Bluefields: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
VisualWikitext
imported>Plebiano
m →History: changed soldier of fortune to mercenary
 
imported>Citation bot
Altered url. URLs might have been anonymized. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Jay8g | #UCB_toolbar
 
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|City in Mosquito Coast, Nicaragua}}
{{About|a municipality in Nicaragua|the place in Jamaica|Bluefields, Jamaica}}
{{About|a municipality in Nicaragua|the place in Jamaica|Bluefields, Jamaica}}
{{Distinguish|Bluefield (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Bluefield (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                  = Bluefields
| native_name        = Cariay
| native_name                    = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| settlement_type    = [[City]] and [[municipality]]
| settlement_type                  = Municipality
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| image_skyline                  = Streetlife in Bluefields, Nicaragua 27.jpg
  | total_width            = 280
| imagesize                       = 250px
  | border                = infobox
| image_caption                   = Bluefields sign in Parque Central (Central Park)
  | perrow                = 1/2/1/2
| image_flag                     =  
  | caption_align          = center
| image_seal                     = Seal of Bluefields.svg
  | image1                =  
| image_shield                   =  
Historical Museum of Afro-descendants, Bluefields, Nicaragua 09.jpg
| nickname                       =  
  | caption1  = View of the Carl Rigby Museum
| motto                           =  
  | image2                =  
| mapsize                         =  
Streetlife in Bluefields, Nicaragua 01.jpg
| map_caption                     =  
  | caption2              = Coastal Glories Stadium
| pushpin_map                     = Nicaragua
  | image3                =
| coordinates                     = {{coord|12|0|N|83|45|W|region:NI|display=inline}}
Bluefields, Nicaragua 08.jpg
| subdivision_type               = Country
  | caption3              = View from Bluefields Bay}}
| subdivision_name               = {{flag|Nicaragua}}
| imagesize         =  
| subdivision_type1               = [[Departments of Nicaragua|Autonomous Region]]
| image_caption     =  
| subdivision_type2              = [[Municipalities of Nicaragua|Municipality]]
| image_flag         =  
| subdivision_name1               = [[South Caribbean Autonomous Region]]
| image_seal         =  
| subdivision_name2              = Bluefields
| image_shield       =  
| established_title               =  
| nickname           =  
| established_date               =  
| motto             =  
| leader_title                   = [[Mayor]]
| mapsize           =  
| leader_name                     = Gustavo Castro
| map_caption       =  
| area_magnitude                 =  
| pushpin_map       = Nicaragua
| area_total_km2                 = 4774.75
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Nicaragua
| area_water_percent             =  
| pushpin_relief    = yes
| elevation_m                     = 25
| coordinates       = {{coord|12|00|40|N|83|46|13|W|region:NI|display=inline}}
| elevation_ft                   =  
| subdivision_type   = Country
| population_total               = 58633
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Nicaragua}}
| population_as_of               = 2023 estimate
| subdivision_type1 = [[Departments of Nicaragua|Autonomous Region]]
| population_urban               = 56421
| subdivision_name1 = [[South Caribbean Autonomous Region]]
| population_metro               =  
| established_title =  
| population_density_km2         = auto
| established_date   =  
| population_footnotes                 = <ref>[https://www.inide.gob.ni/docs/Anuarios/Anuario2022/ANUARIO_ESTADISTICO2022.pdf Anuario Estadístico 2022]. Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo (INIDE)</ref>
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| postal_code_type               = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| leader_name       = Dinah Melinda Downs Lewin
| postal_code                     =  
| area_magnitude     =  
| website                         =  
| area_total_km2     = 4774.75
| footnotes                       =  
| area_water_percent =  
| TotalArea_sq_mi                 =  
| elevation_m       = 25
| area_land                       =  
| elevation_ft       =  
| LandArea_sq_mi                 =  
| population_total   = 58633
| area_water                     =  
| population_as_of   = 2023 estimate
| WaterArea_sq_mi                 =  
| population_urban   = 56421
| area_urban                     =  
| population_metro   =  
| UrbanArea_sq_mi                 =  
| population_density_km2 = auto
| area_metro                     =  
| population_footnotes = <ref>[https://www.inide.gob.ni/docs/Anuarios/Anuario2022/ANUARIO_ESTADISTICO2022.pdf Anuario Estadístico 2022]. Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo (INIDE)</ref>
| MetroArea_sq_mi                 =  
| postal_code_type   = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| population_density_mi2         =  
| postal_code       =  
| population_density_metro_mi2   =  
| website           =  
| blank1_name                     = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| footnotes         =  
| blank1_info                     = [[Tropical rainforest climate|Af]]
| TotalArea_sq_mi   =  
| timezone                       =  
| area_land         =  
| utc_offset                     = GMT-6
| LandArea_sq_mi     =  
| timezone_DST                   =  
| area_water         =  
| utc_offset_DST                 =  
| WaterArea_sq_mi   =  
| name                           =  
| area_urban         =  
| UrbanArea_sq_mi   =  
| area_metro         =  
| MetroArea_sq_mi   =  
| population_density_mi2 =  
| population_density_metro_mi2 =  
| blank1_name       = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank1_info       = [[Tropical rainforest climate|Af]]
| timezone           = [[Central Standard Time|CST]]
| utc_offset         = -06:00
| timezone_DST       =  
| utc_offset_DST     =  
| name               = Bluefields
}}
}}
'''Bluefields''' is the capital of the [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|South Caribbean Autonomous Region]] in [[Nicaragua]]. It was also the capital of the former [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Mosquitia]], and later the [[Zelaya Department]], which was divided into [[North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|North]] and [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|South]] Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions. It is located on Bluefields Bay at the mouth of the [[Escondido River (Nicaragua)|Bluefields River]] in the [[Municipalities of Nicaragua|municipality]] of the same name.
'''Bluefields''' ({{IPA|es|bluˈfjels}}) is a [[city]] and [[municipality]] on the central [[Mosquito Coast]], and capital of the [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region]], [[Nicaragua]]. Historically, it held far greater significance as the political and [[Capital city|administrative capital]] of the Kingdom of Mosquitia, which maintained independence and later protectorate status under Great Britain during the 17th to 19th centuries.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Léger |first=Marie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EGRVxZ0ZAt8C&dq=Bluefields+is+the+capital+of+Mosquitia.&pg=PA41 |title=Aboriginal Peoples: Toward Self-government |date=1994 |publisher=Black Rose Books Ltd. |isbn=978-1-55164-011-2 |language=en}}</ref> Following the kingdom's [[Nicaragua Crisis of 1894–1895|annexation]] in 1894, the city became the capital of the [[Zelaya Department]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rangel |first=Marc |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BCtKDwAAQBAJ&dq=Bluefields+is+the+capital+of+Mosquitia.&pg=PA26 |title=A Counterfeit Gringo's Take on Third World Poverty, Cultural Stagnation and Terrorism |date=2003-12-09 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=978-1-4771-6317-7 |language=en}}</ref>
 
