Nicaraguan Native" & "El Gigante". "El Gigante" depicts the conquest of the Spaniards. One popular music genre is chinamera. Famous musicians include Carlos Mejia Godoy.

Languages

The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish; it is spoken by 95% of the population. Words include "manzana" which means apple, and "gato" which means cat. Spanish in Central America orginated when Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, bringing his Spanish language with him. Popular tourist destinations in Nicaragua include Managua, the country's capital, the Solentiname Islands, and Masaya Volcano National Park.

Physical Map

Political Map

Religion

Roman Catholicism is Nicaragua's dominant religion. Their main beliefs are authority in the Church, truth in the Bible, forgiveness being attained through ritual, and the existence of heaven and hell. Roman Catholicism is universalizing, and a branch of Christianity; along with Eastern Orthdox and Protestant.

People

A person from Nicaragua is called a Nicaraguan. In terms of Ethnic groups; 69% of the population is mestizo, or mixed American Indian and white. 17% are white, 9% are black, and 5% are "Amerindian"

Centripetal & Centrifugal Forces

An example of a centrifugal force in Nicaragua is the Civil War that took place in 1979. An example of a centripetal force would be the Roman Catholic religion, which is shared by the vast majority of the population.

Enivronment and Culture

As its Eastern region was once a British colony, Nicaragua was greatly influenced by Caribbean culture, especially caribbean music. A popular dance from this type of music is "palo de mayo". Nicaraguan music is energetic and lively. The coffee bean has also played a role in Nicaraguan culture; since its arrival to the country in the 1800s, its popularity has grown and it is now a crop for more than 40,000 families in Nicaragua.

Pop Culture and Local Culture

One example of local culture in Nicaragua is Palo de Mayo (Maypole), an extremely popular and energetic dance that takes place during the Palo de Mayo festival. Another music genre played during the festival is Punta. An example of pop culture is actress Bianca Jagger, wife of Mick Jagger.

Folk Culture

Most Nicaraguan legends come from the struggle of the indgineous people when they were conquered by the Spaniards. Also, many stories such as "Chico Largo" are told for the protection of the local environment. Chico Largo is said to punish those who do harm to nature.

Sources