 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
 Nicaragua 6.596 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Costa Rica | 350,854[1] |
 United States | 255,008[1] |
 Spain | 42,784[1] |
 Panama | 15,517[1] |
 Canada | 10,627[1] |
 Guatemala | 9,211[1] |
 El Salvador | 7,956[1] |
 Honduras | 7,943[1] |
 Mexico | 4,303[1] |
 Venezuela | 1,927[1] |
 Germany | 1,685[1] |
 Italy | 1,381[1] |
 Australia | 947[1] |
 Sweden | 929[1] |
 Switzerland | 792[1] |
 France | 738[1] |
 Netherlands | 613[1] |
 Brazil | 465[1] |
 Ecuador | 408[1] |
 Belgium | 407[1] |
 United Kingdom | 393[1] |
 Dominican Republic | 303[1] |
 Peru | 303[1] |
 Austria | 275[1] |
 Romania | 235[1] |
 Norway | 223[1] |
 Denmark | 222[1] |
 Greece | 161[1] |
 South Africa | 130[1] |
 Jamaica | 124[1] |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlyRoman Catholic andProtestant; irreligious and other religious minorities exist[2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Nicaraguans (Spanish:Nicaragüenses; also calledNicas) are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage fromNicaragua. Most Nicaraguans live in Nicaragua, although there is also a significantNicaraguan diaspora, particularly inCosta Rica and theUnited States with smaller communities in other countries around the world. There are also people living in Nicaragua who are not Nicaraguans because they were not born or raised in Nicaragua nor have they gainedcitizenship.
The genetic makeup of Nicaraguans differs from the western half of Nicaragua to the eastern half. DNA studies show that most western Nicaraguans (whites andmestizos) descend fromEuropeans (mostly Spanish, Italian,[3][4][5] and Portuguese) and an Indigenous combination ofNahua,Otomanguean, andChibcha ancestry.[6][7] The combined Nahua, Otomanguean, and Chibcha ancestry of western Nicaraguans suggests that instead of a mass displacement of Chibchas by migratingMesoamerican groups like theNicaraos andChorotegas, they assimilated the Chibchas who already inhabited western Nicaragua into their societies and mixed with them, blendingNorth American andSouth American ancestries. This is further evident in the Chibcha minorities that lived and thrived within the Nahua chiefdoms of Kwawkapolkan, Kakawatan, and Masatepek in modern-dayRivas andMasaya.[8] In addition, the military forces of Kwawkapolkan, Kakawatan, and Masatepek had Chibcha troops serving alongside their Nahua counterparts as military service provided social advancement and assimilation to further integrate into Nahua society.[9][10] Furthermore, the Nicaraos cultivation ofpotatoes also suggestscultural diffusion between the Nahuas and Chibchas, as the Chibchas introduced potatoes to Nicaragua fromSouth America which did not reach northernMesoamerica.[11][12]
Genetic studies show that eastern Nicaraguans mostly descend from shipwreckedAfrican slaves who intermarried and mixed with the Indigenous peoples of Caribbean Nicaragua (creating theMiskito Sambu, an ethnic group ofZambos), and British colonizers who ruled the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras for roughly 225 years.[13][14] The black Nicaraguans in the Caribbean coast are mostly ofWest Indian (Antillean) origin, the descendants of slaves brought mostly fromJamaica when the region was aBritish protectorate. There is also a smaller number ofGarifuna, a people of mixedCarib,Angolan,Congolese andArawak descent. However, pure Indigenous peoples still exist in the Caribbean coast, such as theRama,Mayangna, and theTawira Miskito who're related to the Zambo Miskitos, both groups were rivals and often competed for territory which led to wars between the two, further dividing the two Miskito groups in the 18th century.[15]
As of 2023, Nicaragua's total human population reached 7.0 million, with the capital (and most populous) city of Managua containing 1.5 million.