It was named after [[Abraham Blauvelt]], a [[Dutch people|Dutch]]-[[Jewish pirates|Jewish pirate]], privateer, and explorer of [[Central America]] and the western [[Caribbean]].<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-981-13-2898-5_117|doi = 10.1007/978-981-13-2898-5_117|chapter = Displaced Minorities: The Wayuu and Miskito People|title = The Palgrave Handbook of Ethnicity|year = 2019|last1 = Cwik|first1 = Christian|pages = 1593–1609|isbn = 978-981-13-2897-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last = Leonardi| first = Richard | title = Nicaragua Handbook: The Travel Guide| publisher = Footprint Travel Guides| year = 2001| isbn = 1-903471-14-1| page = 248 }}</ref> It has a population of 56,005 (2022 estimate)<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/nicaragua/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of cities in Nicaragua</ref> and its inhabitants are mostly [[African diaspora|Afro-descendant]] Creoles, [[Miskito people|Miskitu]], [[Mestizo]], as well as smaller communities of [[Garifuna people|Garinagu]], [[Chinese Nicaraguans|Chinese]], [[Mayangna people|Mayangna]], and [[Rama people|Rama]]. Bluefields is Nicaragua’s chief Caribbean [[port]], from which [[hardwood]], [[seafood]], [[shrimp]] and [[lobster]] are exported. Bluefields was a [[wikt:rendezvous|rendezvous]] for European [[buccaneer]]s in the 16th and 17th century and became capital of the [[Kingdom of England|English]] protectorate of the [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Mosquitia]] in 1678.
 
During [[United States]] interventions (1912–15, 1926–33) in Nicaragua, [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]] were stationed there. In 1984, the United States [[Land mine|mine]]d the harbor (along with those of [[Corinto, Nicaragua|Corinto]] and [[Puerto Sandino]]) as part of the [[Nicaraguan Revolution]]. Bluefields was destroyed by [[Hurricane Joan-Miriam|Hurricane Joan]] in 1988 but was rebuilt.


