Nicaragua is a fascinating country. Its nature, volcanic environment, its beaches and its colonial cities make a trip to Nicaragua perfect for nature lovers who want to visit an unusual country.
If you are thinking of traveling to Nicaragua, in this post I will tell you about the 20 most surprising or important curiosities of Nicaragua.
20 CURIOSITIES OF NICARAGUA
1. What does Nicaragua mean?
The name of Nicaragua comes from Nahuatl. In that language it means here by the water. Although it is not the only version. According to some historians, the name Nicaragua comes from the name of the Amerindian king Nicarao, who reigned over what is now Nicaragua and Costa Rica before the arrival of the Spanish.
2. Nicaragua is a seismically active country
Nicaragua is located in the Pacific ring of fire, the most seismic area in the world.
It is a very seismically active country. It has 58 volcanic formations of which 6 are active volcanoes. It also has other formations such as volcanic lagoons that are distributed in a large part of its territory.
One of the active volcanoes that can be visited and even seen lava is the Masaya volcano.
3. Nicaragua is a country very rich in water resources
Lake Cocibolca has an extension of 8,264 square kilometers, being the largest lake in Central America and the third largest lake in Latin America. Lake Xolotlán is the second largest lake in Central America and the Coco River is the longest river located entirely in Central America. And they are not the only lakes and water reserves in the country.
4. Nicaragua has the largest Cathedral in Central America
The Cathedral of León, also known as the Basilica-Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a mandatory stop to make in León. It is the largest cathedral in all of Central America and one of the oldest. It dates from the beginning of the 19th century and has an electic style. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its structure has endured over time enduring wars, eruptions and earthquakes.
The interior is simple, very colonial in style. In it you will find the tombs of some of the country's most famous poets such as Rubén Darío.
5. Nicaragua has an island in a lake with 2 volcanoes on it
Within Lake Cocibolca is located the island of Ometepe, a volcanic island that has 2 volcanoes. One of them active and the other inactive. In the lake it is not the only island that is found, you can also visit Zapatera Island and the islets of Granada (these last are a total of 365 islets), the Solentiname archipelago, the islands of the Nancital archipelago, among many more.
6. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. It has an area of 130,370 km2. It is a surface similar to Greece or England.
7. Many languages are spoken in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua the official language is Spanish, although it is not the only language spoken in the country. There are many languages that have survived from before colonization and others have been brought from other regions. The most widely heard languages are Creole English, Garifuna, Guatuso, Miskito, Zumo, Ulgua and Rama.
8. Few streets have names
In Nicaragua most of its streets do not have names. Despite this fact, the inhabitants of the country are located perfectly. The streets were designed with a quite effective reference system. To locate themselves they talk about a tree, a store, a traffic light, a monument... anything helps them to locate themselves easily. In cities it is easier to find named streets, especially in the center.
9. Nicaragua has multiple islands and cays
Nicaragua has many islands and keys, many of them located in lakes (as I have explained to you before) and many others in the Caribbean. The Miskito Cays are made up of 66 formations, between islands and mangroves, which provide shelter for a large number of plants and animals together with small indigenous fishing communities. The best known islands are the Corn Islands.
10. Nicaragua has a large project to protect sea turtles
All species of sea turtles are protected in Nicaragua. They have a great project that preserves the species. Nicaragua has 2 of the 7 beaches in the Oceanic Basin where paslama turtles lay their eggs.
11. Climate in Nicaragua
The climate in Nicaragua is highly variable. For the most part, the country has a tropical climate with two well-defined seasons in almost all of its territory. The dry season is also called summer and the rainy season is also called winter.
12. Nicaragua is a large-scale tobacco producer
Nicaragua is one of the main tobacco producers in the American continent. Its great quality is thanks to the soil of volcanic origin.
Nicaragua is among the top 3 producers of excellent cigars, on a par with Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
13. Sandino was the leader of the revolution against Somoza
Augusto Sandino was a Nicaraguan resistance leader who fought against the US occupation army in Nicaragua during the first half of the 20th century.
His guerrilla struggle managed to get the United States troops to leave the country, but not before creating the national guard and placing General Anastasio Somoza García in command of it. The latter was the one who ordered the assassination of Sandino on orders from the US embassy.
14. The Somoto Canyon has the oldest rock formations in Central America
The Somoto Canyon is one of the oldest rock formations in Central America, dating back 15 million years. It is located in the department of Madrid. This incredible geological fault forms the source of the Coco River and constitutes one of the most important ecotourism centers in said department. The landscape here is amazing and you can do many hiking, climbing, kayaking or even boating along the river.
15. Literary modernism was born in Nicaragua
Rubén Darío was a Nicaraguan poet, journalist and diplomat. In addition, he was the highest representative of literary modernism in the Spanish language. He is the poet who has had the greatest and most lasting influence on 20th century poetry in the Hispanic sphere.
16. The independence of Nicaragua
Nicaragua gained its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Since then, its population has a very peculiar way of celebrating this day.
Every September 15, the torch of freedom is taken out on a journey that starts from Guatemala and ends in Costa Rica. This tour is done in public, private schools and government institutions.
17. Nicaragua has multiple protected areas
Nicaragua has 71 protected areas, which are equivalent to 17% of the national territory. One of the most important areas is the Bosawás biosphere reserve.
18. The shouting is a very important national holiday
The shouting is a Nicaraguan festival in honor of La Purísima Concepción de María. This party is celebrated on the night of December 7th. It is a religious festival that is celebrated throughout the country.
Devotees walk the streets and visit altars in honor of the Virgin Mary in temples and private homes, praying songs and burning gunpowder.
19. In Nicaragua there is one of the doors to hell
The legend affirms that there are 6 doors that give access to hell itself, one of them is in Nicaragua and is located specifically in the Masaya Volcano.
"During the years of the conquest, a friar descended into the crater with a small wooden cross as the only protection. He crossed the dark caverns and the sulfur clouds that threatened to suffocate him broke his glass. Once down, he saw what for some is one of the access to the kingdom of satan as an alert and as an invitation to repentance, he placed a wooden cross to protect this mouth of hell."
20. Nicaragua has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Nicaragua has two World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO. They are the ruins of old León and the cathedral of León. In addition, it has two cultural and intangible assets recognized by UNESCO, the language, music and culture of the Garífunas and the Güegüense.
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Nicaragua a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!
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