Corn Islands
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The Corn Islands (Spanish: Las Islas del Maíz) are two islands about 70 km east off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, constituting one of 12 municipalities of the Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur department. The official name of the municipality is Corn Island (the English name is officially used in Spanish-speaking Nicaragua).
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[edit] Geography
Corn Islands consists of Big Corn Island (Isla Grande del Maíz; often simply referred to as Corn Island; Isla del Maíz), with an area of 10 km², and Little Corn Island (Isla Pequeña del Maíz), with an area of 2.9 km². The total area is 12.9 km². Mount Pleasant Hill in the north of Big Corn Island, is the highest elevation of the islands, at 113 meters. Little Corn Island reaches a height of 38 meters in the Lookout Point in the northern part of the island.
[edit] History
The Corn Islands, along with the eastern half of present-day Nicaragua, was a British protectorate from 1655 until 1894, a period when the region was called the Mosquito Coast. At one time, the islands were frequented by Caribbean pirates. In 1894, the Nicaraguan government claimed the area. The islands were given to the United States for a 99-year lease under the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty of 1914. The terms of the lease made the Corn Islands subject to American law, but they remained Nicaraguan territory. With American acquiescence, the Nicaraguan government directed the islands' local administration. The U.S.'s right to the actual or potential use of the islands remained until April 25, 1971, when the lease was officially terminated by the abrogation of the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty under the presidency of Anastasio Somoza Debayle, on July 14, 1970.
[edit] Demographics
The population of the islands numbered 6,626 as of 2005 (census of population, May 28 to June 11, 2005).[1]
Estimation by local authoritys early 2009 are :
population : Great Corn 6200 / Little Corn 1200
tourists distribution : Great Corn 25% / Little Corn 75%
The islanders are Engish-speaking Creole people of mixed black heritage. In recent years there has been substantial internal migration by Spanish-speaking Mestizo people from Pacific Nicaragua, and, increasingly, by Miskito people from the Caribbean mainland around Puerto Cabezas. English, long the island's principal language, is being supplanted by Spanish and Miskito.
[edit] Subdivisions
The municipality of Corn Island is subdivided into six wards (barrios), five of which are on Big Corn Island, while Little Corn Island constitutes the sixth ward:
| Barrio | Population (Census May 28- June 11, 2005)[2] |
Location | Villages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brig Bay | 3,930 | west | Brig Bay |
| La Loma | 682 | south | La Loma, Long Beach, Queen Hill, Bluff Point |
| South End | 764 | east | South End, Mount Pleasant |
| Sally Peachie | 265 | northeast | Sally Peachie, Little Hill |
| North End | 490 | northwest | North End |
| Little Corn Island | 495 | island 13 km northeast |
The Village, Carib Town |
| Corn Island | 6,626 |
[edit] Transportation
There are several methods of transportation available on Big Corn Island, which has a paved road of about 12km long which runs through the whole island. People use taxis, cars, and even bicycles to get around the island.
The Corn Islands are about 70 km away from Bluefields. Corn Island Airport in the barrio of Brig Bay is served by Atlantic Airlines and La Costeña from Bluefields and Managua. Big Corn Island can be reached by a ferry that departs once a week from El Rama through the Escondido River with its mouth at Bluefields. The port is at Southwest Bay of Big Corn Island (World Port Index No. 9775). Little Corn Island is only accessible by a ferry that departs from Big Corn Island.
[edit] Economy and tourism
Throughout most of the 20th century the economy revolved around coconut production. During the 1960s and 1970s, commercial fishing as well as lobster and shrimp fishing, became the main industry. The recent growth in tourism throughout the region, however, has also affected the islands. Tourism on the islands has grown considerably, with its many surrounding coral reefs making it a popular destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Barracudas, nurse sharks, green turtles, and spotted eagle rays are just some of the marine life that can be seen around the islands. [1]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.inec.gob.ni/censos2005/VolPoblacion/Volumen%20Poblacion%201-4/Vol.IV%20Poblacion-Municipios.pdf
- ^ http://www.inec.gob.ni/censos2005/CifrasMun/RAASTPDF/Corn%20Island.pdf VIII CENSO DE POBLACIÒN Y IV DE VIVIENDA, 2005
[edit] External links
- BigCornIsland.com Tourism on the Corn Islands
- Informative and rare 2007 trip report
Coordinates: 12°10′N 83°02′W / 12.167°N 83.033°W
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