==History==
==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2021}}
From the early seventeenth century, European privateers and pirates—particularly those associated with Dutch and English interests—frequented the Mosquitian Shore, using the [[Bluefields River]] and adjacent bays as natural harbours and rendezvous points. At the time, the area was already inhabited by several Indigenous nations, including the Kukra, Ulwa, [[Rama people|Rama]], and [[Miskito people|Miskito]]. An early description of the area appears in the Minutes of a Committee for Providence Island of 14 June 1637, in which [[Albertus Blauvelt]], mate of the Expectation, reported a “good harbour” at the river’s mouth and noted its navigability and surrounding vegetation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Office |first=Great Britain Public Record |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BtEJAAAAIAAJ&dq=1637+good+harbour+Albertus&pg=PA254 |title=Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series ...: Preserved in the Public Record Office ... |date=1860 |language=en}}</ref>
The origin of the city of Bluefields is connected with the presence of [[Europe]]an pirates on the [[Nicaragua]]n Caribbean coast, subjects of powers at the time hostile to [[Spain]]. These pirates used the Escondido River to rest, to repair damages and to be provisioned. By then, the territory of the present municipality was populated by the native towns of Kukra and Branch.
 
In 1602, a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] mercenary named [[Abraham Blauvelt]] chose the bay of the Escondido River as his center of operations due to its tactical advantages. The name of the municipality is a literal but pluralized translation of his surname, 'blau' (modern Dutch 'blauw') meaning 'blue' and 'velt' (modern Dutch 'veld') meaning 'field'.
 
African slaves first appeared in the Caribbean coast in 1641, when a [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portuguese]] ship that was transporting slaves wrecked in the Miskito Cays. [[British Empire|English]] subjects started emigrating to the region in 1633. Beginning in 1666, they were organized into colonies and by 1705, governmental authorities had been established. In 1730, the [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Moskitia]] came to depend on the British administration in [[Jamaica]]. The British supplied the [[Miskito people]] with armaments which the Miskito used to fend off attacks by the other groups of the Caribbean coast, including the [[African diaspora|Afro-descendant]] Creoles and the indigenous tribes of [[Sumo people|Mayangnas, Ulwas]], and [[Rama people|Ramas]].
 
In 1740, the Miskitos yielded to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] [[sovereignty]] over the territory, and in 1744, a transfer of [[White Jamaicans|White]] colonists was organized from Jamaica to the [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Moskitia]]; they brought black slaves with them. [[Kingdom of France|French]] colonists also arrived at this time. The area was a [[British protectorate]] until 1796, when Britain, with an offer from the [[Monarchy of Spain|Spanish Monarch]] to extend the territory in the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] for the cutting of logwood for the British settlers, decided to remove all English settlers from the [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Moskitia]]; the British subjects also abandoned the islands, but the Spaniards did not take firm positions in them.
 
With the independence of the [[Viceroyalty of New Granada]], the [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Moskitia]] became [[de jure]] part of [[Gran Colombia]] until its dissolution in 1831. Thereafter it became part of the [[Republic of New Granada]], now [[Colombia]], until, through the [[Esguerra-Bárcenas Treaty]], the Colombian state formally ceded the territory to Nicaragua.


The [[Moravian Church]] was installed in 1847. In 1860, the Harrison-Altamirano Treaty, also known as the [[Treaty of Managua]], created the Miskito Reserve from the territory of the [[Mosquito Coast|Kingdom of Moskitia]] by an agreement between the British and Nicaraguan governments. The city of Bluefields was chosen as capital of the Reserve.
Bluefields rose to regional prominence in 1844 when it was designated the administrative centre of the Kingdom of Mosquitia. The establishment of the Moravian Church in 1848 further contributed to the development of the town’s religious and educational institutions. Between the 1860s and 1880s, increasing British and American investment transformed Bluefields into a commercial hub focused on banana cultivation, timber production, and maritime trade. During this period, the city acquired a distinctly cosmopolitan character, with a population comprising Creoles, Miskito, European settlers, and other Indigenous communities. Growth slowed after the [[Nicaraguan occupation of Mosquitia]] in 1894.


The "Europeanization" of the Indians was completed by the 1880s, when British and Americans expanded the production of bananas and wood, creating a prosperous enclave [[economy]]; by the 1880s, Bluefields was already a city of [[Multicultural|cosmopolitan]] character, with an intense commercial activity.
In the modern era, Bluefields has faced persistent economic and social challenges. The port was mined by the United States in 1984 during the [[Nicaraguan Revolution|Contra War]], and the city suffered extensive damage from [[Hurricane Joan–Miriam|Hurricane Joan]] in 1988 before undergoing reconstruction. In recent decades, Bluefields became associated with the illicit retrieval of narcotics—locally termed “white lobster”—that washed ashore from maritime smuggling routes between Colombia and North America, though increased enforcement has reduced this activity.


