About Nicaragua

Nicaragua has a rich historical history, beautiful landscape and the warmest people you will ever meet. From the moment you arrive, you feel like you have known Nicaragua for your entire life. It is that sense of knowing the country that drives NICA’s ultimate mission to help this country regain its presence in the global economy by working in the rural areas where the need is the greatest. If you would like to visit Nicaragua, please let us know.

Approximately the size of the state of New York, Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, with a population of 5.4 million people. Before the 1980s, Nicaragua was one of the richest and most successful countries in Central America.

Today, as a result of political instability and war, more than half of the population is under 18 years of age, malnutrition is commonplace, and Nicaragua is the third poorest country in the Americas. More than 2.3 million citizens live in poverty, and 831,000 live in extreme poverty.

The country’s struggles to rebuild and prosper are made more challenging by the diverse geography and sometimes unpredictable climate. Nicaragua’s physical geography divides it into three major zones: Pacific lowlands; the wetter, cooler central highlands; and the Caribbean lowlands.

Because western Nicaragua is located where two major tectonic plates collide, it is subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although periodic volcanic eruptions have caused agricultural damage from fumes and ash, earthquakes have been by far more destructive to life and property. Hundreds of shocks occur each year, some of which cause severe damage. The capital city of Managua was virtually destroyed in 1931 and again in 1972.

Rainfall is seasonal: May through October is the rainy season, and December through April is the driest period. During the rainy season, eastern Nicaragua is subject to heavy flooding along the upper and middle reaches of all major rivers. The coast is also subject to destructive tropical storms and hurricanes, particularly from July through October.

The high winds and floods accompanying these storms often cause considerable property destruction. In addition, heavy rains (called papagayo storms) accompanying the passage of a cold front or a low-pressure area may sweep from the north through both eastern and western Nicaragua (particularly the rift valley) from November through March.