The Nicaragua Page
The Ultimate Nicaragua Web Resource
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| Why Nicaragua? | Retirement | Buying Property | Nicaragua vs. Costa Rica |
CountriesCosta RicaCuba Mexico Nicaragua Panama Uruguay Boomers Abroad Home Expat Stuff Site Map RecommendedFootprint Nicaragua HandbookAmerican expat and Nicaragua resident Richard Leonardi obviously knows and loves Nicaragua. A very detailed, comprehensive and readable book. We also recommend Leonardi's free online article Nicaragua Safety: Is Nicaragua's Negative Image Justified?", a mind-opening article comparing Nicaragua to Costa Rica Living Abroad in Nicaragua From the authors of the Moon Handbook for Nicaragua Living and Investing in the New Nicaragua American expat and Central America authority Christopher Howard lives in Costa Rica, but has spent considerable time in neighboring Nicaragua and even leads retirement tours there. A valuable book for those considering moving to, or starting a business in, Nicaragua. TACA Airline serving Central and South America from U.S. with excellent prices.  Balance your travel carbon emissions with TerraPass. Los Angeles to Managua and return is almost one ton of carbon dioxide.
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Official Government Web SitesNicaragua - A Country with a HeartNicaraguan Institute of Tourism President of the Republic of Nicaragua Foreign Ministry of Nicaragua Nicaraguan Mission to the UN Consulate General of Nicaragua in U.S. LocationNicaragua is located in Central America with Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Caribbean on the east. Enlarge LandNicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Its 120,254 sq. km make it slightly smaller than the state of New York. The extensive Atlantic coastal plains rise to mountains in the central interior. The narrow Pacific coastal plain is interrupted by volcanoes. The highest point is 2,438 meters. Nicaragua has 910 kilometers of coastline. Lake Nicaragua is 8,000 sq. km and the second largest lake in Latin America, slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca between Peru and Bolivia. Nicaragua has 58 volcanic formations of which 6 are active volcanoes.Population5,128,517 (July 2003 estimate)Managua (capital city) 1,000,000 Ethnic GroupsMestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%ReligionsRoman Catholic (85%) and ProtestantU.S. State Dept. International Religious Freedom Report LanguagesThe official language is Spanish. The Miskito Indians on the Atlantic coast speak their own language and English.Languages of Nicaragua English/Spanish - Spanish/English Translation Time ZoneSame as U.S. Central Standard Time (-6 GMT). There is no daylight savings time.Nicaragua local time/sunrise/sunset Telephone CodesCountry Code - 505All International Phone Codes Internet Country Code.niInternet ConnectionCybercafesWorld Wide Phone Guide Using a modem practically anywhere ClimateThe zone between the Nicaragua and Managua lakes and the Pacific ocean is dry and has relatively little precipitation. Temperatures range between 27ºC and 32ºC (81ºF and 90ºF) during the rainy season—locally called "invierno" (winter)—and between 30ºC and 35ºC (86ºF and 95ºF) during the dry season—called "verano" (summer). Verano season runs approximately from November to April and Invierno from May to October.In the center of the country, the mountain elevations cause a cooler climate which becomes more humid eastwards. From the center towards the Caribbean coast the climate is humid, tropical and high in precipitation, which results in a flourishing tropical rainforest. Current TemperaturesGranadaLeon Managua Customs/VisasEntry visas are not required for most countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and most European and South American countries You must buy a Tourist Card (US $5.00) on arrival and have a passport valid for a period at least six months (not necessary for US citizens) after entering