[[Economic growth]] also brought a marked process of social differentiation, by which the races and [[ethnic group]]s were distributed spatially and in terms of work: the white population represented the interests of the foreign businesses; those of mixed race worked as [[artisan]]s and in working-class occupations; the darker-skinned Creoles had their niche in physical work, and the native population were employed as servants and for other smaller works.  In 1894, the government of Nicaragua incorporated the Miskito Reserve into the national territory, extinguishing the Miskito [[monarchy]], and on October 11, 1903, Bluefields was proclaimed capital of the Department of Zelaya.
Despite ongoing underdevelopment and social inequality, Bluefields remains a culturally significant city, serving as a major centre of [[Afro-Caribbean people|Afro-Caribbean]] and Indigenous identity and reflecting the longstanding historical traditions of Mosquitia.
 
Due in part to US Coast Guard patrols attempting to intercept Colombian drug smugglers, salvaging cocaine (often referred to locally as "white lobster") has become an important part of the local economy. When threatened with potential boarding by US Coast Guard ships, cocaine smugglers try to dispose of their illegal cargo by throwing it overboard, simultaneously lightening their load for a faster escape and eliminating the evidence in case of capture. A percentage of the cocaine bales are carried by ocean currents into the lagoon around Bluefields. Residents may find the bales washed up on the beach or seek them by boat in the lagoon or at sea. In recent years, stricter legislation has led to a decrease in these activities.
 
Bluefields remains a deeply impoverished city with extremely high rates of unemployment.


== Climate ==
== Climate ==
According to [[Köppen climate classification]], Bluefields features a trade-wind [[tropical rainforest climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Af''). There is a drier period from February to April, but the [[trade winds]] ensure that unlike the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, rain still falls frequently during this period. For the rest of the year when tropical low pressure dominates rainfall is extremely heavy, helped by the coast being shaped in such a manner as to intercept winds from the south as prevail during the northern summer.
According to [[Köppen climate classification]], Bluefields features a trade-wind [[tropical rainforest climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Af''). There is a drier period from February to April, but the [[trade winds]] ensure that unlike the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, rain still falls frequently during this period. For the rest of the year when tropical low pressure dominates rainfall is extremely heavy, helped by the coast being shaped in such a manner as to intercept winds from the south as prevail during the northern summer.


{{Weather box|location = Bluefields, Nicaragua
{{Weather box
|metric first = Yes
| location = Bluefields
|single line = Yes
| metric first = Yes
|Jan high C = 27.8
| single line = Yes
|Feb high C = 28.4
| Jan high C = 27.8
|Mar high C = 29.0
| Feb high C = 28.4
|Apr high C = 29.8
| Mar high C = 29.0
|May high C = 29.9
| Apr high C = 29.8
|Jun high C = 28.9
| May high C = 29.9
|Jul high C = 28.1
| Jun high C = 28.9
|Aug high C = 28.5
| Jul high C = 28.1
|Sep high C = 29.1
| Aug high C = 28.5
|Oct high C = 28.8
| Sep high C = 29.1
|Nov high C = 28.4
| Oct high C = 28.8
|Dec high C = 28.0
| Nov high C = 28.4
|Jan mean C = 24.9
| Dec high C = 28.0
|Feb mean C = 25.2
| Jan mean C = 24.9
|Mar mean C = 26.2
| Feb mean C = 25.2
|Apr mean C = 27.0
| Mar mean C = 26.2
|May mean C = 27.0
| Apr mean C = 27.0
|Jun mean C = 26.0
| May mean C = 27.0
|Jul mean C = 25.6
| Jun mean C = 26.0
|Aug mean C = 25.6
| Jul mean C = 25.6
|Sep mean C = 25.8
| Aug mean C = 25.6
|Oct mean C = 25.6
| Sep mean C = 25.8
|Nov mean C = 25.3
| Oct mean C = 25.6
|Dec mean C = 25.2
| Nov mean C = 25.3
|Jan low C = 22.2
| Dec mean C = 25.2
|Feb low C = 22.3
| Jan low C = 22.2
|Mar low C = 23.3
| Feb low C = 22.3
|Apr low C = 23.7
| Mar low C = 23.3
|May low C = 24.2
| Apr low C = 23.7
|Jun low C = 23.9
| May low C = 24.2
|Jul low C = 23.7
| Jun low C = 23.9
|Aug low C = 23.6
| Jul low C = 23.7
|Sep low C = 23.5
| Aug low C = 23.6
|Oct low C = 23.1
| Sep low C = 23.5
|Nov low C = 22.8
| Oct low C = 23.1
|Dec low C = 22.6
| Nov low C = 22.8
|rain colour = green
| Dec low C = 22.6
|Jan rain mm = 218
| rain colour = green
|Feb rain mm = 114
| Jan rain mm = 218
|Mar rain mm = 71
| Feb rain mm = 114
|Apr rain mm = 101
| Mar rain mm = 71
|May rain mm = 264
| Apr rain mm = 101
|Jun rain mm = 581
| May rain mm = 264
|Jul rain mm = 828
| Jun rain mm = 581
|Aug rain mm = 638
| Jul rain mm = 828
|Sep rain mm = 383
| Aug rain mm = 638
|Oct rain mm = 418
| Sep rain mm = 383
|Nov rain mm = 376
| Oct rain mm = 418
|Dec rain mm = 328
| Nov rain mm = 376
|Jan rain days = 19
| Dec rain mm = 328
|Feb rain days = 13
| Jan rain days = 19
|Mar rain days = 10
| Feb rain days = 13
|Apr rain days = 10
| Mar rain days = 10
|May rain days = 15
| Apr rain days = 10
|Jun rain days = 23
| May rain days = 15
|Jul rain days = 26
| Jun rain days = 23
|Aug rain days = 25
| Jul rain days = 26
|Sep rain days = 21
| Aug rain days = 25
|Oct rain days = 21
| Sep rain days = 21
|Nov rain days = 20
| Oct rain days = 21
|Dec rain days = 22
| Nov rain days = 20
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
| Dec rain days = 22
|source 1 = HKO<ref name=hko.com>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/s_america/mx_cam/bluffields_e.htm|title=Climatological Normals of Bluefields, Nicaragua|access-date=2012-03-13|publisher=Hong Kong Observatory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702081444/http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/s_america/mx_cam/bluffields_e.htm|archive-date=2015-07-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|date=March 2012
| source 1 = HKO<ref name=hko.com>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/s_america/mx_cam/bluffields_e.htm|title=Climatological Normals of Bluefields, Nicaragua|access-date=2012-03-13|publisher=Hong Kong Observatory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702081444/http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/s_america/mx_cam/bluffields_e.htm|archive-date=2015-07-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| date = March 2012
| source =
}}
}}


