Immigration to Nicaragua

Last updated

First generation immigrants account for less than 1% of the population of Nicaragua, or about 50,000 people. Immigrants have come from neighboring countries, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. In the past there was also an intake of African slaves. These immigrants have combine with the established European settlers and indigenous Mestizos people to give Nicaragua a wide cultural mix. Immigration into Nicaragua has recently increased after a considerable drop in the decades between 1950 and 1980.

Contents

Currently and statistics

According to data from 2020, people born in Honduras represent the largest group of immigrants in Nicaragua, with 31,09% of the total, followed by people from Costa Rica and the United States. [1]

PlaceCountry2020
1Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 13,110
2Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 11,281
3Flag of the United States.svg  United States 3,775
4Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 2,557
5Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 1,843
6Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba 984
7Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 885
8Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 480
9Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 467
10Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 423
11Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 313
12Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 281
13Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 278
14Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 262
15Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 237
16Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 202
17Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 198
18Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 195
19Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 165
20Flag of France.svg  France 154
21Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 144
22Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 130
23Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 126
24Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 123
25Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria 117
26Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador 115
27Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 86
27Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 86
29Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 83
30Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 80
TOTAL42,167

History

Early of immigration

The Nicaragua immigration began with the arrival of the first conqueror Gil González de Ávila, in April 1523. after began arriving soldiers, missionaries, cures and Castilian laborers, some stayed, but the majority re-emigrated to Peru. So also came first African blacks slaves of the Europeans. The Spaniards lived in towns and villages founded for them, the Indians were forced to live in so-called Indian villages. The cities founded by the Spaniards were León, Granada, and Nueva Segovia, the towns of Santa María de la Esperanza and Villa Hermosa (both close to Nueva Segovia), New Jaen (near the Great Lake), the Villa de Nuestra Señora de Rivas and the town of El Realejo founded to assist the rapid growth of the port of Possession. All the others were Indian villages such as Sutiaba, Jalteva, Sébaco, Matagalpa, Metapa, etc. In the Caribbean, from 1640 there was a growth of zambos, because to the arrival of a Portuguese slave ship who settled in the Mosquito Coast, close to the coast of Cabo Gracias a Dios in Honduras, these slaves were mixed with some natives of the region. [2]

European immigration

The first Europeans immigrants to Nicaragua began arriving in 1524 with the troops, priests and laborers who came with Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, the Spanish conqueror of Nicaragua, These were from regions near Sevilla, Puerto de Palos, and Cadiz. In the sixteenth century, some pirates from England, Holland, and France were settled in the Mosquito Coast. In the late of the seventeenth century these abandoned the pirataje and engaged in the commerce, also occurred some mixtures between these European pirates with the Indians of the Mosquito Coast. So founded the town of Blawveld (after called Bluefields by the Britons) since the seventeenth century. However, during the three centuries that lasted the Spanish colony (1524-1821) immigrants in Nicaragua were mostly originating from the Iberian Peninsula, There was a very small number of immigrants from friendly countries of Colonial Spain, from the Catholic populations in Italy, France, Ireland, Austria, and the Germans principalities of the south. [2] After the independence traders from England, France, Germany and Italy arrived to reside in Nicaragua and do business, but most moved to Matagalpa, mainly Germans since the construction of coffee fincas, while the Britons regained the Mosquito Coast after withdrawal in the early nineteenth century. [3]

Other countries

Chinese immigration

The first Chinese immigrants arrived in Nicaragua on the coast of the Central American country in the second half of the nineteenth century. As the first members of the Chinese colonies in the Americas, these immigrants came to Nicaragua to escape the chaotic situation in China for that time. The majority of them came from the province of Guangdong, which was what had relatively less control over their ports. the travelers enter to San Juan del Norte navigating the river of the same name and then the lake of Granada, to disembark at the port of La Virgen in Rivas, moving overland to San Juan del Sur, where they took another ship to California. However, the Chinese people continued to arrive, many of them illegally by bribing officials. They focused mainly on agriculture, fishing, and retail trade. In the mid-1920s, was performed a census where it was made known that Bluefields had a population of 4,000 inhabitants, of whom five hundred were pure Chinese. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicaragua</span> Country in Central America

Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the country's capital and largest city. As of 2015, it was estimated to be the third largest city in Central America. Nicaragua's multiethnic population of six million includes people of mestizo, Indigenous, European and African heritage. The main language is Spanish. Indigenous tribes on the Mosquito Coast speak their own languages and English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito Coast</span> Coastline in Central America

The Mosquito Coast is the area along the eastern coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras. It was named after the local Miskito Nation and was long dominated by British interests and known as the Mosquito Kingdom. From 1860 suzerainty of the area was transferred to Nicaragua with the name Mosquito Reserve, and in November 1894 the Mosquito Coast was militarily incorporated into Nicaragua. However, in 1960, the northern part was granted to Honduras by the International Court of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nueva Segovia Department</span> Department of Nicaragua

Nueva Segovia is a department in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 3,491 km2 and has a population of 275,291. The capital is Ocotal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluefields</span> Municipality in South Caribbean Autonomous Region, Nicaragua

Bluefields is the capital of the South Caribbean Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. It was also the capital of the former Kingdom of Mosquitia, and later the Zelaya Department, which was divided into North and South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions. It is located on Bluefields Bay at the mouth of the Bluefields River in the municipality of the same name.

