There are thousands of bodies of water in the world, and each of them is special. Some are famous for their size, others for the composition of water, others extraordinary beauty, fourth with unique flora and fauna. Lake Nicaragua combines all these qualities and also differs interesting story occurrence and a kind of hydrological regime. Every year this natural reservoir attracts thousands of adventure seekers and just curious citizens who study our planet with interest. We also offer you to take a small excursion to an amazing and mysterious lake Nicaragua. Unfortunately or fortunately, you will not meet sharks on it, but we promise that our virtual walk will be no less exciting and informative than the real one.
Location
From the name of the lake, everyone can guess that it is located in the distant Latin American republic of Nicaragua. If you recall the school geography lessons, it will become clear that Nicaragua is washed by two oceans at once - the Atlantic in the east and the Pacific in the west. In the Atlantic, just off the coast of the country, the Caribbean Sea, which has become a symbol of pirates of all times, splashes. From the north, Nicaragua has a common border with Honduras, but this is not so important for our trip. In the south, the republic borders on a very distinctive country - Costa Rica.
So, the purpose of our trip is Lake Nicaragua, which is located about a kilometer from this border. Moreover, a rather extended piece south coast the reservoir practically repeats its shape. In view of this proximity, Costa Ricans often visit the lake for recreation, and some - to conduct illegal economic activities on it. The Pacific Ocean is less than 10 km from the lake, which has its own scientific explanation. The distance from the Caribbean Sea is much greater and is in a straight line, that is, through the jungle and swamps, about 110 km. Several large and small settlements have sprung up on the shores of the lake. The most significant of them are the town of Rivas (in the east) and Big City Granada in the northeast.
How to get there?
We found out where Lake Nicaragua is. Now let's figure out how we can get there, for example, from Moscow. The capital of the distant republic of Nicaragua is the city of Managua. He grew up on the shore of the lake of the same name, much smaller in size than the object of our trip, but also very beautiful. Managua has a large international Airport, where there are several flights from Moscow.
Note that you need to cover 10,800 km by air. The journey will not only be long, but also not very comfortable, since you will have to make 2 transfers. The first one will be in one of the European countries(most often this is the Netherlands and the city of Amsterdam), the second is either in America (the most suitable cities are Houston and Miami), or in Panama, or in Mexico, or in Costa Rica. The flight will take at least 22 hours. The price of a one-way ticket is about 16,000 rubles. A visa is not needed for Russians, but you will have to pay $ 10. e. at the entrance and 35 usd. e. when leaving the country.
Note that the time difference in Nicaragua and Moscow is 9 hours. From Managua we need to get to the city of Granada, which is already very close - only 42 km. You can overcome them by taxi or by an exotic Nicaraguan bus, here called the chicken bus. Along the lake, from its western side, there is a road, along which you can get to other settlements.
A few words about history
Few people know that the Republic of Nicaragua owes its name to the Indian tribes of Nicarao, who were once the rulers of these places. When the Spaniards arrived here, the tribe was ruled by the leader of Nicarao, who heroically died fighting the pioneers. In memory of him and of the people who inhabited these lands, the country is named, and with it the lake of Nicaragua. The incredible proximity of the Pacific Ocean gives the right to assume that the lake was once part of it, but thanks to tectonic processes that took place in prehistoric times, part of the land rose, separating the lake from the ocean. To some extent, this is confirmed by the finds of paleontologists, as well as the unique composition of the fauna living in the reservoir.
Lake Nicaragua: description of the reservoir
This natural object called unique for a reason. The lake is the second largest in Latin America and the nineteenth in the world. Its surface area is 8157 km 2, it is 177 km long, its maximum width is over 70 km, and its depth reaches 70 meters. The western shores of the lake are more or less ennobled. As already noted, there is a road leading to Costa Rica, and beyond the village of Rivas, almost to the very border, it stretches almost at the very coast. On the western side, not so far from the lake, there are a number of still active volcanoes.