==Districts==
==Districts==
The city is located beside the eponymous bay; consisting of 17 neighborhoods including the port of [[El Bluff]], located on a peninsula of the same name. Due to gradual erosion, the peninsula is becoming a true island that closes the Bay of Bluefields on the east side. El Bluff has an extension of 1.29&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and it is about 8&nbsp;km from Bluefields.
The city is located beside the eponymous bay; consisting of 17 neighborhoods including the port of [[Bluefields Bluff]], located on a peninsula of the same name. Due to gradual erosion, the peninsula is becoming a true island that closes the Bay of Bluefields on the east side. Bluefields Bluff has an extension of 1.29&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and it is about 8&nbsp;km from Bluefields.


[[Image:Bluefields street.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Urban Bluefields street scene]]
[[Image:Bluefields street.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Urban Bluefields street scene]]
Line 168: Line 166:
Bluefields has several municipal headquarters and rural communities including:
Bluefields has several municipal headquarters and rural communities including:


'''Urban Level:'''
'''Urban Level:''' Santa Rosa, Central, San Mateo, Pointeen, Fátima, Three Cross, Ricardo Morales, Old Bank, San Pedro, Teodoro Martínez, 19 de Julio, Pancasán, Punta Fría, New York, Beholden, Canal, Loma Fresca.
Santa Rosa,
Central,
San Mateo,
Pointeen,
Fátima,
Tres Cruces,
Ricardo Morales,
Old Bank,
San Pedro,
Teodoro Martínez,
19 de Julio,
Pancasán,
Punta Fría,
New York,
Beholden,
Canal,
Loma Fresca.


'''Rural Level:'''
'''Rural Level:''' Cuenca Río Escondido, Cuenca Río Maíz, San Nicolás, La Fonseca, [[Rama Cay]], San Luís, Caño Frijol, Torsuani, Long Beach, Dalzuno, Cuenca Río Indio, Río Maíz, Guana Creek, Nueva Chontales, Neysi Ríos, La Palma, Sub-Cuenca Mahagony, Krisinbila, Sub-Cuenca Caño Negro, Río Kama, [[Bluefields Bluff]], Las Mercedes, Monkey Point, El Corozo, Cuenca Punta Gorda, Caño Dalzuno, Haulover, Villa Hermosa, San Ramón, Río Cama (El Cilicio), San Brown, La Virgen, San Mariano, La Pichinga, Musulaine, Caño Blanco, Aurora (San Francisco), Kukra River (Delirio), Barra Punta Gorda, Kukra River.
Cuenca Río Escondido,
Cuenca Río Maíz,
San Nicolás,
La Fonseca,
Rama Cay,
San Luís,
Caño Frijol,
Torsuani,
Long Beach,
Dalzuno,
Cuenca Río Indio,
Río Maíz,
Guana Creek,
Nueva Chontales,
Neysi Ríos,
La Palma,
Sub-Cuenca Mahagony,
Krisinbila,
Sub-Cuenca Caño Negro,
Río Kama,
El Bluff,
Las Mercedes,
Monkey Point,
El Corozo,
Cuenca Punta Gorda,
Caño Dalzuno,
Haulover,
Villa Hermosa,
San Ramón,
Río Cama (El Cilicio),
San Brown,
La Virgen,
San Mariano,
La Pichinga,
Musulaine,
Caño Blanco,
Aurora (San Francisco),
Kukra River (Delirio),
Barra Punta Gorda,
Kukra River.