the country. An airport tax of $US 32.00 is required when departing.Foreign Entry Requirements CurrencyThe unit of currency is the córdoba oro—the gold cordoba (NIO). Córdoba C$1=100 Centavos = 10 Reales. The currency is sometimes referred to as Pesos rather than Córdobas.The IGV (Value Added Tax) of 15% is the only tax that tourists must pay. Taxi drivers do not get tips beside the normal charge. Restaurant tips are between 10% and 15%. US$0.50 per moved piece of luggage is fine in hotels. Banknotes International Currency Conversion SafetyNicaragua Safety: Is Nicaragua's Negative Image Justified?"Consular Information Sheet for Nicaragua Health/WaterMDTravelHealth.comValuable, detailed information. Traveler's Health Information U.S. Centers for Disease Control Nicaragua Health Statistics (WHO) ElectricityThe current is 110 Volts, 60 Hz. Visitors from Europe and some other countries will need both a converter and an adapter with two parallel flat pins (as is used in North America) for any appliances they plan to bring.National Anthem"Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to You, Nicaragua), music by Luis Abraham Delgadillo, was adopted as the national anthem in 1918. In 1939 new words were written by Salomón Ibarra Mayorga. ListenNational HolidaysPublic HolidaysNational DrinkRumRon Plata and Flor de Caña Pinol Pinol (or Pinolillo) is a traditional drink made with powdered roast corn mixed with water, spices, and often cocoa. Food SpecialtiesFruitFruits are abundant throughout Nicaragua, and include mangoes, bananas, passion fruit, papaya, grapefruit, oranges and guavayas. Gallo Pinto (Spotted Rooster) Gallo Pinto is a very basic dish of beans, rice and onions, served throughout the day. Can also include meat or eggs. Foods of the Americas CoffeeA New NicaraguaAnnual Coffee Supply Schedule Asociación Aldea Global Jinotega Coffee Crisis Coffee, the Deadly Embrace Coffees of Nicaragua JavaVentures Tours for coffee professionals Nicaragua Coffee Campaign Nicaraguan Coffee Industry Transfair USA Cafe Premio Esperanza Coffee Selva Negra Coffee Estate A Sustainable Vacation at Selva Negra Selva Negra Visit Tourist AttractionsCarnaval NicaraguaDestinations Granada Museums and Parks Tourism Destinations Activities Guardabarranco Birding Audubon Nicaragua Contact Info Aves Nicaragua Birding in Nicaragua Birdingpal Birds of Nicaragua (photos) Nicaragua Birding Report Diving/Snorkeling Dive Little Corn Ecotouring Masaya Volcano National Park Nicaraguan Ecotourism National Parks and Protected Areas Fishing San Carlos Sport Fishing Super Fly Sport Fishing Surfari Charters Geocaching Geocaches in Nicaragua Surfing NicaSurf Popoyo Surf Camp Surfari Charters Wavehunters |
Regional InformationNicaragua is divided into 15 departments (provinces) and two self-governing regions (autonomous communities). Departments, with capitals in parentheses, are: Boaco (Boaco), Carazo (San Marcos), Chinandega (Corinto), Chontales (Juigalpa), Estelí (Ocotal), Granada (Granada, founded 1524), Jinotega (Somoto), León (León, founded 1522), Madriz (Madriz), Managua (Managua, DN; also National Capital), Masaya (Masaya), Matagalpa (Matagalpa), Nueva Segovia (Nueva Segovia), Rivas (Rivas), Rio San Juan (San Carlos), Comunidad Autónoma del Atlántico Norte (Puerto Cabezas), Comunidad Autónoma del Atlántico Sur (Bluefields).Tourist AreasBig Corn IslandBluefields Catarina Finca Esperanza Verde Granada Granada Nicaragua.net Laguna de Apoyo - Norome Resort Little Corn Island - Casa Iguana Río San Juan San Juan del Sur Casa Oro Youth Hostel Vincent Cay Profiles and GuidesBBC Country ProfileBBC Timeline From 1502 to present British Govt. Nicaragua Country Profile Canadian Govt. Nicaragua Cultural Insights Canadian Govt. Nicaragua Travel Report CIA Factbook Library of Congress Lonely Planet Guide NationMaster Comparison with other countries U.S. Department of State Post Report Wikipedia  Montelimar Beach General Guides/Interesting WebsitesAmerican Nicaraguan