The eastern shores of the reservoir are less developed. There is also a road here, but it is of a lower category, so it becomes difficult to pass during the rainy season. On it you can get to small settlements - San Carlos (there is a local airport), San Migelit, Acoyapa. From them to the lake smallest distance- 5 km. To the east of these cities begin impenetrable jungle and swamps. There are a couple of fishing villages on the eastern shores of the lake, for example La Pelona or Puerto Diaz, but they are not of tourist interest.
Islands
Lake Nicaragua has given shelter to about three hundred islands and islets. Most of them are uninhabited. The largest island in the reservoir is called Ometele (in local “two mountains”). There are indeed two crater hills. active volcanoes... The outlines of the island resemble a dumbbell, at the ends of which there are volcanoes, and a thin isthmus serves as a bridge between them. The length of this "dumbbell" is 31 km, the width of its spherical parts is 10 and 5 km. Ometele is inhabited, about 30 thousand people live here.
The second largest island in the lake is called Zapatera. It has its own volcano, the crater height of which is 630 meters, and the area of the entire island is no more than 52 km 2. This piece of land has been declared a nature reserve.
The third noteworthy island is Solentiname. More precisely, this is a whole archipelago, which includes 4 more or less large islets: Mancaroncito, Mancaron (the largest), San Fernando and La Venada, there are also 32 very small ones that do not even have a name. This archipelago is also declared a national reserve.
Water resources
The San Juan River flows from Lake Nicaragua and runs to the Caribbean Sea. Shipping is so developed on it that the city of Granada, located from Atlantic Ocean at a decent distance, it is considered an Atlantic port, not a Pacific one. By the way, it was along the San Juan River that more numerous pirates fell into Lake Nicaragua, who felt quite at ease here. Now this river helps representatives of the oceanic ichthyofauna to swim into the reservoir.
The second major river important for the lake is the Tipitapa, which connects the bodies of water in Nicaragua and Managua. The lake is fed by about twenty small rivulets flowing into it from the eastern, southern and western sides.
Flora
Lake Nicaragua lies in the tropics. It is always warm here, daytime temperatures do not drop below + 25 ° C in winter and + 32 ° C in summer. This region is characterized by a distinct rainy season and quite powerful trade winds. By the way, real storms are not uncommon on the lake.
This climate determines the growth of a wide variety of vegetation along the lake shores and near them, many of which are unique, such as redwood and rubber plants. You can also find pine and oak here, and mangroves reign in the area between Caribbean and eastern shores lakes.
Fauna
Active economic activity contributes to deforestation, which is changing the microclimate in the region and its biostructure. Jaguars, anteaters, tapirs, several species of monkeys, ocelots, cougars, crocodiles are still preserved here, unusual amphibians live in the coastal thickets - ambistomas, similar to salamanders, but when the Nicaraguan Canal is completed, the route of which will stretch across the lake, their fate will be deplorable. Almost all sources, describing interesting facts about Lake Nicaragua, call sharks in the first place. But on the coast of the reservoir there is a no less interesting animal - helmeted basilisks. These are ancient and rather large lizards, the body length of which reaches 75 cm. A curious fact - basilisks can run not only on land, but also on the water surface of the lake, while developing a speed of up to 12 km / h.
Shark
The description of Lake Nicaragua - a reservoir, animal world which is unusually rich, if not to say about sharks. The reservoir we are describing is the only freshwater lake in the world where these predators are found. Locals believe that there are two varieties of them here - the visitante (white-bellied) and tintoreros (red-bellied). Both belong to the bull shark species. Thanks to these predators, Lake Nicaragua is considered quite dangerous for divers, surfers and just swimmers, because many cases of shark attacks on people are recorded every year. Often, predator attacks end in death for their victims.
Bull sharks have a characteristic feature - a blunt snout. They grow in length up to 4 meters. This species is capable of dwelling in both salt and fresh water. These predators hunt not only at depth, but also in shallow water, which creates a tangible threat to people swimming in the lake. Freshwater shark the lakes of Nicaragua, as well as the swordfish, are indirect evidence that this body of water was once part of the ocean.
