The Republic of Nicaragua is the largest nation in the isthmus that makes up Central America, but is also the least densely populated. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and by Costa Rica to the south. Its eastern coastline is on the Caribbean Sea, whilst the west side of the country is on the Pacific Ocean.

The country's name is derived from Nicarao, the name of the Nahuatl-speaking tribe that inhabited the shores of Lago de Nicaragua before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and the Spanish word Agua, meaning water, due to the presence of the large lakes Lago de Nicaragua (Cocibolca) and Lago de Managua (Xolotlán).

Nicaragua is best known not for its stunning landscapes or vast cultural treasures, but for a war in which a popular uprising was suppressed by a US-backed government. The after-effects of these and other setbacks have left the country in a state of shock from which it is gradually emerging.