SchoolAugusto "César" Sandino Bearded Monkey Bluefields Pulse "Uniting The Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua at Home and Abroad" Central America Good directory of links, particularly for travel within Nicaragua El Arbol Dutch foundation creating employment for women in sustainable industries El Porvenir Sustainable development projects in Nicaraguan villages Escape Artist Articles Resources FindIt Granada Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) Official site of the Sandinistas Go to Nicaragua Website of the authors of Moon Handbooks on Nicaragua Granada, Nicaragua Its Fall and Rise History of Nicaragua History Timeline International Living A very commercial site with a variety of information IL "Postcards" Jinotepe La Nacion Moskitia en Internet La Suerte/Ometepe Biological Field Stations Lahar on Casita Volcano The Inevitability of a Natural Disaster Landmines in Nicaragua Library of Congress Living Nicaragua's Dubious Distinction National Catholic Reporter Managua, Big Corn and Little Corn Islands Personal account Manfut.org A staggeringly comprehensive site, mainly in Spanish but with lots of photographs Nicamigo Friendly site from somone who knows Nicaragua well NicaNet Supporting the people of Nicaragua Nicaragua Network Working for social justice Nicaragua Photographer Richard Leonardi - U.S.-born writer/photographer based in Managua Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Tours from U.K. to Nicaragua, bookstore and free trade shop Nicaragua Volcanoes Map Concepcion Photos Cerro Negro Photos Nicaraguan Cultural Alliance Purchase Nicaragua Art Nicaraguan Sign Language Nicatour Good information and photographs Ometepe Petroglyph Project Organic Honey Personalizing Population United Nations Population Fund Rubén Darío, Tribute to Nicaragua's greatest poet Sandinista Wikipedia Secret Cable U.S. Ambassador reports on meeting with Samoza before resignation Secret Presidential Finding Ronald Reagan authorizes CIA's Contra war against Nicaragua Sí a la Vida Nicaragua Street Kid Project Siuna Foundation Medical aid to Nicaraguans Steamboats of Nicaragua Top Ten Nicaragua Adventures Update Nicaragua Excellent monthly essays - Highly recommended Vianica Excellent, comprehensive guide to the entire country Viva Nicaragua! Outside Magazine article Women's Health in Nicaragua Canals Dry Canal An "Ecocanal" Across Nicaragua Nicaraguan Transportation Corridor Nicaragua Canal BooksCountry Under My Skin, TheA Memoir of Love and War Death of Ben Linder, The The Story of a Northamerican in Sandinista Nicaragua Driving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America Footprint Nicaragua Handbook By Managua writer/photographer Richard Leonardi If This Soil Could Stop Bleeding Nicaragua During and After the Contra War In Focus Nicaragua A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture Invisible Hunters, The A Legend from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua Jaguar Smile, The A Nicaraguan Journey by Salman Rushdie Life is Hard Machismo, Danger and the Intimacy of Power in Nicaragua Living Abroad in Nicaragua From Moon books Living and Investing in the New Nicaragua Living Like the Saints A Novel of Nicaragua Lonely Planet Central America on a Shoestring Moon Handbooks Nicaragua Murals of Revolutionary Nicaragua, The 1979-1992 My Car in Managua Nicaragua, 4th Edition Poets of Nicaragua A Bilingual Anthology 1918-1979 Resistance and Contradiction Miskitu Indians and the Nicaraguan State Rise and Fall of the Nicaraguan Revolution, The Rough Guide to Central America, The Sandinista Carlos Fonseca and the Nicaraguan Revolution Sandino Affair, The Sandino's Daughters Revisited Feminism in Nicaragua Savage Shore Life Life and Death with Nicaragua's Last Shark Hunters Sharks of Lake Nicaragua, The True Tales of Adventure, Travel and Fishing To Die in This Way Nicaraguan Indians and the Myth of the Mestizaje Language StudySpanish Schools in NicaraguaGood list from