==Education==
==Education==
There are currently two universities in Bluefields. One is the Bluefields campus of the [[University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast]], and the other is the [[Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University]] (BICU).<ref>[http://www.bicu.edu.ni bicu.edu.ni]/</ref>
Formal education in Bluefields began with the arrival of the Moravian Church in 1848, when missionaries established the first organised school centres in the region. These early institutions introduced structured instruction in literacy, religion, and practical skills, and among their first pupils was [[George Augustus Frederic]], the future Miskito king.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2OTUPZDuGwC&q=first+pupils+at+the+Moravian+Christian+day+school+was+George+Augustus+Frederic |title=Journal of Anthropological Research |date=1983 |publisher=University of New Mexico. |language=en}}</ref>
 
There are currently two universities in Bluefields. One is the Bluefields campus of the [[University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast|''URACCAN'']], and the other is the [[Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University]] (BICU).<ref>[http://www.bicu.edu.ni bicu.edu.ni]/</ref>


==Transportation and infrastructure==
==Transportation and infrastructure==
Until recently, there was no road access to Bluefields from the west coast of [[Nicaragua]]. There is now a highway from [[Nueva Guinea]] with regular bus service. The road was completed in May 2019, and was financed with loans from the [[Inter-American Development Bank]] and the [[World Bank]]. The road was formally declared open by President [[Daniel Ortega]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/nicaragua-completes-bluefields-nueva-guinea-highway|title=BNamericas - Nicaragua completes Bluefields-Nueva Guinea ...|website=BNamericas.com|access-date=2020-01-26}}</ref>
Until recently, there was no road access to Bluefields from the pacific. There is now a highway from [[Nueva Guinea]] with regular bus service. The road was completed in May 2019, and was financed with loans from the [[Inter-American Development Bank]] and the [[World Bank]]. The road was formally declared open by President [[Daniel Ortega]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/nicaragua-completes-bluefields-nueva-guinea-highway|title=BNamericas - Nicaragua completes Bluefields-Nueva Guinea ...|website=BNamericas.com|access-date=2020-01-26}}</ref>


Visitors usually either fly in to [[Bluefields Airport]] or take a bus from [[Managua]] and other cities or take a [[Panga (skiff)|Panga]] down the [[Escondido River (Nicaragua)|Rio Escondido]] from the city of [[El Rama]], which itself is accessible from Managua by bus.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} In the town, taxis are readily available at a fixed price of 14 cordobas per person (2020) and work on a shared basis. The municipal wharf is the home of commercial boat traffic to Corn Island, LaBarra and many other locations which are only accessible by boat. Car ownership is very limited in Bluefields.
Visitors usually either fly in to [[Bluefields Airport]] or take a bus from [[Managua]] and other cities or take a [[Panga (skiff)|Panga]] down the [[Escondido River (Nicaragua)|Bluefields River]] from [[El Rama|Rama City]], which itself is accessible from Managua by bus.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} In the town, taxis are readily available at a fixed price of 14 cordobas per person (2020) and work on a shared basis. The municipal wharf is the home of commercial boat traffic to Corn Island, LaBarra and many other locations which are only accessible by boat. Car ownership is very limited in Bluefields.


The municipal government does not provide all necessary services, so additional services related to water, energy, and sanitation are provided by non-governmental organization [[blueEnergy]].
The municipal government does not provide all necessary services, so additional services related to water, energy, and sanitation are provided by non-governmental organization [[BlueEnergy]].


