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Nicaragua and the autonomous regions Introducing the HoverAid Hovercare project |
Nicaragua and the Autonomous regions Nicaragua is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and one of the poorest in Latin America; this is hardly surprising considering the country’s 20th Century history, comprising of civil insurrections, a cruel long-lasting authoritarian regime, a devastating civil-war and a series of natural disasters.
In 1991 the civil-war ended with the election of a democratic Government and since this time the country has been working hard to rebuild itself and redevelop both its political and physical infrastructures. |
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In comparison with the UK:
- In Nicaragua 43 children under 5 die per 1,000 compared to 6 in the UK
- In Nicaragua 97 women die in childbirth per 100,000 births compared to 13 in the UK
The Atlantic Autonomous Regions:
For approximately 300 years, the Atlantic cost of Nicaragua was a battleground for English-Spanish interests and a refuge for pirates and smugglers, later replaced by conflicting British-US economic agendas.
The Coast is geographically separated from the Pacific region by the central mountain range and remains accessible by boat or plane only because of its terrain, although some efforts have been made recently to improve road links to the Regions. The area is characterised by rainforests, wetlands and rivers, and an inhospitable humid climate, which, alongside the scarcity of valuable minerals, minimised Spanish settlement. It is home to several ethnic groups, including Mestizos (people of both European and Amerindian ancestry – the largest ethnic group in the Regions),Miskitu, Creole, Ulwa (mostly referred to as Sumu), Garífuna (Black Caribs) and Rama. The Spanish language has traditionally been absent among the non-Mestizo population, where indigenous languages and Creole English prevail.
The lack of experience or understanding of the people of the Atlantic Coast on the part of the the Nicaraguan Government, based in the Pacific region of the country, led to a legislative move to form two Autonomous Regions (North – RAAN, and South – RAAS) in 1987. These occupy over 60,366 Km² (more than half of the national territory) and are today home to approximately 627,000 people.
The geographic and political isolation from the Pacific Coast, high unemployment rates, lack of public investment and the exceptionally high cost of living on the Atlantic Coast create and reinforce conditions of severe income poverty in the Atlantic regions; despite some apparent improvements, poverty remains an ongoing challenge to development and Autonomy.