Nicaragua's climate is tropical, with the distinctive rainy and dry seasons typical to the region. The rainy season-or "winter"-- usually ranges from May to October, while the dry season-or "summer"-lasts from November to April. Average temperatures range from lows of 77 to highs of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Archeological evidence indicates that Nicaragua has been inhabited for nearly 6,000 years. Little is known of these peoples up until about 1,000 years ago when groups of Mayan people fled Mexico and settled along the shores of Lake Nicaragua. It wasn't until 1519 that Europeans landed on Nicaraguan soil from an expedition originating in Panama. Within 5 years colonies were established in Leon and Granada, and the country maintained its link to Spain until Independence in 1838.

The same agricultural products the existed over a hundred and fifty years ago still maintain Nicaragua's economy. Coffee, sugar and cotton are important crops, now joined by bananas, and the raising or harvesting of beef and seafood. After peace was established in the 1990s, nature tourists began to see Nicaragua as a possible destination. Despite the challenges of civil conflict, in the mid 1970s Nicaragua began to create an infant park system, beginning with Masaya National Park. Perhaps due to some of these challenges, the country's rain forests have yet to be studied as thoroughly as those in the rest of the isthmus, so the rugged beauty of Nicaragua remains for exploration, from the depths of its "sweet seas" to the heights of its many volcanic peaks.