According to theUN, Nicaragua has a population of 7,243,000 (July 1, 2015) with apopulation growth rate of 1.31% (during the period 2005–2010) and abirth rate of 24.9 / 1,000 population (2005–2010), third highest in theregion. Thelife expectancy for Nicaraguans at birth is (2005–2015) 74.45 years; 70.9 for males and 78.0 for females.
Data from theCIA World Factbook estimates that Nicaragua's population is around 69%Mestizos, and 17%White, with the majority being of fullSpanish descent as well asItalian,German, orFrench ancestry.Mestizos andWhite make up the majority of Nicaraguans and mainly reside in the western region of the country, combined they make up 88% and of the total population.
About 5% of Nicaraguans are descending from one or more of the country's indigenous peoples. Nicaragua'spre-Columbian population consisted of many indigenous groups such as the Nahua. In the western region, the Nahua people (also known as thePipil-Nicaraos) were present along with other groups such as Otomangueans and Chibchas. Nicaragua's central region and the Caribbean coast were inhabited by indigenous peoples who were alsoChibcha-related groups that had migrated fromSouth America, primarily what is todayColombia andVenezuela. These groups include the present-dayMiskitos,Ramas andMayangna. In the 19th century, there was a substantial indigenous minority, but this group was also largely assimilated culturally into the mestizo majority. In the mid-1980s, the government divided the department ofZelaya Department into two autonomous regions and granted the Indigenous people of this region limited self-rule.
The remainder 9% of Nicaragua's population is black, and mainly reside on the country's sparsely populated Caribbean (or Atlantic) coast. The black population is mostly ofWest Indian (Antillean) origin, the descendants of indentured laborers brought mostly fromJamaica when the region was aBritish protectorate. There is also a smaller number ofGarifuna, a people of mixedCarib,Angolan,Congolese andArawak descent.
Relative to its overall population, Nicaragua has never experienced any large scale wave ofimmigrants. The total number of immigrants to Nicaragua, both originating from otherLatin American countries and all other countries, never surpassed 1% of its total population prior to 1995. The 2005 census showed the foreign-born population at 1.2%, having risen a mere .06% in 10 years.[17] This is not to say that immigrants were not important to the evolution of Nicaraguan society and the Nicaraguan nation.
In the 19th century Nicaragua experienced a wave of immigration, primarily fromEurope. In particular, families fromSpain,Germany,Italy,France andBelgium generally moved to Nicaragua to start a new life. They received free land, monetary incentives, and other perks in exchange for populating unsettled territories and working in the new growing coffee industry. In time immigrants were able to set up newspapers, hotels and banks.
There is also a smallMiddle Eastern-Nicaraguan community ofSyrian,Armenian,Palestinian Nicaraguan,Jewish Nicaraguan, andLebanese people in Nicaragua with a total population of about 30,000. There is also anEast Asian community ofChinese. TheChinese Nicaraguan population is estimated at 12,000.[citation needed] The Chinese arrived in the late 19th century but were unsubstantiated until the second census (in 1920) revealed 400 people of the Chinese nationality.
Nicaragua, as well as otherLatin American countries, have a long history of migration to the United States. However, Nicaragua is the only country in its region to have Costa Rica as the primary destination. Estimates on the basis of the Nicaraguan Health Survey indicated that at least 11% of Nicaraguan households have at least 1 person residing abroad.[18]
Smaller numbers of Nicaraguans live in many other countries around the world such as other countries inLatin America,Europe,Canada,China andTaiwan among others.