Bluefields was also known as home of the [[British Armed Forces]] strategic operations zone (SOZ), which was built in 1936 with the initial goal of countering the further [[Nazi Germany]] Atlantic invasion of Nicaragua during World War II&mdash;recently it has been used to block drug trafficking from [[Mexico]] to outside Nicaragua via Bluefields, and provide temporary humanitarian aid storage for natural disasters.
Bluefields was also known as home of the [[British Armed Forces]] strategic operations zone (SOZ), which was built in 1936 with the initial goal of countering the further [[Nazi Germany]] Atlantic invasion of Nicaragua during World War II&mdash;recently it has been used to block drug trafficking from [[Mexico]] to outside Nicaragua via Bluefields, and provide temporary humanitarian aid storage for natural disasters.
Line 249: Line 192:
* [[Barbara Carrera]], American actress, model and painter
* [[Barbara Carrera]], American actress, model and painter
* [[Norchad Omier]], Nicaragua international basketball player currently in U.S. college basketball
* [[Norchad Omier]], Nicaragua international basketball player currently in U.S. college basketball
*[[Theo Von]], American comedian and Podcaster whose father emigrated from Nicaragua


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Bluefields_bay.JPG|Bluefields skyline and Bluefields Bay (Bahia de Bluefields) in 2008
File:Bluefields bay.JPG|Bluefields skyline and [[Bluefields Lagoon]] in 2008
File:Nicaragua 1984 - Bluefields - Group of schoolgirls.jpg|Group of schoolgirls, 1984
File:Nicaragua 1984 - Bluefields - Group of schoolgirls.jpg|Group of schoolgirls, 1984
File:Fish market, Bluefields, Nicaragua 12.jpg|Fruit market on Avenida del Comercio
File:Fish market, Bluefields, Nicaragua 12.jpg|Fruit market on Avenida del Comercio
File:Aberdeen Street, Bluefields, Nicaragua 02.jpg|Aberdeen Street in December 2023
File:Aberdeen Street, Bluefields, Nicaragua 02.jpg|Aberdeen Street in December 2023
File:Fish market, Bluefields, Nicaragua 18.jpg|Fish sellers on Avenida del Comercio, December 2023
File:Fish market, Bluefields, Nicaragua 18.jpg|Fish sellers on Avenida del Comercio, December 2023
File:Historical Museum of Afro-descendants, Bluefields, Nicaragua 09.jpg|Historical Museum of Afro-descendants (Museo Histórico de los Afrodescendientes), December 2023
File:Pier for panga boats to El Bluff, Bluefields, Nicaragua 16.jpg|Pollution at the pier for [[Panga (skiff)|'panga']] boats to [[Bluefields Bluff]], 2023
File:Pier for panga boats to El Bluff, Bluefields, Nicaragua 16.jpg|Pollution at the pier for [[Panga (skiff)|'panga']] boats to [[El Bluff]], 2023
</gallery>
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[Puerto Cabezas]], the only other significant settlement on the eastern coast of Nicaragua


==References==
==References==
Line 272: Line 218:
{{South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region}}
{{South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Municipalities of the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1602]]
[[Category:1602 establishments in North America]]
[[Category:Port cities in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Central America]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Central America]]
[[Category:1637 establishments in North America]]

Latest revision as of 05:11, 29 December 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "about". Script error: No such module "Distinguish". Script error: No such module "Settlement short description".Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Bluefields (Script error: No such module "IPA".) is a city and municipality on the central Mosquito Coast, and capital of the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, Nicaragua. Historically, it held far greater significance as the political and administrative capital of the Kingdom of Mosquitia, which maintained independence and later protectorate status under Great Britain during the 17th to 19th centuries.[1] Following the kingdom's annexation in 1894, the city became the capital of the Zelaya Department.[2]

History

From the early seventeenth century, European privateers and pirates—particularly those associated with Dutch and English interests—frequented the Mosquitian Shore, using the Bluefields River and adjacent bays as natural harbours and rendezvous points. At the time, the area was already inhabited by several Indigenous nations, including the Kukra, Ulwa, Rama, and Miskito. An early description of the area appears in the Minutes of a Committee for Providence Island of 14 June 1637, in which Albertus Blauvelt, mate of the Expectation, reported a “good harbour” at the river’s mouth and noted its navigability and surrounding vegetation.[3]

Bluefields rose to regional prominence in 1844 when it was designated the administrative centre of the Kingdom of Mosquitia. The establishment of the Moravian Church in 1848 further contributed to the development of the town’s religious and educational institutions. Between the 1860s and 1880s, increasing British and American investment transformed Bluefields into a commercial hub focused on banana cultivation, timber production, and maritime trade. During this period, the city acquired a distinctly cosmopolitan character, with a population comprising Creoles, Miskito, European settlers, and other Indigenous communities. Growth slowed after the Nicaraguan occupation of Mosquitia in 1894.

