Nicaragua is the largest Central American country by area, covering more than 50,000 square miles (130,000 sq. km). It is a land of beaches lapped by sparkling seawater, deep forests, long winding rivers, colonial cities, ancient Amerindian temples and cities, and a huge freshwater lake - the only lake in the world with sharks in it! From the 1920s until 1979, Nicaragua was ruled by the corrupt Somoza family, which was supported by the United States. During the 1980s, the country became a controversial Cold War battleground, with factions backed by the U.S. and Soviet Union. Since the mid-2000s, the country has been relatively stable, although its people remain among the poorest in Central America. There's a lot to discover about Nicaragua!