Background Information on Nicaragua

Many different people will (hopefully) be following this blog, including previous Spanish students, book club ladies, coworkers, family and friends as I set out for this amazing 27 month adventure. On Sept.1 I will be meeting with other Pre-Service Peace Corps Volunteers from all over the states in Washington D.C. We will have a short orientation and then the following morning jump on a plane for Nicaragua. Once there, current PCVs and trainers will pick us up and we will begin a 3-4 day Orientation Retreat (mainly to evaluate our language ability). Once we have broken into our Language Groups, we will be dropped off at our perspective locations in Masaya to begin our three month training. Training includes classes 5-6 days a week in language, health and safety, cultural awareness, and technical training. Throughout this we will be living with a family and completing individual and group projects for class. Towards the end of training, we will be able to give our preferences on the community in which we are placed for the 2 years. Here is some general information on Nicaragua.

Geography and Climate

Nicaragua, with a land area of 57,000 square miles (about the size of Iowa), is the largest of the Central American Republics. The population is roughly 5 million people and approximately 200 PC volunteers are currently there. It is bordered on the north by Honduras, on the south by Costa Rica, on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Caribbean Sea.

Geographically, Nicaragua can be divided into four areas: the coastal block, the Great Rift, the central highlands, and the Caribbean lowlands. The Great Rift lies between Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; a chain of more than 20 volcanoes, some still active, dominates the area.

Economy and Government

Agriculture is fundamental to the Nicaraguan economy. The principal domestic crops are corn, beans, sorghum and rice. Cotton, coffee, sugar, bananas, and tobacco are the main export crops. Additional export products are beef and shrimp. Unemployment and underemployment remain a central concern and poverty is endemic. Since the decade-long rule of the Sandinistas, Nicaragua has seen successful democratic elections.

Culture

The majority of Nicaraguans can be best classified as Mestizo (European and Indian mix) in which neither the European descendants nor the Indian predominate. Indians account for approximately 5 percent and Africans for about 9 percent of the population. They are located in the Caribbean lowlands. The Mestizo population dominates all other areas of the country.

The official and predominant language of the country is Spanish, although some of the Sumo and Miskito Indians have maintained their indigenous languages and blacks along the east coast speak Creole English.

Eighty-five percent of the population is Roman Catholic; the rest are Protestant. The literacy rate is estimated at 67 percent.