Archaeological remnants date indigenous civilizations in Nicaragua to at least 12,000 years ago. The Chorotega and Subtiaba who both spoke an otomanguean language are thought to have moved into the pacific lowlands from Mexico between 4th and 9th centuries CE. In the postclassic period (1000-1500) Nahtaul speaking people who are related to the Aztecs settled in the pacific lowlands. The Matagalpa, Miskito, and Sumu went to the north eastern areas of Nicaragua and the Rama settled along the central Caribbean coast. Christopher Columbus sighted Nicaragua on his 1902 voyage. The country was named by Spanish explorer Gil González Dávilla

who arrived in 1522 on the Pacific Coast and named the country

after a local chief, Nicarao. The Spanish conquered and settled

in the area, founding the cities of León and Granada in 1524. This

ruling from the Spanish continued for three centuries and most

of the indigenous people were wiped out. The indigenous who

were not wiped out were sent to Peru or Panama to be slaves.

They often died from diseases that were unfamiliar to them before

the Spanish conquered them. During the time of the Spanish

conqueror era the Spanish had to deal with the occasional

incursions of Dutch and English invaders. The British remained a

key power during much of that time. In 1821 Nicaragua joined other

states in the Captaincy General of Guatemala in declaring

independence from Spain. In 1823 the Central American states formed

the United Provinces of Central America. In 1838 Nicaragua declared its

independence from the United Provinces of Central America. For 100 years Nicaraguan politics were dominated by a power struggle between the liberal and conservative parties. This struggle made it easy for the U.S intervention beginning with Willian Walker's attempts

to take over Nicaragua which started in the mid-1800’s. The U.S

government particularly wanted to control weather, when, and

where a canal would be built so the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was

signed giving the U.S rights to dig a canal in Nicaragua. The next

year in 1851 a route was developed where in western United States

could easily get to Nicaragua. The U.S remained somewhat in

control until president José Santos Zelaya elected in 1893 tried to

push them out but in retaliation the U.S ousted Zelaya through

military and troops landed in Nicaragua in 1909. The U.S kept

troops there from 1912 to 1933. Then from 1936-1979 the

family of Anastasio Somoza García dominated Nicaragua.

During this time they also entered world war two in 1945.

Nicaragua has stayed calm with multiple leaders in the past 80 years.