Nicaragua

American  

[nik-uh-rah-gwuh] / ˌnɪk əˈrɑ gwə /

noun

1. a republic in Central America. 57,143 sq. mi. (148,000 sq. km). Managua.

2. Spanish Lago de Nicaragua.  Lake. a lake in SW Nicaragua. 92 miles (148 km) long; 34 miles (55 km) wide; 3,060 sq. mi. (7,925 sq. km).

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Nicaragua British  

/ nikaˈraɣwa, ˌnɪkəˈræɡjʊə, -ɡwə /

noun

1. a republic in Central America, on the Caribbean and the Pacific: colonized by the Spanish from the 1520s; gained independence in 1821 and was annexed by Mexico, becoming a republic in 1838. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: córdoba. Capital: Managua. Pop: 5 788 531 (2013 est). Area: 131 812 sq km (50 893 sq miles)

2. a lake in SW Nicaragua, separated from the Pacific by an isthmus 19 km (12 miles) wide: the largest lake in Central America. Area: 8264 sq km (3191 sq miles)

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Nicaragua Cultural  

1. Republic in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the northwest and north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Its capital and largest city is Managua.

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Discover More

After fifty years of guerrilla warfare, the Marxist Sandinistas launched a civil war and assumed power in 1979.

General Anastasio Somoza established a military dictatorship in 1933. He was assassinated in 1956, but his sons continued the Somoza regime until 1979.

During the 1980s, the United States backed anti-Sandinista guerrillas called Contras (see Iran-Contra Affair). In 1990, the Sandinistas were defeated in free elections. In 1995, and again in 2001, opponents of the Sandinistas won elections to the nation's presidency.

Other Word Forms

• Nicaraguan noun

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How does nicaragua compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Guatemala vs. Nicaragua

Example Sentences

Orsoni, 71, who had been living in exile for years in Nicaragua, was a well-known figure in Corsica.

From BBC

Some made plans to return home, others hoped for intervention in Cuba and Nicaragua, and many just celebrated the moment.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We’re very hopeful to see changes in Nicaragua and Cuba too—this is something that’s going to affect the entire Western Hemisphere.”

From The Wall Street Journal

They beat Nicaragua 2-0 last month to qualify for just their second ever World Cup - despite their manager having never been to the Caribbean island.

From BBC

“In tough times, on the difficult paths, on the challenging crossroads, shines the spiritual light of the warrior who knows how to fight and win,” Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega said in a letter.

From The Wall Street Journal