The North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two

autonomous regions An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, zone, entity, unit, region, subdivision, province, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree o ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

. It was created along with the

South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region The South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It was created along with the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region by the Autonomy Statute of 7 September 1987 through a division of the former Zelay ...

by the Autonomy Statute of 7 September 1987 through a division of the former

Zelaya Department Zelaya is a former department in Nicaragua. The department was located along the Mosquito Coast bordering the Caribbean Sea and was named after former President of Nicaragua José Santos Zelaya, who conquered the region for Nicaragua from the M ...

. It covers an area of 33,106 km² and has a population of 541,189 (2021 estimate). It is the largest

autonomous region An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, zone, entity, unit, region, subdivision, province, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or territory, internal territory of a sovereign state that has ...

or department in

. The capital is

Puerto Cabezas Puerto Cabezas (; also known as Bragman's Bluff in English language, English, or Bilwi in Miskito language, Miskito) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito people, Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonom ...

. It contains part of the region known as the

Mosquito Coast The Mosquito Coast, also known as Mosquitia, is a historical and Cultural area, geo-cultural region along the western shore of the Caribbean Sea in Central America, traditionally described as extending from Cabo Camarón, Cape Camarón to the C ...

. The North Autonomous Caribbean Coast has a Regional Council of representatives of different political parties, such as the

Sandinistas The Sandinista National Liberation Front (, FSLN) is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas () in both English and Spanish. The party is named after Augusto César Sandino, who led the Nicaraguan resistan ...

(FSLN) and

YATAMA Yapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka (; YATAMA) was an indigenous party mainly active on Nicaragua's Atlantic coast. YATAMA had its roots in the MISURASATA ( Miskito, Sumo and Rama Sandinista Alliance) and the MISURA/ KISAN organisations. In ...

(ethnic indigenous party), as well as all the municipalities. They hold sessions in an Assembly in Puerto Cabezas. The North Autonomous Caribbean Coast, in addition to

Mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

s, contains populations from different indigenous groups, including the Miskitos, Mayangnas, and others. The regional official languages are Creole (

Moskitian Creole Moskitian Creole is an English-based creole language spoken on Moskitian Shore in Central America, with approximately 100,000 speakers. ''Mosquitia'' or ''Mosquito'' is the name that is given to the region and earlier residents by early European ...

and

Rama Cay Creole Rama Cay Creole is a Creole language spoken by some 800 to 900 people on the island of Rama Cay in eastern Nicaragua. It is based on Miskito Coast Creole with additional elements of the Chibchan language Rama and purportedly some elements of En ...

Miskito Miskito may refer to: * Miskito people, ethnic group in Honduras and Nicaragua ** Miskito Sambu, branch of Miskito people with African admixture ** Tawira Miskito, branch of Miskito people of largely Indigenous origin * Miskito language, original la ...

Sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...

''(Mayangna and Ulwa)'',

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and traditionally speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language. The Garifuna ...

, and

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

, in addition to the national official language of

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

,https://siteal.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/sit_accion_files/ley_162.pdf most males in Puerto Cabezas speak some English from when it was a US fruit plantation.

Municipalities

The RACCN contains eight municipalities: #

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

# Mulukukú #

Prinzapolka Prinzapolka () is a Miskito municipality in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. Prinzapolka (sometimes spelled Prinzapolca) is also an important river and river basin in the Caribbean Coast Region of Nicaragua. Language ...

Bilwi Puerto Cabezas (; also known as Bragman's Bluff in English, or Bilwi in Miskito) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. The municipality and the entire regi ...

# Rosita #

Siuna Siuna is a county-sized administrative municipality in Nicaragua, located approximately northeast of the capital city of Managua and west of the coastal city and regional capital Puerto Cabezas in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region ...

Waslala Waslala is a town and a municipality in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. It is located 71 miles from Matagalpa and 161 miles from Managua. The Nicaraguan Revolution affected Waslala tremendously - it was the location of m ...

# Waspam

Notable people

Dorotea Wilson Dorotea Wilson Tathum (born 1948) is a Nicaraguan politician and women's rights activist. She was a congresswoman and member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). She has founded and co-founded a wide range of organisations that ra ...

, politician and activist

Notes

References

External links

The autonomous regions of Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast

From Conflict to Autonomy in Nicaragua: Lessons Learnt
– report by Minority Rights Group International, April 2007 Autonomous regions of Nicaragua {{Nicaragua-geo-stub

Municipalities

Notable people

See also

Notes

References

External links