Reflective Essay: Nicaragua In Central America

Guatemala is a small country in central America, bordered by Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico. Guatemala is best known for their indigenous Mayan culture and excavated ruins of the Mayan empire, nature, and their world class coffee. If you visit Guatemala, you’ll see that it is unique in many ways.

     Guatemala’s culture is a unique product of Native American ways and a strong Spanish colonial heritage. About half of Guatemala’s population is mestizo (known in Guatemala as ladino), people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Ladino culture is dominant in urban areas, and is heavily influenced by European and North American trends. Unlike many Latin American countries, Guatemala still has a large indigenous population, the Maya, which has retained a distinct identity. Deeply rooted in the rural highlands of Guatemala, many indigenous people speak a Mayan language, follow traditional religious and village customs, and continue a rich tradition in textiles and other crafts. The two cultures

stated the necessity of the Soviet Union and Cuba to become allies, and this move would also influence many countries in Latin America to become allies with the Soviet Union rather than the U.S and the West.

n the 1800’s a lot of people from Europe started to come into Nicaragua. Also families from Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Germany moved to Nicaragua to set up their own businesses to do with money. They established coffee businesses, newspapers, hotels and banks. The U.S. government negotiated with President Jose Santos Zelaya to get land so their would be a canal through Nicaragua in the late 1800’s. The minister of Nicaragua, Luis Felipe Corea, went to Washington and wrote a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State John Hay addressing the needed support of a canal by the Zelaya government. The Zanchez-Merry Treaty was signed with Nicaragua regarding the canal through Columbia but fell through because it was rejected by John Hay. The Spooner Act,

When you are planning a holiday, the first thing that comes to mind is the BUDGET – whether it is booze, lip smacking food, cheap flights, comfortable accommodation or simply having fun! Our beautiful earth is abundant with spectacular locations no matter which end you want to go to but if you are planning a pocket friendly holiday, then there are a few locations that will indeed make you happy! London, Paris, New York, Cape Town, Dubai are some amazing and popular global destinations that certainly have the glitz and glamour but at a price! Here I have listed out some holiday favorites if you are planning one so that you spend less but get more.

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but is also full of history, tradition and life. It is known for its great folk music, deep heritage and culture. Nicaragua is hidden jewel with warm, gorgeous culture and breathtaking nature. It is surrounded by its incredible history, culture and nature.

Guatemala has more people than any other Central American country, with an estimated population of 11,980,000 it is home to many different cultures. The population can be divided into two groups; Indians and people of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry. But in Guatemala, being called an Indian or a non-Indian does not depend entirely on a person's ancestry. It is basically a matter of how people live and of how they categorize themselves. For example, a Guatemalan is considered an Indian if he or she speaks an Indian language, wears Indian clothing, and lives in a community where the people follow the Indian ways of life. The Indians think of themselves more as part of their community than of their country. They pay little attention

Honduras is one of those countries people barely know about there are really interesting things about honduras. The life expectancy of people in Honduras is 71. Some of the exports are coffee , bananas, shrimp, lobster etc. (text from national geographic atlas of the world eighth edition). Hondureno catracho (the national nickname) can be amusing; insulting , or friendly depending on the context “catracho” comes from the name Florencio Xatruch , the general who led the Honduran expeditionary force against William Walker in Nicaragua in 1856. The culture is very unique and interesting. The violence is terrifying , especially the security , you can basically get away with anything without getting caught or in any legal problems. The population in Honduras is very big depending on the area talked about and in different parts of the country. When there are special events or occasions usually the Honduran females wear special handmade outfits and dresses made by their mothers. Main sport in Honduras in soccer, play in many ways an also called futbol in spanish. Soccer is played in many different ways , and they also have many

The Civil War in Nicaragua was one of the defining events from the 1980s, and it also happened to be a defining event in my personal life and that of my family. The argument in question was over the nature of the revolution in Nicaragua, and the political motivations of the Sandinistas. I said that the situation in my home country is not as black-and-white as it has been presented in the media. I believe the situation that gave rise to this argument is rooted in a lack of accurate media coverage. Because I am from a Nicaraguan background, but also have one American parent, I can present a unique perspective that illuminates both sides of the argument to show that neither the Sandinistas nor the Americans had the best interests of Nicaragua at heart.

“The people of Nicaragua were suffering oppression. This made us develop an awareness which eventually led us to commit ourselves to the struggle against the domination of the capitalists of our country in collusion with the United States government.” (Daniel Ortega 1974) As has been discussed throughout the semester thus far many countries throughout Latin America have experienced a political revolution in some way, shape, or form. In the early 1970’s Nicaragua joined the long list of Latin American countries to experience a revolution when the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) lead by Daniel Ortega successfully overthrew the Somoza dynasty. Many people often times have a misconception of what exactly a political revolution

Central America Central America, just south of Mexico and North of Panama, consists of just six countries; Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Of those six, all share a distinct common history except for Belize. Belize for one is incredibly small, and while Spanish is the official language of other Central American countries, in Belize English is spoken. So throughout this paper as I carelessly say 'Central American' I am not including Belize whose history and development was far different than the others. Although Central America is located close to the United States in relation to the Eastern Hemisphere, our ways of life are indescribably different.

The United States government has been caught doing nefarious acts against other countries for years, from selling WMDs to Saddam Hussein or nuking Japan with the atom bomb. One of these acts was the support of the Nicaraguan “Freedom Fighters”. The “Freedom Fighters” or the Contras, were a group who rebelled against the Nicaraguan government, which was lead by a Communist named Daniel Ortega, and were supported by the Reagan administration. Because of the debacle with the Nicaraguan “Freedom Fighters”, the United States government lost credibility with other nations of the world.

Viva Nicaragua combines two of my passions in one experiential learning program. I have always loved traveling and exploring new places, to have the chance to push past my comfort zones. Furthermore, I am incredibly passionate about service and the health care industry. As someone who has shadowed doctors in America, as well as had surgery and required hospital stay, I have experienced both sides of the aisle when it comes to medicine. However, this programs offers me a chance to see outside the “American bubble” and gain a new perspective. I have never been to Nicaragua before and I look forward to the challenge and inspiration from being in a new country and the honor of shadowing doctors in another setting.

After the Nicaraguan revolution, in the early 1980’s and prior to taking office as the first female president in the history of Nicaragua, my great-grandmother began the sunday tradition at her home. Her four children and their immediate families got together to have dinner once a week. Because I lived in her house, I never missed one sunday. She did this in order to maintain the family together despite the political differences of her children. I thought of it as her being the roof holding four pillars steady. As a seven year old, I could feel the tension building up from heated conversations. I could be at one corner of the house and would listen how two argued about what the other two were doing wrong, and I had no idea what it was about.

Honduras, Nicaragua Deportations Delayed," Dec. 31: To grant temporary protected status for Hondurans and Nicaraguans is great news from Central America. However, It will relieve Honduras and Nicaragua from dealing with the forced repatriation of nationals who continue to bail out their economies. Furthermore, the Central Americans comprise, the second largest Latino group in California. However, California should not ignore Central America and therefore should expect our newest state secretary of trade commerce, Lon Hatamiya, to develop a viable economic policy in Central America.