The Country of Nicaragua - Surf Ranch Nicaragua

GRAND OPENING IN 2011

Nicaragua - Everything you need to know about the wonderful country of Nicaragua. The land of lakes and volcanoes.

Fun facts you should know about Nicaragua

• The official name of Nicaragua is the 'Republic of Nicaragua'.
• Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America.
• The capital city of Nicaragua is Managua.
• The currency of Nicaragua is Cordoba.
• The main religion followed in Nicaragua is Roman Catholicism.
• Nicaragua is famous for its dance form, known as 'Palo de Mayo'.
• Gallopinto is Nicaragua's national dish.
• Corn is the main staple in Nicaragua.
• Baseball is the most popular sport in Nicaragua.
• Nicaragua has nine six-crater lakes, more than any country situated outside Africa.
• Lake Nicaragua is the second largest in entire Latin America.
• Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America.
• Lake Nicaragua houses the world's only freshwater sharks.
• Lake Nicaragua has a dual volcano island, which is the largest lake island in the world.

Geography and Climate

Nicaragua occupies a landmass of 129,494 km2 (49,998 sq mi), comparable to that of Greece or New York State. Nearly one fifth of the territory is designated as protected areas like national parks, nature reserves, and biological reserves. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Geophysically, Nicaragua is surrounded by the Caribbean Plate, an oceanic tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Cocos Plate. Since Central America is a major subduction zone, Nicaragua hosts most of the Central American Volcanic Arc, explaining the array of volcanoes.

Nicaragua is a unitary republic. For administrative purposes it is divided into 15 departments (departamentos) and two self-governing regions (autonomous communities) based on the Spanish model.

1. Boaco		10. Managua (Capital)
2. Carazo (Jinotepe)		11. Masaya
3. Chinandega		12. Matagalpa
4. Chontales (Juigalpa)		13. Nueva Segovia (Ocotal)
5. Estelí		14. Rivas
6. Granada		15. Río San Juan (San Carlos)
7. Jinotega		16. RAAN (Bilwi)
8. León		17. RAAS (Bluefields)
9. Madriz (Somoto)

The top 3 tourist destinations in Nicaragua belong to Granada, Leon and of course, San Juan Del Sur, which is located in the department of Rivas. Located just mere minutes from the Costa Rican border.

Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the Amerrique Mountains (North-Central Highlands), and the Mosquito Coast (Atlantic Lowlands).

Located in the west of the country, these lowlands consist of a broad, hot, fertile plain. Punctuating this plain are several large volcanoes of the Cordillera Los Maribios mountain range, including Mombacho just outside Granada, and Momotombo near León. The lowland area runs from the Gulf of Fonseca to Nicaragua's Pacific border with Costa Rica south of Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America (20th largest in the world), and is home to some of the world's only freshwater sharks (Nicaraguan shark). The Pacific lowlands region is the most populous, with over half of the nation's population. The capital city of Managua is the most populous and it is the only city with over 1.5 million inhabitants.

The eruptions of western Nicaragua's volcanoes, many of which are still active, have devastated the land but also have enriched it with layers of fertile ash. The geologic activity that produces vulcanism also breeds powerful earthquakes. Tremors occur regularly throughout the Pacific zone, and earthquakes have nearly destroyed the capital city, Managua, in 1931 and 1972.

Most of the Pacific zone is tierra caliente, the "hot land" of tropical Spanish America at elevations under 2,000 feet (610 m). Temperatures remain virtually constant throughout the year, with highs ranging between 85 and 90 (29.4 and 32.2 °C). After a dry season lasting from November to April, rains begin in May and continue to October, giving the Pacific Lowlands 40 to 60 inches (1,016 to 1,524 mm) of precipitation. Good soils and a favorable climate combine to make western Nicaragua the country's economic and demographic center. The southwestern shore of Lake Nicaragua lies within 15 miles (24 km) of the Pacific Ocean. Thus the lake and the San Juan River were often proposed in the 19th century as the longest part of a canal route across the Central American isthmus. Canal proposals were periodically revived in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Wildlife and Biodiversity

Rainforest in Nicaragua covers more than 20,000 km2 (7,722 sq mi), particularly on the Atlantic lowlands. As well as the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve (in the north) there is the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve (in the south), which protects 2,500 km2 (965 sq mi) of the Atlantic Rainforest.

These two areas are very rich in biodiversity. There are 5 species of felines, including jaguar and cougar; 3 species of primates, spider monkey, howler monkey and capuchin monkey; 1 species of tapir, called Danto by the Nicaraguans; 3 species of anteaters and many more.

Currency

Nicaragua is one of the few countries in Central America that uses polymer banknotes. Polymer banknotes were issued in 2009 to reduce the need to reprint banknotes, combat counterfeiting and introduce a more hygienically friendly currency. Unlike previous banknote series, the current series does not have any illustration of politicians, rather it celebrates the country's landmarks, history and culture.

The exchange rate of the Nicaragua córdoba to the US dollar is approximately 20 to one, which means one córdoba is around 5 cents US. 20 cords = $1.00 USD

Tourism

Tourism in Nicaragua is currently the second largest industry in the nation, over the last 10 years tourism has grown about 90% nationwide with rates of 10%-16% annually. Nicaragua has seen positive growth in the tourism sector over the last decade and has become the largest industry in Nicaragua. The increase and growth led to the income from tourism to rise more than 300% over a period of 10 years. The growth in tourism has also positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry.

Every year about 60,000 U.S. citizens visit Nicaragua, primarily business people, tourists, and those visiting relatives. Some 5,300 people from the U.S. reside in the country now. The majority of tourists that visit Nicaragua are from the U.S., Central or South America, and Europe. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua (INTUR), the town of San Juan Del Sur is the preferred spot for tourists. Also, the cities of Granada, León, Masaya, and the likes of the San Juan River, Ometepe, Mombacho Volcano, the Corn Islands, and others are main tourist attractions. In addition, ecotourism and surfing attract many tourists to Nicaragua.

Another soon to be boost of tourism in Nicaragua will be the filming of 2 back to back episodes of the hit reality TV show – Survivor. They are filming the episodes just outside of San Juan Del Sur, close to the Surf Ranch Action Sports Resort. The first season of Survivor Nicaragua airs Sept 15th 2010. The second season airs in spring of 2011.

Safety Issues

Nicaragua has the lowest crime rate in Central America. Fighting along the borders between the famous "contra" forces and the government ended in 1990. The revolution which was fought in almost all parts of the country ended in 1979. Travel is safe day or night. No attacks against tourists have been reported in the last 12 years in Nicaragua (compare this with 20 attacks per day on tourists visiting Mexico).

Normal precautions against the slight of hand should be taken and some of the very poor Managuan neighborhoods are not recommended for a nighttime stroll with a Rolex. In general it may be considered in poor taste to travel with a great deal of jewelry here if you consider that half the population lives on less than 365 dollars a year, but the chance of encountering anything more than a pickpocket expert, are slim to none.