Transitions Abroad Ave Nicaragüita Granada Casa Xalteva Granada Nicaragua Spanish Schools León, Granada, San Juan del Sur Viva! Spanish Managua Latin American Spanish Phrase Book FlagsFlagline.comFlags, pins, patches, key rings and more VideosDeadly EmbraceMusic CDsMarimba - Music from NicaraguaNicaragua Presente! Music from Nicaragua Libre MapsView OnlineCentral Area of CountryCountry Country Managua (with hotels) National Parks Political Relief Shaded Relief Tourist Map of Managua Free downloadable PDF Tourist Map of Nicaragua Free downloadable PDF USGS Zoomable WebcamsNone knownPhotographsChristoph GrandtEd Manfutt Nicaragua Postcards Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism Personalizing Population Turquoise Net Volcanes.com Volcanoes AuctionsNicaraguan Items on eBayInternet ForumsCasa Ben Linder CommunityFor the English-speaking community in Managua NicaLiving.com Moving to, and living in, Nicaragua. Very useful. Nicaragua Living Open to all to exchange any information about Nicaragua Soc.culture.nicaragua Usenet The Real Nicaragua The speakeasy of all matters Nicaraguan Buy Travel Gear! Getting ThereAir
Airlines Flying to Managua Aerocaribbean American Airlines Continental Copa Iberia TACA Domestic Airlines Atlantic Airlines Airports Bluefields Airport Corn Island Airport Managua International Airport Airport FAQ Puerto Cabezas Airport All airports in Nicaragua Agencies specializing in low cost air travel to Latin AmericaAmericas TravelMe Again Travel BoatNoonsiteA superb one-stop site for cruising sailors Ports of Nicaragua CarDriving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America (book)BusTicabusService throughout Central America, from Panama to the southern tip of Mexico Transnica Service in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador Tour CompaniesElderhostel ToursMomboTour Canopy Tour Kayak Tour Nicarao Lake Tours Quetzaltrekkers Non-profit offering guided hikes with funds going to schools for street kids Sun Tours Tours Nicaragua LodgingBook a Hotel in NicaraguaEl Club (Granada) Hostels.com Hostels Nicaragua Lodging Current NewsGoogleTopix.net Washington Post Yahoo Yahoo News Photos NewspapersLa PrensaConservative El Nuevo Diario Pro-Sandinista Web OnlyBolsa de NoticiasConfidencial - Weekly information and political analysis Visión Sandinista -Nicaragua's political weekly magazine MagazinesBetween the WavesNicaragua's excellent visitor/expat magazine - content not online TelevisionCanal 6 - state-ownedNicavision Canal 12 Televicentro Canal 2 - commercial CableEstesaRadioRadio Corporacion - 540 AM, 97.5 FMRadio Mundial Radio Nicaragua - 620 AM, 88.7 FM Radio Nuevo Ya - AM 600 Radio Sandino Radio Pirata 99.9 Mail/ShippingTransExpressMail forwarding and courier service between U.S., Central and South America EmbassiesCanadian EmbassyU.S. Embassy Other Embassies BusinessDoing Business in NicaraguaA World Bank report on the ease of doing business Grupo Mosaico Investing in Nicaragua - Law 306 ProNicaragua U.S. Commercial Service ExpatriatesArticlesReal Post ReportsUnofficial reports from diplomats and spouses Intentional CommunitiesNone known. RetirementLiving Abroad in Nicaragua From Moon books Living in Nicaragua More Americans Retire to Central America National Public Radio segment on retiring in Nicaragua U.S. Pensioners Pick Nicaragua for Retirement U.S. Seniors Go South - Way South Why Granada? Why Nicaragua? (Discovernica.com) Why Nicaragua? (Nicaraguaparadise.com) Buying PropertyBuying Property in Nicaragua (Metro-nica.com)Buying Property in Nicaragua (U.S. Embassy) Real Estate FirmsBeachfront RealtyColdwell Banker Nicaragua Jalapeño Realty Laguna SA Metro-Nica Nicaragua Land Nicaragua Properties Nicaragua Real Estate Nicaragua Realty Pacific Brisas Paradise Rancho Santana Sniders Territorio Tierra Nica Tropical Islands Tropical Real Estate Viviun and original content copyright © 2004,2006 Mick Winter Photos: Girl, lake copyright ©1998-2003 Christoph Grandt, Others: Intur |
