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'''Nicaragua''' is the largest nation in [[Central America]], but it the least densely populated; thus being similar in population to its neighbours.  The country is bordered to the north by the Honduras and to the south by [[Costa Rica]].  Its western coast is on the Pacific Ocean, while the east of the country borders on the Caribbean Sea.  Nicaragua is one of three countries in the world where abortion is illegal with no exceptions, along with [[El Salvador]] and [[Chile]].

'''Nicaragua''' is the largest nation in [[Central America]], but it the least densely populated; thus being similar in population to its neighbours.  The country is bordered to the north by the Honduras and to the south by [[Costa Rica]].  Its western coast is on the Pacific Ocean, while the east of the country borders on the Caribbean Sea.  Nicaragua is one of three countries in the world where abortion is illegal with no exceptions, along with [[El Salvador]] and [[Chile]].

Nicaragua was recently ravaged by a civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people most of whom were killed by the Contras, and left 20% of the country's population homeless <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1225218.stm</ref>, between the Contra guerillas and the socialist [[Sandinista]] government.  

Nicaragua was recently ravaged by a civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, and left 20% of the country's population homeless <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1225218.stm</ref>, between the Contra guerillas and the socialist [[Sandinista]] government.  

The Reagan Administration covertly and illegally facilitated funding to the [[Contras]] through arms sales by Israel to Iran in whats become known as the [[Iran-Contra affair]]. <ref>"President Ronald Reagan told a packed White House news conference that funds derived from covert arms deals with the Islamic Republic of Iran had been diverted to buy weapons for the U.S.-backed Contra rebels in Nicaragua." http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB210/index.htm</ref>  The post Vietnam-era [[Boland amendment]] denied direct appropriations to continue the policy of [[Containment]] as it perrtained to Nicaragua during this period of the [[Cold War]].

The Reagan Administration facilitated funding to the [[Contras]] through arms sales by Israel to Iran in whats become known as the [[Iran-Contra affair]]. <ref>"President Ronald Reagan told a packed White House news conference that funds derived from covert arms deals with the Islamic Republic of Iran had been diverted to buy weapons for the U.S.-backed Contra rebels in Nicaragua." http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB210/index.htm</ref>  The post Vietnam-era [[Boland amendment]] denied direct appropriations to continue the policy of [[Containment]] as it perrtained to Nicaragua during this period of the [[Cold War]].  

 

Nicaragua took the United States to the World Court once it became known that the CIA mined Nicaragua's harbours. The World Court ruled in Nicaragua's favour but the United States has yet to pay reparations.

==See also==

==See also==