Where to stay, what to do?
We got acquainted with all the features and interesting facts concerning Lake Nicaragua. Travelers arriving here can stay in one of the hotels in the city of Granada or the island of Ometele. Hotel prices are very low, you can rent a decent room for just $ 30. e. per day. To get to Ometele, you need to take a ferry in the town of Rivas. You can't get to the island from Granada.
Arriving at Lake Nicaragua, you can catch exotic and ordinary fish here. In coastal settlements tackles and boats are available for rent. The catch for a certain fee will be prepared for you right there on the shore. In addition to fishing on the lake, you can visit local attractions. One of them is the Ometele Caves with prehistoric cave paintings. Of interest are also trips to the Mombacho volcano, declared nature reserve, and to the village of Masaya (lies at the foot of another volcano). There is a market with the best souvenirs that you should definitely bring home from your long trip to Lake Nicaragua.
Lake Nicaragua is the largest in Central America... On the American continent it ranks 9th, slightly inferior in size to Lake Titicaca. It is ranked 19 among the largest lakes in the world in the world. The area of its water surface is 8264 sq. km. The volume of water is 108 cubic meters. km. The maximum depth is 26 meters. The maximum length of the reservoir is 161 km, and the corresponding width is 71 km. It is located at an altitude of 32.7 meters above sea level. It is connected by the San Juan River (180 km long) with the Caribbean Sea. It is also connected to Lake Managua (area 1,024 sq. M), located to the northwest, by the Tipitapa River.
Fauna
A notable feature of the freshwater reservoir is that it is home to Atlantic tarpon and sharks. These are marine fish that live in salt water. From time immemorial, they fell into the lake along the San Juan River. In those days, it was blocked by numerous rapids, but the same sharks jumped over them like salmon and fell from the Atlantic into the lake water. The conversation here is about such a type of cartilaginous fish as a bull shark. It is common for her to spend part of her time in fresh water. An example is the Amazon River. Bull sharks climb thousands of kilometers up this mighty stream of water.
Experts have studied the movement of sharks and found that they travel from the waters of the Atlantic to the lake water in 7-10 days. In addition to cartilaginous, 16 species of cichlids live in the reservoir, which are endemic. In addition, there are other types of cichlids, which include tilapia. However, alien species pose a threat to the indigenous inhabitants of these waters, as they violate the verified balance of the unique ecosystem.
Islands
There is a whole group of islands on Lake Nicaragua. These are Ometepe and Solentiname. Ometepe is an island with an area of 276 sq. km. It was created by two volcanoes Concepcion (height 1610 m) and Maderas (height 1394 m). These volcanoes erupted, and mountains formed with an isthmus between them. The volcanic island is 31 km long and varies in width from 5 to 10 km. The island has developed Agriculture and animal husbandry. The basis is the cultivation of bananas. This piece of land is inhabited by almost 30 thousand people. In addition, there is the volcanic island of Zapatera. This is a shield volcano. People don't live on it.
As for Solentiname, it is an archipelago, which includes 4 large islands and 32 small islets with rocky shores. All of them are of volcanic origin. The total area is 190 sq. km. Major islands are called: La Venada, Mancaron, Mancaroncito, San Fernando. The most high point, 257 meters above sea level, located on the island of Mancaron. The islands are covered with rainforest. It is home to 76 species of various birds, including parrots and toucans. The water is rich in fish. The islands are home to 1000 people.
Lake Nicaragua on Central America map
Ecology
Strong east winds blowing towards the Pacific Ocean are not uncommon on the reservoir. This generates not only high waves, but also powerful storms. As for the ecology, over the past 40 years, Lake Nicaragua has been heavily polluted. Every day 32 tons of polluted wastewater flows into it. All this is due to the fact that there are many industrial enterprises on the shores of the reservoir. As for the treatment facilities, they are practically not being built.
Shipping
In the northwestern part of the lake is the city of Granada, which is seaport... From the Caribbean, ships enter the reservoir along the San Juan River. Currently, these waters are planned to be used for the construction of the Nicaraguan Canal, which will significantly relieve the Panama Canal.
