Nicaragua — books & literature

The story of Nicaragua

Before European contact, the region was home to indigenous peoples including the Nicarao, who gave the country its name, the Chorotega, and the Miskito Kingdom of the Caribbean coast, which developed close ties with English traders. Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded the cities of Granada and León in 1524, establishing colonial Nicaragua under the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Nicaragua declared independence from Spain in 1821, briefly joined the First Mexican Empire and then the Federal Republic of Central America, before becoming a fully sovereign republic in 1838. The 19th century brought turmoil, including American adventurer William Walker's brief self-declared presidency in 1856, and decades of rivalry between conservative Granada and liberal León that led to Managua being chosen as a compromise capital. US Marines occupied the country from 1912 to 1933, and the Somoza family ruled as a dynasty from 1937 until the Sandinista National Liberation Front overthrew them in 1979. A subsequent Contra War through the 1980s devastated the economy before peace and democratic elections returned in 1990. Today Nicaragua is known for its volcanoes, lakes, colonial architecture, and the literary legacy of Rubén Darío.

Timeline — key moments

1. 1524

   Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founds León and Granada, the first Spanish cities in Nicaragua.

2. 1821

   Independence from Spain declared (15 September), alongside the rest of Central America.

3. 1838

   Nicaragua becomes a fully sovereign republic after leaving the Federal Republic of Central America.

4. 1856-1857

   American filibuster William Walker seizes power and declares himself president.

5. 1912-1933

   US Marines occupy Nicaragua amid political instability.

6. 1937

   Anastasio Somoza García seizes power, beginning the Somoza family dynasty.

7. 1979

   Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) overthrows the Somoza dynasty (19 July).

8. 1980s

   Contra War , a US-backed insurgency against the Sandinista government.

9. 1990

   Violeta Barrios de Chamorro elected president, the first woman elected head of state in the Americas.

Top 10 things to know about Nicaragua

1. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America by land area.
2. Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America and one of the few in the world with freshwater bull sharks.
3. Nicaragua is nicknamed "the land of lakes and volcanoes" for its roughly 19 volcanoes.
4. Rubén Darío, born in Nicaragua, founded Modernismo, a defining movement in Spanish-language poetry.
5. Nicaragua's flag features a triangle with a rainbow, five volcanoes, and a Phrygian cap, shared symbolism with other former Federal Republic of Central America states.
6. The Miskito, Mayangna, and Rama peoples are indigenous groups concentrated on the Caribbean coast.
7. Managua has been the capital since 1852, chosen partly to end the rivalry between León and Granada.
8. The 1979 Sandinista Revolution ended the four-decade Somoza dynasty.
9. Nicaragua's córdoba currency is named after conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba.
10. Ometepe Island, formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua, is the largest volcanic island inside a freshwater lake in the world.

Famous people from Nicaragua

Say it in Nicaragua's language

Did you know?

• ★Lake Nicaragua is one of very few freshwater lakes in the world inhabited by bull sharks, which adapted to fresh water.
• ★Nicaragua's blue-white-blue flag design is shared with other former Federal Republic of Central America states.
• ★Ometepe Island, shaped by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua, is the largest island inside a freshwater lake anywhere in the world.

Nicaragua culture

• Marimba music, played on a wooden xylophone, is central to Nicaraguan folk celebrations.
• Gallo pinto (rice and beans) is a daily staple dish, shared with neighbouring Costa Rica.
• The Palo de Mayo festival in Bluefields celebrates Afro-Caribbean and Creole heritage each May.
• La Purísima (Griteria), a December festival honouring the Virgin Mary, is one of the largest religious celebrations of the year.

Why read Nicaragua's books

Nicaragua's literary tradition runs from Rubén Darío's revolutionary Modernismo through the poet-priests and revolutionary writers who followed him , reading its books traces a small country's outsized voice in the Spanish language.