History of Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the least densely populated nation in Central

America, with a demographic similar in size to its smaller
neighbors. It is located about midway between Mexico and
Colombia, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to
the south. Nicaragua ranges from the Caribbean Sea on the
nation's east coast, and the Pacific Ocean bordering the west.
Nicaragua also possesses a series of islands and cays located in
the Caribbean Sea.
Nicaragua is well known for its beautiful landscape and its
tourist attractions. In 2013, Nicaragua was ranked as the top 3
of "The 46 places to go in 2013".[1] In 2015, The Boston Globe
considered the country Top 3 of the "Where to go in 2015" list.
After that, Lonely Planet's experts trekked the world to find the
best countries, cities, and region to visit in 2016, and the first
place was given to Nicaragua.
Nicaragua's name is derived from Nicarao, the name of the
Nahuatl-speaking tribe which inhabited the shores of Lake
Nicaragua before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and the
Spanish word 'Agua', meaning water, due to the presence of the
large Lake Cocibolca (or Lake Nicaragua) and Lake Managua (or
Lake Xolotln), as well as lagoons and rivers in the region.
A map of Nicaragua.

Pre- Columbian Nicaragua

The people migrated from Central Mexico after 500 CE.
Most of Nicaragua's Caribbean lowlands area was inhabited by tribes that migrated north from what is
now Colombia. The various dialects and languages in this area are related to Chibcha, spoken by groups in
northern Colombia. Eastern Nicaragua's population consisted of extended families or tribes. Food was obtained
by hunting, fishing, and slash-and-burn agriculture. Crops like cassava and pineapples were the staple foods. The
people of eastern Nicaragua appear to have traded with and been influenced by the native peoples of the
Caribbean, as round thatched huts and canoes, both typical of the Caribbean, were common in eastern Nicaragua.
When the Spanish arrived in western Nicaragua in the early 16th century, they found three principal tribes, each
with a different culture and language: the Niquirano, the Chorotegano, and the Chontal. Each one of these diverse
groups occupied much of Nicaragua territory, with independent chieftains who ruled according to each group's
laws and customs. Their weapons consisted of swords, lances, and arrows made out of wood. Monarchy was the
form of government of most tribes; the supreme ruler was the chief, or cacique, who, surrounded by his princes,
formed the nobility. Laws and regulations were disseminated by royal messengers who visited each township and
assembled the inhabitants to give their chief's orders.
Occupying the territory between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Coast, the Niquirano were governed by
chief Nicarao, or Nicaragua, a rich ruler who lived in Nicaraocali, now the city of Rivas. The Chorotegano lived in
the central region. These two groups had intimate contact with the Spanish conquerors, paving the way for the
racial mix of native and European stock now known as mestizos. The Chontal (which means foreigner in Nahua)
occupied the central mountain region. This group was smaller than the other two, and it is not known when they
first settled in Nicaragua.
In the west and highland areas where the Spanish settled, the indigenous population was almost completely
wiped out by the rapid spread of new diseases brought by the Spaniards, for which the native population had no
immunity, and the virtual enslavement of the remainder of the indigenous people. In the east where the
Europeans did not settle most indigenous groups survived. The English introduced guns and ammunition to one
of the local peoples, the Bawihka, who lived in northeast Nicaragua. The Bawihka later intermarried with runaway
slaves from Britain's Caribbean possessions, and the resulting population, with its access to superior weapons,
began to expand its territory and push other indigenous groups into the interior. This Afro-indigenous group
became known to the Europeans as Miskito, and the displaced survivors of their expansionist activities were
called the Sumu.

From Coloni to State

In 1538, the Viceroyalty of New Spain was established, encompassing all
of Mexico and Central America, except Panama. By 1570, the southern part
of New Spain was designated the Captaincy General of Guatemala. The area
of Nicaragua was divided into administrative "parties" with Len as the
capital. In 1610, the volcano known as Momotombo erupted, destroying
the capital. It was rebuilt northwest of its original site.
The history of Nicaragua remained relatively static for three hundred years
following the conquest. There were minor civil wars and rebellions, but
they were quickly suppressed. The region was subject to frequent raids by
Dutch, French and British pirates, with the city of Granada being invaded
twice, in 1658 and 1660.
Nicaragua became a part of the First Mexican Empire in 1821, was a part of
the United Provinces of Central America in 1823, and then became an Map of Central America (1860s), pictured is
independent republic in its own right in 1838. The Mosquito Coast based Nicaragua along with the Guanacaste
on Bluefields on the Atlantic was claimed by the United Kingdom as Province which then belonged to Nicaragua
but was incorporated with present-day Costa
a protectorate from 1655 to 1850. This area was designated to Honduras in Rica in 1825.
1859 and transferred to Nicaragua in 1860, though it
remained autonomous until 1894.
Much of Nicaragua's politics since independence has been characterized
by the rivalry between the liberal elite of Len and the conservative elite of
Granada. The rivalry often degenerated into civil war, particularly during
the 1840s and 1850s. Initially invited by the Liberals in 1855 to join their
struggle against the Conservatives, a United States adventurer
named William Walker declared himself king in 1856. Honduras and other
Central American countries united to drive him out of Nicaragua in 1857,
after which a period of three decades of Conservative rule ensued.
Taking advantage of divisions within the conservative ranks, Jos Santos
Zelaya led a liberal revolt that brought him to power in 1893. Zelaya ended Central America 1892
the longstanding dispute with the United Kingdom over the Atlantic coast
in 1894, and "reincorporated" the Mosquito Coast into Nicaragua.