Hello, friends!
Today I will show you amazing beauty, one of the most beautiful places for me in Nicaragua) True, true, I’ll show you, because we have more impressions and photos from this place than words that could be written.
There are two places to admire today - the city of Granada on Lake Nicaragua, and Lake Apoyo with the small village of Catarina - an amazingly atmospheric place. But, before moving on to the most delicious, I suggest taking a little walk with us around the city of Granada. Precisely "a little", because we ourselves have passed this city in a very fast period of time, or rather, we have passed it. Our walk was quite short and it took place in a horse-drawn carriage.
City of Granada and Lake Nicaragua
Honestly, this is, straight, some kind of rock for me, with cities named "Granada". Already the second one flies past me, or maybe it’s me flying past him. In Spain, we never got to Granada, and in Nico we also did not see the city, although we really wanted to. But, as it was said in - we know that we will come back and make up for everything, so we are not particularly upset.
In general, Granada is perhaps the most beautiful city in Nicaragua, judging by the places that we have seen. Still, even a short walk is enough to understand whether you like the place or not, and compare it with what you have seen before. In the city, we visited the central park, where we were treated to a famous Nicaraguan dish, and in the afternoon we took a carriage ride to Lake Nicaragua. The carriage ride took no more than 20 minutes and went mainly along the outskirts of the city. Well, that is the walk was not as long as we would like, and it left an annoying feeling of some kind of incompleteness, or something. So, unfortunately, it will not work to tell more about Granada than we saw, so I will show you a couple of photos and, perhaps, we will close the topic with this city before our next visit)
Smart horses are the standard transport for curious tourists.
View well of the city streets from the "carriage window
"
Famous cafe in central park Granada. This is where Vigoron should be tried
Sometimes there are also free horses. True, they look completely sad (
Apparently some kind of local attraction. But I don't know which one)
But, unlike the city of Granada itself, we managed to see and feel well the atmosphere of Lake Nicaragua, on the banks of which the city is located. To be honest, we deliberately went for a walk on the lake at the expense of time to explore Granada, it’s too famous. Nicaragua is included in the twenty largest lakes in the world, so you can imagine the size of the reservoir. For a better vision of the picture, I note that Lake Baikal is in seventh or eighth place in this rating. In different sources - the information is different.
Lake Nicaragua is known for being freshwater, but also home to sharks. Special such, freshwater and very dangerous sharks... I'll tell you right away - we haven't seen them. No matter how we looked at the water surface, not a single shark showed a fin. One could, of course, complain somewhere, like a real Russian tourist, but I decided to refrain.
The lake itself definitely deserves to spend your time and money on it. At least, this is the first time we have been to such a huge freshwater reservoir.
Because We arrived in a large company, then immediately rented a separate boat for an hour's trip. We paid for the boat 350 cordobas ($ 13), although the amount of 700 cordobas was originally announced. The walk itself was very interesting and informative. We were not only given a ride on the lake between small islands, but also had a short excursion.
Already on the pier there are beautiful views.
It's like a jungle in a jungle, and somewhere in the bushes there is someone's tent-house)
They said that almost all the islands near Granada were bought by wealthy people. They use them as summer cottages. It's just that the islands are so small that only one house of some rich man can be built on them. Those. the whole island is one villa. Some beautiful villas are available for weekend rentals. Pointing to one of them, our guide announced the price of $ 300-400 per weekend. Considering that several families can accommodate there, the price is very tasty.
Each island is a separate villa
They showed us the houses of the richest and most famous and vice versa, poorer people.
Here, in the neighborhood, in the bushes, people are clearly simpler)
Brought to a small island where monkeys live. How many of them are there, I did not understand, but literally a couple of individuals came out to feed. They were fed only from the boat, because no one lands on the islands just like that.
They asked us a riddle with the participation of outlandish plants. It was really very interesting and unusual.
