Who Are the Nicaraguan People?

Nicaraguan people are people from Nicaragua, a Central American nation. The country is flanked by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and is bordered by Honduras and Costa Rica to the northwest and south respectively. Managua is the largest city as well as the country's capital. The population of Nicaragua is 6,167,237 as of the 2012 census. Their official language of the country is Spanish. Below is a brief description of the largest ethnic groups of Nicaragua.

Ethnic Groups of Nicaragua

Mestizo

The term Mestizo is a Spanish word that has traditionally been used by both the Philippines and the Latin Americans to refer to descendants of both the Native Americans and the Caucasoid. The people of the Mestizo are described as a mixture of the Native Americans and the Whites, which make up of approximately 69% of the Nicaraguan population. Majority of these people practice Christianity as their primary religion.

White

The whites are the second largest ethnic group among the people of Nicaragua after the Mestizo. They constitute 24% of the total population of the Nicaraguans. Together with the Mestizo, the whites are mainly living in the western region of Nicaragua. A majority of this ethnic group is composed of the Spanish, Germans, Portuguese, and the French.

Black

The blacks comprise 9% of the people of Nicaragua. They are sometimes referred to as the Afro-Nicaraguan, and they are mostly found in the Caribbean coast. The blacks have been classified among the Creoles who do not consider themselves as an ethnic group among the people of Nicaragua. The Creoles are said to have come up during the colonial period and are described as a mixture of Europeans and non-Europeans. Most of the Creoles are from Jamaica as the British brought them as laborers during the colonial era.

Native American

It is estimated that the Native Americans comprise only 5% of the total population of the Nicaraguans. The Native Americans are the indigenous inhabitants of the Nicaragua country. The pre-Colombian population of Nicaragua’s is made up of various indigenous groups, which form the Native Americans. This group of people existed in this country long before colonization. Besides, they are found in some parts of Nicaragua such as in the Western region where they are referred to as the Pipil-Nicaraos. The Mestizo assimilated the Native Americans in the nineteenth century since the latter was the majority population.

Population of Nicaragua

The population of Nicaragua has undergone considerable changes due to the high number of immigrants. In the nineteenth century, this country received immigrants from Europe who played a significant role in the establishment of sugar plantations and banks. The population of this country has also been affected by emigration. For instance, during the Nicaraguan Revolution, thousands of the people fled the country. The Mitch Hurricane is also said to have made many Nicaraguans to flee this country and be refugees in countries such as the United States.