The History

Nicaragua takes its name from Nicarao, chief of the
indigenous tribe then living around present-day Lake
Nicaragua. Nicaragua is a country overwhelmed by its history.

Since colonial times, Nicaragua has suffered from political
instability, civil war, foreign intervention and natural disasters.
The broad central mountain range that splits the country in two
has also divided it into two culturally distint areas.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1524, Nicaragua was
inhabilted by various Native American tribes. Nicaragua was a
Spanish colony until it achieved independence in 1821.
Voilent 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.

As many remember, Nicaragua appeared on the world
stage during much of the 1980's as the US sponsored the anti-
Sandinista contra guerillas through the selling of arms to Iran.
In the US this became known as the Iran-contra affair.

Fortunately, the coarse of history has changed drastically
in recent years and Nicaragua has begun to break the historical
mold around her. In 1990, the Sandinistas who had come to
power by way of violent rebellion handed over power to the
democractically elected Violeta Chamorro, thus enacting the first
time in recent world history that any rebellion has ever submitted
to democractic elections and then peacefully stepped down from
power.

Nicaragua has had legitimate democratic elections for the
last 12 years. The recent stable history is hopefully a harbinger
for continued adjustments and development. Nicraguans together
with their neighbors and the rest of the world hope that the recent
peaceful transfers of powerare symbolic of peace in the future.

In October 1998, a storm that scientists declare was the most
deadly storm event in 200 years became known as Hurricane Mitch.
Mitch devastaed much of Nicaragua and the country is still
recovering. Efforts to rebuild schools, homes and any buildings that
were destroyed from the 290km winds have been helped along
through hundreds of millions of dollars of aid, however the recovery
process will probably last through this decade.

Today Nicaragua is a Republic with its capital at Managua. the
cheif of state is the president, who is elected for a five year term by
universal sufferage of citizens 16 years of age and older. Enrique
Bolanos of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) was inaugurated
in 2002, during his campaign he promised to reinvigorate the
economy, create jobs, fight corruption, and support the war against
terrorism.