In the center of the photo you can see a branch on a tree. Looks like long peas.
And then we took a ride with a breeze, overtaking boats full of tourists.
As a result: a walk on Lake Nicaragua, we can put a solid top five. It was very interesting, not too long, and it was really unusual for us. Sharks would still be seen, and in general there would be no price for such an excursion)
The village of Katarina and Lake Apoyo (Laguna de Apoyo).
Perhaps, after - this is the second must-see place in the country. You may not agree, but this is definitely our personal rating of Nicaragua attractions. Lake de Apoyo is indicated everywhere on the plates as a lagoon, but people still call it "lago", that is, a lake.
I will not write a lot about this lake, not because there is nothing, but because this is such a place where you just need to come, see and fall in love! The village itself, according to the pope, is popularly referred to as a "white village". Why she is white - we still do not understand. Either dad confused something, or we do not know some details. The village is lovely, small, but there is nothing to see in it at all. We did not see any white houses like in Santorini, or anything else worthy of special attention.
Lake Apoyo - my love in Nicaragua)
There will be a lot of photo-spam of this place, because I just can't resist.
Here you can take a horse and take a walk around the lake
Handsome - volcano
If you look closely, you can see what strong wind was that day. The trees just lie.
My boys were almost blown away)
There are special walking paths around the lake
I want to fly in such a place)
And Yaska is fooling around and laughing out loud)
Tourists relax and enjoy the views
Our patient guide) Photo from the thirtieth time - this is about us)
There is a small souvenir market next to the lake and various local delicacies. Those. the scheme of rest is as follows: we arrived, looked at the lake, meditated for half a day and you can leave.
A must-have souvenir from Niko - painting
True, there are other villages near Katarina that you can explore along the way. Each of the villages is famous for its own craft and sells mountains of necessary and not very souvenirs. We stopped at a couple of places to make sure of this and spend a little money. Indeed, there are more than enough souvenirs, handicrafts and even furniture in these villages, for every taste and budget. I don’t remember the names of these villages, because dad just asked local where call in, and they poked a finger. I would go there with a bag of money - and I would stay there for a couple of days)
Even in the poorest and most unprecedented houses, they do and sell something
Well, a little about the lake itself. As a local elderly man told us, main feature this reservoir is the depth. It turns out that Apoyo is in the throat extinct volcano and until now no one knows its depth. The lake made a tremendous impression on me. I met reviews on the network that someone did not like it, but someone, on the contrary, advises to see only Lake Nicaragua. It just confirms once again that all markers are different in taste and color.
Perhaps it's all about the viewing angle. We saw the lake exclusively from above. Framed by forests and volcanoes, it looked just amazing. Walking along the lake hiking trail, I could not take my eyes straight from this water-mountainous landscape. In such places I always have a question: “Well, how? How does the Earth create such beauty? "
Liberty...
And love...
I know that there are many entertainments for tourists in this place. There are hotels, and houses for rent, and you can swim in it and go fishing. Those. you can come here and have a good rest. Personally, I would be interested to live in such a place, among many forests, surrounded by local flora and fauna. But I do not exclude that such a pastime will turn out to be rather monotonous and quickly get bored. So, everything is as always, we tell you, and you draw your own conclusions)
There are so many unexplored corners on our planet, where nature presents unexpected gifts, captivates and impresses! And if you just think about the fact that almost 90% of water bodies have not been explored at all, then it becomes even a little scary. What do the azure depths conceal in themselves? For example, Lake Nicaragua?
"Sweet sea"
Local residents are accustomed to the proximity of their lake and have not thought about its secrets for a long time. They call it the "sweet sea". I wonder why? Because of the sweetness of fresh water? Or the vastness of its edges? The population of Granada calls the reservoir Lake Granada, but the rest of the planet knows only Lake Nicaragua, or Lago de Nicaragua. It is one of the largest bodies of water in the world and the only source of fresh water throughout Latin America. The dimensions are impressive, the view is beautiful, but the unusual inhabitants make you nervous. Only here you can see sea creatures, despite the fact that this is a lake. Scientists believe that the presence of ichthyofauna in the lake clearly proves the fact that Nicaragua was previously part of the Pacific Gulf. Why has everything changed?
