History of Nicaragua
A definitive independent republic since 1838.. 3 eras, 1542 to today.
Captaincy General of Guatemala, 1542–1821 Draft, not yet reviewed
It was an administrative division of the Spanish Empire, under the viceroyalty of New Spain in Central America. Through diplomacy, Arias Dávila became the colony's first governor. In 1609 the area became a captaincy general, when the governor and Audiencia president was also granted the title of captain general to deal with foreign threats to the area from the Caribbean. The Captaincy General ended in 1821 with the signing of the Act of Independence of Central America.
Seat of power: Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala
Rulers
- Carlos Luis de Urrutia, Captain General of Guatemala, 1818–1821
Federal Republic of Central America, 1823–1841 Draft, not yet reviewed
It was a sovereign state in Central America that existed between 1823 and 1839/1841. It was composed of five states: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It adopted a constitution, based on that of the federal government of the United States, in November 1824. A second civil war from 1838 to 1840 ended with the states of Central America declaring independence and the federal republic ceasing to exist.
Seat of power: Guatemala City
Rulers
- Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1823–1824
- Manuel José Arce, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1825–1828
- Mariano Beltranena y Llano, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1828–1829
- Francisco Morazán, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1829–1839
- José Francisco Barrundia, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1829–1830
- José Gregorio Salazar, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1834–1835
- Diego Vigil y Cocaña, President of the Federal Republic of Central America, 1839–1840
Nicaragua, 1841 to today Draft, not yet reviewed
Nicaragua definitively became an independent republic in 1838. The Sandinistas forcefully took power in July 1979, ousting Somoza. In the 1990 Nicaraguan general election, a coalition of anti-Sandinista parties from both the left and right of the political spectrum led by Violeta Chamorro, the widow of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, defeated the Sandinistas. In January 2025, a constitutional reform ratified by the National Assembly extended the presidential term from five to six years and elevated Vice President Rosario Murillo to "co-president" alongside Ortega.
Seat of power: Managua
Rulers
- Tomás Martínez Guerrero, President of Nicaragua, 1857–1867
- Fernando Guzmán Solórzano, President of Nicaragua, 1867–1871
- José Vicente Cuadra, President of Nicaragua, 1871–1875
- José Santos Zelayo, President of Nicaragua, 1893–1909
- Adolfo Díaz, President of Nicaragua, 1911–1917
- Anastasio Somoza García, President of Nicaragua, 1937–1947
- Anastasio Somoza García, President of Nicaragua, 1950–1956
- Luis Somoza Debayle, President of Nicaragua, 1956–1963
- Anastasio Somoza Debayle, President of Nicaragua, 1967–1972
- Anastasio Somoza Debayle, President of Nicaragua, 1974–1979
- Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, 1985–1990
- Violeta Chamorro, President of Nicaragua, 1990–1997
- Arnoldo Alemán, President of Nicaragua, 1997–2002
- Enrique Bolaños, President of Nicaragua, 2002–2007
- Rosario Murillo, President of Nicaragua, 2025 to today
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.