Nicaragua — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Nicaragua: capital Managua, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Nicaragua is in North America. Its capital is Managua.

Climate

Tropical in the lowlands; cooler in the highlands; dry season December to May

Extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain with volcanoes

Lake Nicaragua has the only freshwater sharks in the world.

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America.

Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua is formed by two volcanoes rising from the water and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

1524: Spanish colonization begins under Francisco Hernández de Córdoba

1821: Nicaragua gains independence from Spain

1936: Somoza dynasty begins its decades-long rule

1979: Sandinista Revolution overthrows the Somoza dictatorship

1990: Violeta Chamorro elected president in free elections, ending the civil war