After volcanic eruptions
It turns out that the reservoir was previously open, but tectonic changes and numerous volcanic eruptions provoked the flow of lava into the strait. So, part of the ocean separated and turned into an inland reservoir, which fenced off the inhabitants from the outside world. Slowly but surely, they displaced freshwater streams, but you cannot easily evict them. Gradually, they had to adapt to the new conditions. Sharks were among such opportunists. By the way, the existence of the latter has not yet been proven in practice, since their adaptation to fresh water is highly questionable. Some people doubt that sharks are found in Lake Nicaragua, citing the fact that accidentally encountered marine predators come here from the ocean, leaving behind a distance of 200 km and traveling along the San Juan River. Then there is one more question - what attracts sharks here?
A mystery for all time
The freshwater shark of Lake Nicaragua haunts scientists all over the world with its habitat, but the Indians can give an answer to this question. They believe that sharks "paved a path" into the lake many centuries ago, and the reason was the ancient ritual of giving the dead to water. The bodies swam away into the ocean and became the prey of predators. So, sharks got used to the taste of human meat and did not want to give up such a "diet". Now they do not feel fear when swimming in shallow water, where it is easier to attack victims. The problem became more and more complicated every year, which became the reason for the introduction of extreme measures to destroy the toothed fish.
A tourist's paradise
Lake Nicaragua has long been a tourist destination. Moreover, they are not even afraid of the threat of being bitten. Adults and even children boldly climb into the water, however, with the observance of certain safety measures. For example, you cannot be distracted and forget about the threat. Do not swim with an open wound or during your period. In short, if you are attracted by the opportunity to dive into Nicaragua (lake), sharks will not be a serious hindrance. Tourists come to the town of Granada, which is located next to the reservoir. It is an amazingly atmospheric place that beckons for walks and adventures. By the way, the walk will not turn out to be tiring, because the town is quite small. In the central park, you can try the famous Nicaraguan dish Vigoron, and there are excursion carriages to the lake. The trip will take no more than twenty minutes. Lake Nicaragua beckons with its magic. It is one of the twenty largest lakes in the world.
Cognitive excursion
If you come to Lake Nicaragua with a large company, then it is advantageous to rent a separate boat for an hour or more. The rental price is symbolic - only $ 13, but you will have to bargain, since at first the price is impermissibly overstated. The islands near Granada were bought by local wealthy people. These are mainly summer residences, as the islands are just tiny and hardly accommodate more than one house. It turns out that one island is one villa. Some of them can be rented for the weekend, and for a large group or several families. The amount is also pretty nice - $ 300 for a weekend house. There are many monkeys in some lands. They are almost not afraid of people, but they do not pay special attention either - only 3-4 individuals come to feed. In general, walks along the islands turn out to be informative and interesting. There are unusual and bright ones, similar to which they slowly and importantly walk along the ground, sweeping it with their tails.
And now it's time to pay attention directly to Lake Nicaragua.
Description of the reservoir: its charms and beauty
A beautiful picture - water surface resembling a mirror. It has amazingly clean air and the largest reserves of fresh water in the territory. Latin America... The maximum depth of the lake reaches 70 meters, and its area is almost 8600 square meters. By the way, the border with Costa Rica runs here. The lake is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River, and fresh water flows down from many rivers and streams. The deepest is the Tipitapa River, which flows out of Lake Managua. Scientists believe that the reservoir appeared on the site of the ancient Pacific Gulf. Now the bay has been transformed, but the connection with the past remains. It manifests itself in the unique inhabitants of the reservoir, which are called the sharks of Nicaragua. More of these can not be found anywhere, because this individual is close relatives of the gray
Scary visions
The legendary bull shark can become a truly shocking sight. Even without seeing her, but only after hearing the stories, you can give free rein to your imagination. And this type is also distinguished by the ease of adaptation to desalinated water and can hide for a long time in river estuaries. The dimensions of such a "nibbler" are simply indecent, and the danger to humans is serious. They say that they are just not indigenous, but swam here and could not swim away after the volcanic eruptions. Many scientists actively oppose this position, saying that a bull shark can jump over the San Juan river rapids like a salmon. To prove their assumptions, they cite the presence of a shark of this type in open ocean... It has even been found that a voyage of sharks from lake to sea and back can take from a week to 11 days. This is how terrible Lake Nicaragua can be, and a bull shark is found in it quite often, according to the stories of local residents.