Nicaraguan migration to Costa Rica has occurred since the mid-19th century. Unlike other Latin American countries, Nicaraguan migrants' primary destination is not the United States, it is Costa Rica. An estimate 9% (more than 385,899) of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans;[19] some of them migrate for seasonal work opportunities and then return to their country. Costa Rica and Nicaragua signed an agreement regulating seasonal migration in 1998; it allows Nicaraguans with work permits to enter Costa Rica at the western border at Peñas Blancas on thePan-American Highway. In the northern part of Costa Rica there are 287,766 Nicaraguans and theCatholic Church in this area has an active program to protect the rights of migrant workers.[20]
Abroad, the United States is home to the second largest number of Nicaraguans outside Nicaragua, particularly in theMiami area. The estimated number of Nicaraguan Americans in the United States was 281,167 in 2006, up from 177,684 in 2000.[21]
The earliest documents of immigration from Nicaragua to the United States was combined in total with those of otherCentral American countries. However, according to theU.S. Census Bureau some 7,500 Nicaraguans legally immigrated from 1967 to 1976. An estimated 28,620 Nicaraguans were living in the U.S. in 1970, 90% of which self-reported as "white" on the 1970census. Most Nicaraguan immigrants during the late 1960s were women: there were only 60 male Nicaraguan immigrants for every 100 female immigrants during this period.[22] In 1998 more than two million Nicaraguans were left homeless due tohurricane Mitch, as a result many Nicaraguans received permanent residence or temporary protected status (TPS) in the late 1990s.[23]
According to the1990 U.S. Census 168,659 of the total 202,658 documented Nicaraguans in the U.S. were born in Nicaragua.[24] In 1992 approximately 10–12% of the Nicaraguan population hademigrated. These emigrants tended to be disproportionately of working age, better educated, and more oftenwhite-collar workers than nonmigrants. In addition, emigrants were more likely to come from larger premigration households and higher income households.[25]
The largest concentration of Nicaraguan Americans in the United States, about 79,559, is inMiami,Florida, most notably around the areas ofSweetwater and "Little Managua". Sweetwater has the highest concentration of Nicaraguan American in the United States, in 2000 16.63% of Sweetwater residents identified as being of Nicaraguan heritage. This was the highest percentage of Nicaraguan Americans of any place in the country. As a result, Sweetwater is locally known as "Little Managua" afterManagua, the Nicaraguan capital. However, the area of "Little Havana" in Miami is also colloquially called "Little Managua" even though Sweetwater has a higher number of Nicaraguan Americans.
California hosts the second largest concentration, most notably in the metropolitan areas ofLos Angeles andSan Francisco. The number of Nicaraguan Americans living in California was 51,336 in 2000.[26]
It is known that Nicaragua was inhabited byPaleo-Indians as far back as 6000 years. This is confirmed by archaeological evidences, mainly ceramics and statues made of volcanic stone like the ones found on the island ofZapatera andpetroglyphs found onOmetepe island. At the end of the 15th century, western Nicaragua was inhabited by several different indigenous peoples related by culture to the Mesoamerican civilizations of theAztec andMaya, and by language to theMesoamerican Linguistic Area. However, within three decades an estimated Indian population of one million plummeted to a few tens of thousands, as approximately half of the indigenous people in western Nicaragua died ofdiseases brought by theSpaniards. The central region and the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua were inhabited by indigenous peoples who were mostlyChibcha-related groups that had migrated fromSouth America, primarily what is nowColombia andVenezuela. These groups include the present-dayMiskitos,Ramas andSumos who lived a less sedentary life based on hunting and gathering, as well as fishing and performingslash-and-burn agriculture.[27][28]
During the 1979 uprising, many middle-class and wealthy families left Nicaragua. TheSandinista revolution during the 1980s brought a wave of Nicaraguanrefugees into the U.S.,[29] and the largest wave of documented immigrants. Many Nicaraguans also fled to nearby Costa Rica and other countries. Over 62 percent of the total documented immigration from 1979 to 1988 occurred after 1984.[25]
Many Nicaraguans who immigrated did so to escape poverty, inSanta Clara County, California, the Nicaraguan public benefits recipients reported that in their families, 43% have oneself-employed person orbusiness owner, and 14% of the families have two such persons.[23] However, nearly all of the estimated 200,000 Nicaraguans who fled to the United States (and other nearby Central American countries) between 1978 and 1979 returned after the victory of theSandinistas in 1979.[30]
Nicaraguan culture has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced byEuropean culture but enriched with Native American sounds and flavors. Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The Pacific coast has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced byIberian. It was colonized by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The Atlantic coast of the country, on the other hand, was once a Britishprotectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or areBritish possessions, such asJamaica,Belize, TheCayman Islands, and theMosquito Coast ofHonduras.[31] The indigenous groups that were present in the Pacific coast have largely been assimilated into the mestizo culture, however, the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast have maintained a distinct identity.
