History
Ometepe Island is rich with history. Ometepe has a population of about 30,0000, and is the largest Island in Nicaragua. Some call this island a “fresh water sea”. The Island of Ometepe looks like an hourglass if you look closely. There are many open debates of who settled on the Island of Ometepe first and the timeline that goes along with the inhabitants. Some of the many inhabitants during the Dinarte phase were the Nahua Indians from Mexico. Following the Nahua were the Niquirano Indians. The Niquirano Indians created stone idols which can still be seen today in the northern slopes of the Maderas volcano. |
Much of the inhabitants of pre-Colombian era were indigenous people. The Spanish empire conquered the land of Nicaragua in the 16th century. As many wars and battles happened during that time, Nicaragua got its independence in 1821. While there was American intervention from 1909 until 1933, but the Somoza Dynasty came to dictatorship by 1927. The Somoza dynasty was a military dictatorship that ruled from 1927 to 1979.
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By the 1960s the Nicaraguan Revolution was in full effect. The revolution left much of Nicaragua venerable including the island of Ometepe. During the post war times and revolution much political unrest, economic problems, as well as dictatorships happened. Today during the post war times from 1990 to the present, which today Nicaragua is a representative democratic republic, while the current president is Daniel Ortega.
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There are many reasons to visit the Island of Ometepe some of which are; volcanoes, kayaking, crystal clear lagoons, hiking in nature reserves and rainforests, biking, archeological sites, beautiful beaches, and friendly hospitality.
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