Nicaragua

Central America and the Caribbean
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras.

13 00 N, 85 00 W

En Dios Confiamos (Spanish) "In God We Trust"
President Daniel Ortega	Vice President Jaime Morales Carazo

Capital
Managua

Government
Presidential republic

Religion
Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7%.

Population
5,995,928

Ethnic group
69% Mestizo,17% White, 5% Amerindian,9% Black

National Language                    
Spanish
           
National Day
15 September 1821 from Spain

Anthem
Salve a ti, Nicaragua (Spanish),Hail to thee, Nicaragua

Currency
Córdoba (NIO)

Attractions
Centro Ecoturistico La Maquina,  La Maquina,  Mombacho Canopy Tours,  Piedras y Olas,  Refugio El Chocoyero 

Website      

Art & Cultural

The ICON

The Fortress of the Immaculate Conception        The Fortress of the Immaculate Conception, (Spanish: El Castillo de la Inmaculada Concepción) is a fortification located on the southern bank of the Río San Juan (San Juan River), in the village  of El Castillo in southern Nicaragua. The fortress is situated approximately 6 kilometers from the border with Costa Rica, at the Raudal del Diablo rapids of the San Juan River. It was completed in 1675 as part of a series of fortifications along the San Juan River, to defend against pirate attacks upon the city of Granada (which can be reached by navigating upstream from the Caribbean Sea along the San Juan River into Lake Nicaragua). The settlement of El Castillo and its fortress continued to be strategically important to the Captaincy General of Guatemala  until the late 18th century. An important historic landmark of Nicaragua, the fortress is on a list of sites as an initial stage in achieving World Heritage Site status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).