Day 1
Upon my arrival in Nicaragua, I realized that there is very little diversity among the people here. Therefore, it seems that there is very limited immigration to Nicaragua nowadays. Also, the traditions of Nicaragua have not changed much as a result.
Nicaragua has had a negative net migration rate for a very long time, and the people living in Nicaragua have not changed for many generations. The majority of emigrants who leave Nicaragua go to other Caribbean nations such as Honduras and Costa Rica, or go to Florida.
Recently the emigration from Nicaragua has slowed down, but the net migration rate is still negative and shows no signs of becoming positive in the near future. Nowadays, almost all of the emigrants from Nicaragua migrate to the United States, specifically Florida.
The emigration is mainly caused by better economic opportunites elsewhere. Historically, a large part of the emigration is also due to conflicts in Nicaragua. Most recently, hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans left Nicaragua because of the Sandista takeover in the late 1970's.
As a negative result of the migration in Nicaragua, the country has stayed mostly isolated from outside ideas, and all of the prime labor force is leaving for other countries. Also, the economy is suffering due to the declining amount of consumers in the country. Fortunately, some of the migrants come back to the country with new knowledge of other countries. As a result, Nicaragua is slowly becoming more culturally diverse.
Day 2
On my second day here in Nicaragua, I wanted to explore the cultural aspects of the people here. It would appear to be a mix of Spanish culture and a native influence. The people here are very proud of their culture, and it can be seen anywhere on the streets.
The political system in Nicaragua is a Presidential Republic. The president of Nicaragua is Daniel Ortega, and Jaime Carazo is the vice president. The people seem to be satisfied by their current government, and their is very little conflict as a result.
Nicaraguan cuisine is an interesting mixture of Spanish food and Creole food. There are also some influences form other Jamaican nations mixed into the food. Local ingredients are considered a vital part of there cuisine, so fruits and corn can be found in almost all of their dishes.
There are many indigenous languages that can be found in Nicaragua, but Spanish is the only official language recognized by the government. All of the inhabitants also have the ability to speak English, and as a result can easily communicate even between groups with different main languages.
Day 3
The Nicaraguan government has not been functioning the way a government is supposed to. The legislative and executive branches are not working together. They have contradicted each other many times and it is causing problems with getting done what needs to be done. If the government cannot run smoothly, it becomes very difficult to pass laws and resolve the issues of the country in a timely manner. If this issue continues, Nicaragua will not be able to make necessary laws and the country will fall behind in regards to policy and the economy will fall behind as well.
In Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is very low, $2800, and the growth rate is low as well. Nicaragua has to be able to increase their GDP as a reasonable rate if they expect the economy to be successful. The people are living in poverty, and the majority of the money is with a very small percent of the population. If the GDP per capita does not increase, the economy will never improve, and Nicaragua cannot become a big player in the global market.
Day 4
In Nicaragua, the availability of education is not at the level it should be. While the government is working to improve upon the educational availability, many children are not able to read and write. The literacy rate is 68%, which clearly shows the lack of education. Resulting from the lack of education, is the low GDP per capita. Many of the people going into the workforce do not have the necessary education to make a good wage and live comfortably.
Another issue facing Nicaragua is poverty. The issues regarding poverty are a direct result of the lack of education that I mentioned before. It is going to be difficult for the government to find a way to get the country out of poverty until the education level is improved upon. Also, the poverty is a major factor in emigration from Jamaica to other nations.
The final issue I will cover in Nicaragua is the life expectancy. The life expectancy in Nicaragua is 71.8 years. That is not necessarilly a bad figure considering the other factors influencing Nicaragua, but it should grow in the future. The life expectancy shows that there is a poor access to medicine and the healthcare system in Nicaragua is not as good as it should be.
Day 5 (Final Post)
In my opinion, Nicaragua is clearly a nation in transition. The only factors holding Nicaragua back from being a developed nation are the GDP per capita and the literacy rate. With a GDP per capita of only $2800, the people of Nicaragua cannot make a comfortable living for themselves. The literacy rate in Nicaragua is only 68%, which shows that the education levels are extremely poor compared to other nations. On the upside, the life expectancy in Nicaragua is 71.8 years, which is incredibly good for a nation with such low education levels and a low GDP per capita. There are many nations that are worse of than Nicaragua, such as Haiti and Cuba, but Nicaragua has all of the necessary resources to become developed.
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