尼加拉瓜(Nicaragua)
正式名称尼加拉瓜共和国（Republic of Nicaragua）
中美洲的共和国。面积130,700平方公里。人口约4,918,000（2001）。首都︰马拿瓜。绝大多数人民是梅斯蒂索（mestizo）。语言︰西班牙语（官方语）、印第安语和英语。宗教︰天主教。货币︰新科多巴（C$）。尼加拉瓜西半部有森林浓密的山岭和肥沃的谷地。与太平洋海岸平行的带状地区涵盖了四十座休眠的和活火山。东部沿加勒比海的海岸线是着名的蚊子海岸。常发生地震。尼加拉瓜为发展中的市场经济，以农业、轻工业和贸易为主。政府形式为共和国，一院制。总统是国家元首暨政府首脑。
数千年来该地区一直有人居住，最着名的是马雅人。1502年哥伦布到达此地，不久，西班牙的探险家们发现了尼加拉瓜湖。1821年宣布独立前，尼加拉瓜一直被西班牙人所统治。1938年实现完全独立之前，它曾是墨西哥，然後又是中美洲联合省的一部分。1912到1933年间，美国在尼加拉瓜驻紮军队，干预它的政治事务。1936到1979年间受专制的苏慕萨家族的统治，民众起义後，桑定主义者夺取了政权。1981年後，桑定主义者遭到了美国支持的武装起义分子的反对。桑定主义者政府将数个经济部门实行国有化，但在1990年的全国大选中失败。新的联合政府将许多经济活动重回私人控制，但在整个1990年代，统治的政府与桑定主义者之间的动乱一直持续着。
English version：
Nicaragua
Republic, Central America. Area: 50,464 sq mi (130,700 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 4,632,000. Capital: Managua. Most of the people are mestizos. Languages: Spanish (official), indigenous Indian languages, English. Religion: Roman Catholicism. Currency: New Córdoba. Nicaragua's western half consists of thickly forested mountain ranges and fertile valleys. Parallel to the Pacific coast is a belt of about 40 dormant and active volcanoes. The eastern coastline along the Caribbean is known as the Mosquito Coast. Earthquakes are common. Nicaragua has a developing market economy based largely on agriculture, light industries, and trade. It is a republic with one legislative house; its head of state and government is the president. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, most notably by the Maya. Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502, and Spanish explorers discovered Lake Nicaragua soon thereafter. Nicaragua was governed by Spain until 1821, when it declared its independence. It was part of Mexico and then the United Provinces of Central America until 1938 when full independence was achieved. The U.S. intervened in political affairs by maintaining troops there 1912-33. Ruled by the dictatorial Somoza dynasty 1936-79, it was taken over by the Sandinistas after a popular revolt. They were opposed by armed insurgents, the U.S.-backed contras, from 1981. The Sandinista government nationalized several sectors of the economy but lost the national elections in 1990. The new coalition government returned many economic activities to private control, but unrest between the ruling government and the Sandinistas continued through the 1990s.