In the modern era, Bluefields has faced persistent economic and social challenges. The port was mined by the United States in 1984 during the Contra War, and the city suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Joan in 1988 before undergoing reconstruction. In recent decades, Bluefields became associated with the illicit retrieval of narcotics—locally termed “white lobster”—that washed ashore from maritime smuggling routes between Colombia and North America, though increased enforcement has reduced this activity.

Despite ongoing underdevelopment and social inequality, Bluefields remains a culturally significant city, serving as a major centre of Afro-Caribbean and Indigenous identity and reflecting the longstanding historical traditions of Mosquitia.

Climate

According to Köppen climate classification, Bluefields features a trade-wind tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). There is a drier period from February to April, but the trade winds ensure that unlike the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, rain still falls frequently during this period. For the rest of the year when tropical low pressure dominates rainfall is extremely heavy, helped by the coast being shaped in such a manner as to intercept winds from the south as prevail during the northern summer.

Script error: No such module "weather box".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Districts

The city is located beside the eponymous bay; consisting of 17 neighborhoods including the port of Bluefields Bluff, located on a peninsula of the same name. Due to gradual erosion, the peninsula is becoming a true island that closes the Bay of Bluefields on the east side. Bluefields Bluff has an extension of 1.29 km2 and it is about 8 km from Bluefields.

File:Bluefields street.JPG
Urban Bluefields street scene
File:Bluefields waterfront homes.JPG
Bluefields rural waterfront homes

Bluefields has several municipal headquarters and rural communities including:

Urban Level: Santa Rosa, Central, San Mateo, Pointeen, Fátima, Three Cross, Ricardo Morales, Old Bank, San Pedro, Teodoro Martínez, 19 de Julio, Pancasán, Punta Fría, New York, Beholden, Canal, Loma Fresca.

Rural Level: Cuenca Río Escondido, Cuenca Río Maíz, San Nicolás, La Fonseca, Rama Cay, San Luís, Caño Frijol, Torsuani, Long Beach, Dalzuno, Cuenca Río Indio, Río Maíz, Guana Creek, Nueva Chontales, Neysi Ríos, La Palma, Sub-Cuenca Mahagony, Krisinbila, Sub-Cuenca Caño Negro, Río Kama, Bluefields Bluff, Las Mercedes, Monkey Point, El Corozo, Cuenca Punta Gorda, Caño Dalzuno, Haulover, Villa Hermosa, San Ramón, Río Cama (El Cilicio), San Brown, La Virgen, San Mariano, La Pichinga, Musulaine, Caño Blanco, Aurora (San Francisco), Kukra River (Delirio), Barra Punta Gorda, Kukra River.

Education

Formal education in Bluefields began with the arrival of the Moravian Church in 1848, when missionaries established the first organised school centres in the region. These early institutions introduced structured instruction in literacy, religion, and practical skills, and among their first pupils was George Augustus Frederic, the future Miskito king.[4]

There are currently two universities in Bluefields. One is the Bluefields campus of the URACCAN, and the other is the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU).[5]

Transportation and infrastructure

Until recently, there was no road access to Bluefields from the pacific. There is now a highway from Nueva Guinea with regular bus service. The road was completed in May 2019, and was financed with loans from the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. The road was formally declared open by President Daniel Ortega.[6]

Visitors usually either fly in to Bluefields Airport or take a bus from Managua and other cities or take a Panga down the Bluefields River from Rama City, which itself is accessible from Managua by bus.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". In the town, taxis are readily available at a fixed price of 14 cordobas per person (2020) and work on a shared basis. The municipal wharf is the home of commercial boat traffic to Corn Island, LaBarra and many other locations which are only accessible by boat. Car ownership is very limited in Bluefields.

The municipal government does not provide all necessary services, so additional services related to water, energy, and sanitation are provided by non-governmental organization BlueEnergy.

Bluefields was also known as home of the British Armed Forces strategic operations zone (SOZ), which was built in 1936 with the initial goal of countering the further Nazi Germany Atlantic invasion of Nicaragua during World War II—recently it has been used to block drug trafficking from Mexico to outside Nicaragua via Bluefields, and provide temporary humanitarian aid storage for natural disasters.

Popular culture

Notable people

  • June Beer, painter and poet
  • Anasha Campbell, politician and tourism executive
  • Barbara Carrera, American actress, model and painter
  • Norchad Omier, Nicaragua international basketball player currently in U.S. college basketball
  • Theo Von, American comedian and Podcaster whose father emigrated from Nicaragua

Gallery

See also

  • Puerto Cabezas, the only other significant settlement on the eastern coast of Nicaragua

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ bicu.edu.ni/
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Script error: No such module "Portal".

Script error: No such module "Coordinates". Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Bluefields&oldid=5628334"