Mískito Coast Creole or Nicaraguan Creole English is an English-based creole language spoken in coastal Nicaraguan region of Mosquito Coast on the Caribbean Sea; its approximately 40,000 speakers are spread over the RAAN and RAAS regions of Nicaragua. The region, known before 1986 as the Zelaya department, is today administratively separated into two autonomous regions: North Caribbean Coast (RAAN) and South Caribbean Coast (RAAS). Mosquito is the nickname that is given to the region and earlier residents by early Europeans who visited and settled in the area. The term "Miskito" is now more commonly used to refer to both the people and the language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matagalpa</span> Municipality in Matagalpa Department, Nicaragua

Matagalpa is a city in Nicaragua which is the capital of the department of Matagalpa. The city has a population of 112,697, while the population of the department is 606,643. Matagalpa is Nicaragua's seventh largest city, the largest in the country's interior, and one of the most commercially active outside of Managua. Matagalpa is known as the "Pearl of the North" and "Land of Eternal Spring."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayangna people</span>

The Mayangna are a people who live on the eastern coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras, an area commonly known as the Mosquito Coast. Their preferred autonym is Mayangna, as the name "Sumo" is a derogatory name historically used by the Miskito people. Their culture is closer to that of the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia than to the Mesoamerican cultures to the north. The Mayangna inhabited much of the Mosquito Coast in the 16th century. Since then, they have become more marginalized following the emergence of the Miskito as a regional power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration to Mexico</span> Overview of immigration to Mexico

Immigration to Mexico has been important in shaping the country's demographics. Since the early 16th century, with the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Today, millions of their descendants still live in Mexico and can be found working in different professions and industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic groups in Central America</span>

Central America is a subregion of the Americas formed by six Latin American countries and one (officially) Anglo-American country, Belize. As an isthmus it connects South America with the remainder of mainland North America, and comprises the following countries : Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Chinese Nicaraguans are Nicaraguans of Chinese ancestry who immigrated to or born in Nicaragua. They are part of the Chinese diaspora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tip-Top Restaurant</span> Nicaraguan restaurant chain

Tip-Top(often referred to as 'Pollo Tip-Top') is a national chain of restaurants in Nicaragua, predominantly selling chicken. It is headquartered in the country's capital city of Managua and is a franchise of Tip Top Industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Nicaragua-related articles</span>

The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to Nicaragua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Nicaragua</span> Languages of the country and its peoples

The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish; however, Nicaraguans on the Caribbean coast speak indigenous languages and also English. The communities located on the Caribbean coast also have access to education in their native languages. Additionally, Nicaragua has four extinct indigenous languages.

The western Caribbean zone is a region consisting of the Caribbean coasts of Central America and Colombia, from the Yucatán Peninsula in southern Mexico to the Caribbean region in northern Colombia, and the islands west of Jamaica are also included. The zone emerged in the late sixteenth century as the Spanish failed to completely conquer many sections of the coast, and northern European powers supported opposition to Spain, sometimes through alliances with local powers.

The Miskito Sambu, also known simply as the Miskito, are an ethnic group of mixed cultural ancestry occupying a portion of the Caribbean coast of Central America known as the Mosquito Coast region. Although older records, beginning with Spanish documents of the early 18th century, refer to the group as "Mosquitos Zambos", modern ethnographic terminology uses the term Miskito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afro-Nicaraguans</span> Nicaraguans of African descent

Afro-Nicaraguans are Nicaraguans of Sub-Saharan African descent. Five main distinct ethnic groups exist: The Creoles who descend from Anglo-Caribbean countries and many of whom still speak Nicaragua English Creole, the Miskito Sambus descendants of Spanish slaves and indigenous Central Americans who still speak Miskito and/or Miskito Coast Creole, the Garifunas descendants of Zambos expelled from St. Vincent who speak Garifuna, the Rama Cay zambos a subset of the Miskito who speak Rama Cay Creole, and the descendants of those enslaved by the Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afro-Hondurans</span> Ethnic group

Afro-Hondurans or Black Hondurans are Hondurans of Sub-Saharan African descent. Research by Henry Louis Gates and other sources regards their population to be around 1-2%. They descended from: enslaved Africans by the Spanish, as well as those who were enslaved from the West Indies and identify as Creole peoples, and the Garifuna who descend from exiled zambo Maroons from Saint Vincent. The Creole people were originally from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, while the Garifuna people were originally from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Garifunas arrived in the late seventeen hundreds and the Creole peoples arrived during the eighteen hundreds. About 600,000 Hondurans are of Garífuna descent that are a mix of African and indigenous as of Afro Latin Americans. Honduras has one of the largest African community in Latin America.

At the 2011 census, the number of immigrants in Costa Rica totaled about 390,000 individuals, or about 9% of the country's population. Following a considerable drop from 1950 through 1980, immigration to Costa Rica has increased in recent decades.

The Spanish conquest of Nicaragua was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish conquistadores against the natives of the territory now incorporated into the modern Central American republic of Nicaragua during the colonisation of the Americas. Before European contact in the early 16th century, Nicaragua was inhabited by a number of indigenous peoples. In the west, these included Mesoamerican groups such as the Chorotega, the Nicarao, and the Subtiaba. Other groups included the Matagalpa and the Tacacho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicarao people</span> Nahua ethnic group of Nicaragua

The Nicarao are a Nahua people who live in western Nicaragua and northwestern Costa Rica. They spoke the Nahuat language before it went extinct in both countries.

References

  1. "Nicaragua - Inmigrantes totales". expansion.com/ Datosmacro.com (in Spanish).
  2. 1 2 Revista Vinculado. Nicaragua: historia de inmigrantes. De dónde eran y por qué emigraron .Retrieved, 02/12/2014.
  3. Eddy Kuhl Inmigración centro-europea a Matagalpa, Nicaragua Archived December 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Archive .Retrieved, 02/12/2014.
  4. La Colonia china en Nicaragua.Friday, 25/03/2011.Retrieved, 02/12/2014.