The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-10
NICARAGUA At A GLANCE
ON 1890 INHABITANTS, but
LAA etyPABLE OF GREAT
oPMENr.

oeoHib 10 DO asking, m view Of pres
ent developments, what, exactly, is
Nicaragua, how large IL, 1t, what are
Its resources. commerce and climate?
Some Interesting comparison and
iacts. prepared. by the International
bureau of American republics, will
help to answer these questions.
There Is only four square miles
difference between the area of Mic
aragua and the state Of New York.
Iake Connecticut out Of New England
ana Nicaragua would cover the rest
OF 1t. It is approximately half the
size OF the state Of WASHINGTON. To
Dc exact, It covers 40 200 square miles
which Is larger than Holland, Belgi-
um and Denmark combined, Il has
q remarkable extent Of coast line on
two oceans. On the Caribbean sea
1t reaches nearly 300 miles due north
and south; on the Pacific It extends
226 miles. Its greatest width is 275
miles. or approximately the. distance
from Washington to New York. It's
width Is rs miles, or approximately
the distance from Chicago to the Mis-
sissippi river.
Population is Small.
It mas the smallest population of
any Central American country. but
is correspondingly capable of great
material development. There are
only about 100000 people within it's
limits. OF these, five-sixths are 1,non
tne western or Pacific side. The east
ern or Caribbean shore lies low and
Is drained by many rivers. The only
industry OF this section is the grow
ing OF bananas. which were shipped
IN 1908 to the number of 1900 900
punches, valued at 60 cents a bunch,
The principal town here is Bluefield,
q little south of the center, having
1000 inhabitants. It is 1,186 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 r.
00Qe inhabitants. near the. mouth OF
the san Juan river. which va, was to
have been the course OF the Isthmian
canal II built through Nicaragua, and
Cape Gracias Dios, at the northern
point, with only 1900 people. On the
populated Pacific slope the chief cities
are Leon, the historic and interesting
old capital, with 10000 inhabitants; !;
Managua. the present capital, with
10000; Matagalpa, with 10000; Gra-
NADIA, with 10000; and several other
towns of from 5000 to 10000. The
principal port on the Pacific slope is
Corinto, near the northern end, with
only about 1000 people. At the south
ern end ;is the harbor of San Juan
del Sur.
Country Has One Railroad.
There is one railroad in Nicaragua
which starts at Corinto and runs to
Managua and thence across to Gra-
NADIA on Lake Nicaragua. which is the
largest inland body of water in all
Latin America. II one wishes to 70
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 Francisco or from coast points
to other countries. Perhaps the quick
est way to reach 1t today is either
through Mexico by rail and by steam
er from Salina Cruz to Corinto, or
by steamer from New Orleans direct
to Bluefleld. The latter journey gen.
orally takes about four days. II,
however, one lands on the east coast,
it is practically impossible to go to
the west coast on account of the lack
Of railroads and other facilities. A
common 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
$7,500,000, Of which exports were $4.-
100000 and imports $3.0e0.0O0. Mic
Aragua bought from the United States
textiles, clothing, machinery. etc. val
ued at $1,300.000 She sold to the
United States, bananas. coffee, rub
Der, mahogany, cattle, hides. etc. val
ued at $1,050.0
Nicaragua has a president, cab
met with five ministers or secretaries,
thirteen departments or states, and
i've divisions like our territories. Its
national assembly consists Of only
one chamber. which 10 now in ses-
sion.
Lying between ten degrees. forty
,five minutes and fourteen degrees.
fifty-fve minutes north latitude and
between eighty-three degrees forty
minutes west longitude. It Is located
all within the tropics Of climate. Al
though the east coast Is low lying
and warm. the central and western
sections are In parts 20 mountainous
and elevated that the temperature
never reaches high point and the
climate can be considered sulabrious.
The western section. in which the
greater part Of the population is To-
Gated, has such varying latitude
and the country is 20 broken with
lakes and so close to the sea that it
is not BY any means as hot as Il
would appear to be on the. map. ii Il
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