Nicaragua

Originally, the region now known as Nicaragua was home to various indigenous cultures for centuries. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire conquered the area. Nicaragua finally gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Mosquito Coast took a different historical route, as it was colonized by the English in the 17th century and later came under British rule. In 1860, it became an autonomous territory of Nicaragua, and in 1960, its northernmost part was shifted to Honduras. Since gaining independence, Nicaragua has experienced various periods of political unrest, dictatorship, occupation, and fiscal crisis. These include the Nicaraguan insurgency of the 60's and 70's and the Contra wars of the 80's. Nicaragua is blessed with a rich flora and fauna. The country's location in the middle of North and South America makes for a rich biological diversity. This circumstance, together with the weather and the slight differences in altitude, makes the country home to 248 amphibian and reptile species, 183 mammal species, 705 bird species, 640 fish species and about 5,796 plant species. In the eastern part of the country is the region of large forests, and the rainforests are located in the department of Río San Juan and in the RAAN and RAAS autonomous regions. Nicaragua currently has 78 protected areas covering over 22,000 square kilometers, about 17% of the country's land area. A wide variety of ecosystems are protected, including wildlife refuges and nature reserves. So far, over 1,400 species of animals and some 12,000 species of plants are protected in Nicaragua, with an estimated 5,000 species still in need of classification.