NICARAGUA, a republic of Central America; reaching from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific, between Costa Rica on the S. and Honduras on the N., the E. (Caribbean) coast measuring 290 miles and the W. coast 185 miles; area, 49,200 square miles; pop. about 420,000, including 40,000 uncivilized Indians.
Topography.—The Central American Cordilleras form the backbone of the country; they run N. W. and S. E. at a distance of 12 to 30 miles from the Pacific, and attain elevations of 4,000 and 5,000 feet above sea-level. On the W. the surface sinks rapidly to a longi tudinal depression (110 feet), the S. two-thirds of which are filled by the large lakes of Nicaragua (115 miles long, 45 broad, and 140 feet deep in most parts) and Managua (35 miles long, 20 broad, 30 feet deep), the latter lying N. of the former and 25 feet higher. This depression is studded with a chain of volcanic cones, standing on islands in the lakes (Ometepec and Ma dera, 4,190 feet), and clustering thickly between the N. end of Lake Managua and the Gulf of Fonseca at the N. W. extremity of the country, as Coseguina (3,835 feet, which was the scene of a tremendous outbreak, lasting over four days, in 1835), Viejo (6,267), Telica (4,200), Momotombo (6,890), Mombacho (4,600), and several others. Though most of these are quiescent, some of them burst forth in eruption from time to time; Ometepec poured out its lavas during seven days in 1883. Another low range separates this depression from the Pacific. The districts W. of the central backbone are the chief seats of the population. There stand the towns Managua (the capital), Leon, Granada, Chinandega, Rivas. On the W. coast there are three harbors—the Gulf of Fonseca in the N., Salinas Bay in the S., and the port of Corinto toward the N. The only port on the E. side is Greytown, at the mouth of the San Juan river. E. of the Cordilleras the surface falls away gradually; the spurs that break off from the main ridge sink into the low alluvial plains that face the Caribbean Sea. Thick forests clothe
extensive areas on this side. Several rivers carry off the surplus water E., a few being of good length, such as the Coco or Wanks (350 miles long), which serves as the conventional N. boundary; the San Juan (125 miles), which drains Lake Nicaragua and separates the State of Nicaragua from Costa Rica on the S.; the Bluefields and the Rio Grande (230 miles). The low coast-belt, called the Mosquito Territory, is lined with salt lagoons—Pearl lagoon having an area of 200 square miles, and Bluefields lagoon half as much.
Mineralogy.—The mountain-spurs E. of the main chain are rich in min erals; gold is mined in the neighbor hood of Libertad on to Matagalpa, in the heart of the country, and silver near the sources of the Coco in the N.; coal, copper, tin, iron, lead, zinc, antimony, quicksilver, marble, etc., exist, but are not worked.
Clintate.—As a rule the climate varies between 70° and 90° F., and there is a dry season lasting from about Decem ber to May.
Soil.—The natural products of the soil are tropical. The forest trees include mahogany, rosewood, logwood, fustic, sandalwood, india-rubber, and numerous others that yield fancy woods, mediciral plants, gums and dyewoods. Large herds of cattle are bred and reared on the extensive plains of the center and E. The rich soil of the cultivated W. region yields maize (the staple food of the people), coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton, rice, tobacco, indigo, and a great variety of tropical fruits.
Commerce.—The foreign trade in 1918 amounted to $13,684,743. The imports amounted to $5,929,803 and the exports to $7,754,940. The chief part of the exports were sent to the United States. The principal articles of export were coffee and cabinet woods. A consider able amount of sugar was also exported. The principal imports were cotton goods, clothing, and manufactures of iron and steel.
Religion.—The state religion is the Roman Catholic, but all creeds are toler ated.