The independent-reporter., 1909-12-23
FACTS CONCERNING
NICARAGUA
Pertinent Questions are
Answered
its Government Climate of the Yer,
Hest.

Everybody seems TO be asking. IN
view OF the present developments
what. exactly is Nicaragua. how large
Is It. what are its resources. com
merce and climateg Some interest
ing comparisons and fact, prepared
by the International Bureau of
American Republics. will help to
answer these pertinent natural ques-
tons.
There is only four square miles diff
ference between the area of Nicara-
qua and the state of New York. Take
Connecticut out of New England and
Nicaragua would cover the rest of IL.
1t is approximately half the size of
the state of Washington. To be exact,
1t covers 49,200 square miles which
is larger than Holland Belgium and
Denmark combined. 1t has a re
markable extent of coast line on two
oceans. On the Caribbean, it reach
es nearly 300 miles due north and
south; on the Pacific. ii extends 225
miles. Its greatest width is 275 miles
or approximately the distance from
Washington to New York. Its least
width is 1875 miles, or approximately
the distance from Chicago to the
Mississippi river.
1t has the smallest population OF
any Central American country. out is
correspondence capable of great ma
terial development. There are only
about 100000 people within its limits
Of these, five-sixths are upon the
western or Pacific side. The eastern.
or Caribbean shore lies low end is
drained by many rivers. The only
industry of this section is the grow
ing of bananas which We're shipped
in 1903 to the number of 100000
punches, valued at 80 cents a bunch.
The principal town here is Bluefields,
a little south of the center, having
5000 inhabitants. 1t is 1856 miles
from New Orleans and 80 miles from
Colon. The only other important
places on this east coast are Grey
town, at the southern point, with
1000 inhabitants, near the mouth of
the San Juan river, which WAS to
have been the course of the 1sthmian
canal if built through Nicaragua, and
! Cape Gracias a Dios. at the Northern
point, with only 1900 people. On the
populated Pacific slope the chief cit
les are Leon, the historic and inter
esting old capital, with 10000 inhabi
tants; Managua, the present capital
with 100000; Matagalpa. with 10000;
Granada, with $4,000 and several other
towns of from 5000 to 10000. The
principal port on the Pacific side Is
! Corinto, near the northern end, with
only about 1000 people. At the
/ southern end is the harbor of San
/ Juan del Sur.
There Is one railroad in Nicaragua
which starts at Corinto and runs to
! Managua and thence across to Gran
! ada on Lake Nicaragua, which is the
| largest inland body of water in all
Latin America. If one wishes to go
| to Nicaragua he can take steamers on
! the Atlantic side from New York, New
Orleans or Mobile. Going by Pacific
he will take steamers from San Fran
cisco or from coast points Of other
countries. Perhaps the quickest way
! to reach 1t today is either through
Mexico ty rail and by steamer from
Salina Cruz to Corinto, or by steamer
from New Orleans direct to Bluefelds.
The latter journey generally takes
about four days. If, however, one
/ lands on the east coast it is practi-
cally impossible to go to the west
coast on account of the lack of rail
roads and other facilities. A COM
mon way to go to the west coast is
via Panama and the Pacific side.
The total value of the foreign trade
of Nicaragua in 1908 amounted to ST.
/ 800 600, of which exports were $4,-
100000 and imports $3,000,000. Mica
ragua bought from the United States
textiles, clothing, machinery, etc,
valued at 81 100000 She sold to the
United States. bananas, coffee, rub
ber, mahogany, cattle, hides, etc, val
ued at $1.650,900.
Nicaragua has a president, cab
met with five ministers or secretaries,
l3 departments or states, and Ave di-
visions like our territories. Its Ma
tional assembly consists OF only one
chamber which is now in session.
I Lying between ten degrees, As min
utes and IA degrees, 55 minutes north
latitude, and between SO degrees II
minutes and 81 degree, 40 min
dtes west longitude it is located
all within the tropics. but it has a
considerable variety of climate Al
though the east coast is low-lying and
very warm, the central and western
sections are in parts so mountainous
and elevated that the temperature
never reaches a high point and the cli-
mate can be considered salubrious
The western section, in which the
greater part of the population, is To-
Gated has such varying latitude. and
the country is so broken with lakes
and so close to the sea, that it Is not
by any means as hot as it would ap-
pear to be on the map.