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Nicaragua is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. (Opposite) San Cristóbal in northwest- ern Nicaragua is the highest volcano in the country, at 5,725 feet (1,745 m). (Right) A lush valley near Managua, the country’s capital and largest city. 1

A Land Rich in Natural Resources

¡HOLA! ARE YOU discovering Nicaragua? It’s a land of beaches lapped by sparkling seawater, deep forests, long winding rivers, colonial cities, ancient sites thousands of years old, and a huge freshwater lake—the only lake in the world with sharks in it! Central America’s Largest Country Nicaragua is bordered on the north by Honduras, on the east by the Caribbean Sea, on the south by Costa Rica, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Nicaragua is the largest country of Central America, covering an area of 50,464 sq. miles (129,494 sq. km). Nicaragua’s maximum length from north to south is about 275 miles (440 km), and its maximum width from east to west is about 280 miles (450 km). In size, it is a little larger than the state of New York. Lake Nicaragua—the one with sharks in it—is in the

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