Nicaragua, formally the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua, is the biggest nation in the Central American isthmus, bordered to the northwest by Honduras, to the east by the Caribbean, to the south by Costa Rica, and to the southwest by the Pacific Ocean. Managua is the capital and biggest city of Nicaragua, as well as the third-largest metropolis in Central America, behind Tegucigalpa and Guatemala City. Six million individuals of mestizo, indigenous, European, and African ancestry make up the multi-ethnic population. Spanish is the primary language. The Mosquito Coast's indigenous tribes speak their own languages as well as English.
The territory, which had been inhabited by many indigenous civilizations from ancient times, was captured by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. In 1821, Nicaragua declared independence from Spain. The Mosquito Coast had a distinct historical trajectory, having been colonized by the English in the 17th century and then come under British authority. It became a Nicaraguan independent territory in 1860, and its northernmost section was given to Honduras in 1960. Nicaragua has had periods of political upheaval, authoritarianism, occupation, and budgetary catastrophe since its independence, notably the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and the Contra War of the 1980s.
The blending of cultural traditions has resulted in significant variations in folklore, food, music, and literature, notably literature, thanks to the literary achievements of Nicaraguan poets and authors such as Rubén Daro. Nicaragua, popularly known as the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes," is home to the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, the Americas' second-largest rainforest. Nicaragua is becoming an increasingly attractive tourist destination due to its ecological richness, mild tropical climate, and active volcanoes. Nicaragua is a founding member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of American States, ALBA, and the Latin American and Caribbean States Community.