Ecology and problems
In general, the lake remains a unique reservoir, but its location causes some concern for ecologists, because it is polluted by sewage from nearby industrial plants. According to statistics, over the past 37 years, at least 30 tons of untreated wastewater has entered the lake every day. The marine fauna and flora of the reservoir are very diverse. Here water lilies bloom and fish swim, which are more common to live in salt waters... These are sawfish, herring, tarpons, and even sawn rays.
A self-cleaning process takes place in the lake, and all the dirt from the drains that gets into the water goes away. The reservoir has its own special character: in the east, the water is calm and quiet, but in the west the influence of trade winds is manifested, and there is a constant strong ripple. Powerful storms are not rare either.
Not all of the islands on the lake are inhabited. The largest was formed on the basis of two volcanoes, which is reflected in the name - Ometepe ("ome" - two, "tepe" - a mountain). In 2010, the territory of this island was recognized as a biosphere reserve. The third volcano, Mombacho, is located in the west. In general, volcanoes on the lake have caused ash pollution.
The population here is represented mainly by mestizos. These are the descendants of the Indians who lived here in time immemorial. They are mainly engaged in agriculture - they grow coffee, bananas and cocoa. Part of the plantations is located on islands, where the ground is covered with volcanic ash, by the way, very useful for crops.
Helmet-bearing basilisks crawl along the banks. These are large lizards that run on their hind legs and can walk on water. It turns out that Lake Nicaragua and its scary inhabitants can be pretty cute.
On the island of Solentiname there are rocks with ancient drawings. The local islands are home to nearly a hundred species of parrots and toucans.
One gets the impression that this is paradise, but even paradise had its own difficulties. So what can you expect from the earth?
Lago de NicaraguaNicaragua is the only freshwater lake in the world with sharks. In view of this fact and due to the small distance to the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe that the territory on which the lake is now located used to be a large sea bay. Over time, the passage to the sea was closed and a lake was formed, in which sharks still live.
Nicaraguans call it Lago Cocibolca or Mar Dulce (Sweet Sea). Indeed, it differs from the sea only in freshwater and isolation. As in the sea, there are strong waves that raise the east winds blowing westward towards the Pacific Ocean. The lake has entire island groups such as Ometepe and Solentiname. Powerful storms periodically occur on the lake.
Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal, there were plans to build a Nicaraguan Canal across the lake to pass from one ocean to another. With the end of the construction of the Panama Canal, Nicaraguan projects have become less relevant, but the idea of new construction comes up from time to time.
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See what "Lake Nicaragua" is in other dictionaries:
Republic of Nicaragua, state in the Center. America. Named for the lake. Nicaragua, and it is according to the Nicarao Indian tribe who lived on its shores; the gua element, which does not have an unambiguous translation, is widely represented in the aboriginal place names throughout Latin America ... Geographical encyclopedia
Nicaragua isp. Lago de Nicaragua Coordinates: Coordinates ... Wikipedia
Nicaragua- Nicaragua. Volcano Momotombo. NICARAGUA (Republic of Nicaragua), a state in Central America, washed by southwest By the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Caribbean Sea. The area is 130 thousand km2. Population 4.27 million people, mostly Nicaraguans ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Nicaragua- (Nicaragua) State of Nicaragua, geography and history of Nicaragua, state system Information about the state of Nicaragua, geography and history of Nicaragua, state system Contents Contents Nature Population Political system… … Investor encyclopedia
