Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. It is bordered on the north by Honduras, on the east by Costa Rica, on the south by the Caribbean, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The country's capital and largest city is Managua. It was estimated to be Central America's second-largest city in 2015. Six million Nicaraguans hail from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including mestizo, indigenous, European, and African. Spanish is the language of choice. The Mosquito Coast's indigenous tribes speak both their native languages and English.

The region, which had been inhabited by a variety of indigenous peoples since ancient times, was taken over by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. In 1821, Nicaragua won independence from Spain. The history of the Mosquito Coast was unique in that it was colonized by the English in the 17th century and later ruled by the British. In 1860, it became an independent territory of Nicaragua, and in 1960, Honduras received the northernmost portion of it. Nicaragua has experienced periods of political unrest, dictatorship, occupation, fiscal crisis, and political unrest ever since it gained independence. These periods include the Contra War of the 1980s and the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.

Due to the literary contributions of Nicaraguan poets and writers like Rubén Daro, the mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in significant diversity in literature, folklore, cuisine, and music. Nicaragua, also known as the "land of lakes and volcanoes," is home to the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, which is the second-largest rainforest in the Americas. Nicaragua's biological diversity, warm tropical climate, and active volcanoes make it a popular tourist destination. Nicaragua is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of American States, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. It also co-founded the United Nations.