Nicaragua is 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! This title helps to find out: where the British and Spanish empires overlapped in Nicaragua; how one family, the Somozas, ruled Nicaragua for generations; why the United States encouraged an overthrow of Nicaragua's revolutionary government, the Sandinistas, during the 1980s; how Nicaragua's economy is improving after years of strife; and, what kinds of literature, folklore, and entertainment unite Nicaraguans in their passion for the arts. In addition, in this book you'll find project and report ideas - including enough recipes for an authentic Nicaraguan buffet - a glossary, a list of festivals, organizations to contact for more information, and suggestions for further reading. There's a lot to discover about Nicaragua today.