Nicaraguan music is a mixture of Indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include themarimba,and others common across Central America. The marimba of Nicaragua is uniquely played by a sitting performer holding the instrument on his knees. He is usually accompanied by a bassfiddle,guitar and guitarrilla (a small guitar like amandolin). This music is played at social functions as a sort of background music. The marimba is made with hardwood plates, placed over bamboo or metal tubes of varying lengths. It is played with two or four hammers. The Atlantic coast of Nicaragua is known for a lively, sensual form ofdance music calledPalo de Mayo which is very much alive all throughout the country. It is especially loud and celebrated during the Palo de Mayo festival in May. TheGarifuna community exists in Nicaragua, known for its popular music calledPunta.
Literature of Nicaragua can be traced topre-Columbian times with the myths andoral literature that formed the cosmogonic view of the world that indigenous people had. Some of these stories are still know in Nicaragua. Like many Latin American countries, the Spanish conquerors have had the most effect on both the culture and the literature. Nicaraguan literature has historically been an important source ofpoetry in the Spanish-speaking world, with internationally renowned contributors such asRubén Darío who is regarded as the most important literary figure in Nicaragua, referred to as the "Father of Modernism" for leading themodernismo literary movement at the end of the 19th century.[32] Other literary figures includeErnesto Cardenal,Gioconda Belli,Claribel Alegría andJosé Coronel Urtecho, among others.
El Güegüense is a satirical drama and was the first literary work of pre-Columbian Nicaragua. It is regarded as one of Latin America's most distinctive colonial-era expressions and as Nicaragua's signature folkloric masterpiece combining music, dance and theater.[32] The theatrical play was written by an anonymous author in the 16th century, making it one of the oldest indigenous theatrical/dance works of the Western Hemisphere.[33] The story was published in a book in 1942 after many centuries.[34]
Spanish is spoken by about 90% of the country's population. In Nicaragua theVoseo form is common, just as in other countries in Central and South America likeHonduras,Argentina,Uruguay or coastalColombia. Spanish has many different dialects spoken throughout Latin America,Nicaraguan Spanish is the dialect spoken in Nicaragua. In the Caribbean coast many afro-Nicaraguans and creoles speak English andcreole English as their first language. Also in the Caribbean coast, many Indigenous people speak their native languages, such as theMiskito,Sumo,Rama andGarifuna language.[35] In addition, manyethnic groups in Nicaragua, such as theGerman Nicaraguans,Chinese Nicaraguans andPalestinian Nicaraguans, have maintained their ancestral languages, which are minority languages, while also speaking Spanish and/or English. These minority languages include Chinese, Arabic, Italian, and German, among others.[36]
The language and pronunciation varies depending on region. Some Nicaraguans pronounce the wordvos with a strongs sound at the end. In the central part of the country, regions likeBoaco pronouncevos without thes sound at the end. The result isvo, similar tovous in French andvoi in Italian.
Nicaragua has a total of 4extinct languages.Nicaraguan Sign Language is also of particular interest tolinguists.
Theflag of Nicaragua was adopted on August 27, 1971. It is based on the flag of the United States of Central America. The two blue stripes represented the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean; while white symbolizes peace. A modern interpretation indicates that the color blue symbolizes justice and loyalty; while the color white represents virtue and purity. The coat of arms features an equilateral triangle which represents equality. Inside the triangle are five volcanoes, which represent the five members of the federation. The triangle also contains symbols of liberty and peace which is represented by a red Phrygian cap, white rays and a rainbow.
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help){{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)| Indigenous | |
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| Non-Indigenous | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
Warantz, Elissa (1983)."The Bay Islands English of Honduras". InHolm, John A. (ed.).Central American English. Heidelberg: Julius Groos Verlag. pp. 71–94.ISBN 3-87276-295-8.
