Corn Islands

History

According to Edward Conzemius, a French ethnologist from Luxembourg, in 1929 he stated in his article Les Îles Corn du Nicaragua (The Corn Islands of Nicaragua), that the first inhabitants of Corn Island were the Indigenous Kukras, who were exterminated by the also Indigenous Miskitos in alliance with the English buccaneers.

Cannon on display overlooking Brig Bay on Great Corn Island]] The island was used to resupply firewood and water, repair their ships, and support their fishing activities. Puritan settlers of British origin arrived on the island in the mid-18th century, bringing with them their slaves of African origin. It is known that they came from Jamaica, settling in British Honduras (now Belize) until they reached the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua.

The first settlers preferred to inhabit the southeastern part of the island. This was for several reasons: Quinn Hill's height offered a panoramic view of the sea, from which they could see the arrival of pirate ships as they approached "Insurance Harbor", a strategic port on the island that provided facilities for anchoring and unloading boats. This port, "Insurance Harbour", also has historical importance since Colonel Alexander McDonald, superintendent of British Honduras (today Belize), landed on August 27, 1841.

This superintendent was the one who ordered to call the enslaved laborers, at the point called South West Bay, to declare them free from slavery, in the name of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and King Robert Charles Frederic of Mosquitia.

After the English colonists established themselves in the Corn Islands, a process of acculturation began. Most of the settlers came to these Islands as adventurers and explorers in search of fortunes and riches. They settled permanently and interacted with the enslaved laborers. A product of this relationship is the Creole descent of the Corn Islands. Over time, these descendants gradually assimilated and adapted the customs and traditions of English culture. Slavery was abolished on the Corn Islands in 1843.

In 1852, Reverend Edward Kelly from British Honduras founded the Ebenezer Baptist Church and School, the first Christian institution built on the islands. Ebenezer Baptist was the only church in the Corn Islands until 1901, when the Saint James Episcopal Church of Corn Island was founded.

The Corn Islands were also part of the British protectorate of the Kingdom of Mosquitia, from 1740 to 1860. At some point, the islands were frequented by Caribbean pirates. In 1894, the Nicaraguan government occupied the area militarily. The islands were handed over to the United States for a 99-year lease under the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty of August 5, 1914. Under the terms of that treaty, they were subject to U.S. law, but Nicaraguan sovereignty was maintained.

In 1940, Corn Island was elevated to a municipality in the Zelaya Region (as the region was known at the time) by presidential decree.

The United States maintained the right to the actual or potential use of the islands until April 25, 1971, the date on which the agreement was officially canceled with the repeal of the Chamorro-Bryan treaty, under the presidency of Anastasio Somoza Debayle, from July 14, 1970.

Before that event, the municipality had a governor rather than a mayor, as it does now. The mayors were previously elected in a community assembly, where, in addition to the highest municipal representative, the judge and secretary were also elected. The first popular vote elections in which all the people participated were at the beginning of the 20th century.

Geography

The Corn Islands consist of Great Corn Island (often simply referred to as Corn Island), with an area of 10 km2, and Little Corn Island, with an area of 2.9 km2. The total area is 12.9 km2. Mount Pleasant Hill, in the north of Great Corn Island, is the highest elevation of the islands, at 113 m. Little Corn Island reaches a height of 38 m at Lookout Point in the northern part of the island.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, the nearby mainland region of Bluefields features a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). There is a drier period from February to April, but the trade winds ensure that, unlike the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, rain still falls frequently during this period. For the rest of the year, when tropical low pressure dominates, rainfall is extremely heavy, helped by the coast being shaped in such a manner as to intercept winds from the south as prevail during the northern summer.

Demographics

The population of the islands numbered 7,747 (census of population, Late 2020). Due to the Corn Islands belonging to the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, the official languages there, are: Spanish (national language), Sumo, Rama, Miskito, Creole and Garifuna.

The islanders are primarily Afro-descendant, English-speaking Creole people, some mixed with indigenous people.

Subdivisions

The municipality of Corn Island is subdivided into six neighborhoods (barrios), five of which are on Great Corn Island, while Little Corn Island constitutes the sixth Neighborhood:

Transportation

Great Corn Island has a paved road about 12 km long, which runs the island's length. Automobiles, motorbikes, and bicycles are the primary means of transport on the island. Most cars are used as taxis and cost 20 Cordobas for each ride of an adult person. The only other public transportation option is the bus that circles the island clockwise and costs ten cordobas.

Little Corn Island is accessible by fast boats, usually three or four times per day depending on weather from Great Corn Island, and by a small cargo ship from the port at Southwest Bay on Great Corn Island (World Port Index No. 9775). Little Corn Island has no motor vehicles. Due to its small size, all transport on the island is done on foot.

Air

Great Corn Island can be reached by a La Costeña flight from Managua or Bluefields, which arrive twice a day at Corn Island Airport.

Sea

Great Corn Island can be reached by a ferry or a small speedboat from the City of Bluefields that leaves from there every Wednesday and Saturday to the island.

Economy and tourism

Throughout most of the 20th century, the economy revolved around coconut production. During the 1960s and 1970s, commercial fishing as well as lobster and shrimp fishing became the primary industry. However, the recent growth in tourism throughout the region has also affected the islands. Tourism on the islands has grown considerably, with their many surrounding coral reefs making them a popular destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Barracudas, nurse sharks, hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles, and spotted eagle rays are among the marine life that can be seen around the islands.

Sports

Baseball is a popular sport in the Corn Islands. The main stadium on the island is the Karen Tucker Baseball Stadium.

Volleyball and Football are also Sports that many islanders play.

Gastronomy

The cuisine of Corn Island is varied; most of the dishes are seafood- and boco-based.

Corn Island's typical dishes include crab soup, rondon, fried fish, and rice with shrimp.

Notable people

• Cheslor Cuthbert, professional baseball player for the Chicago White Sox

Gallery

File:Little Corn Island.JPG|Coast of Little Corn Island File:CornIsland.JPG|Aerial view of Great Corn Island File:Long Bay, Corn Island.jpg|Long Bay, Great Corn Island File:Big Corn Island aka Great Corn island, Nicaragua 07.jpg|The island at dusk

References

References

1. Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo (INIDE). "Anuario Estadístico 2022".
2. "Las Islas del Maíz".
3. (1992). "Turtle Bogue: Afro-Caribbean Life and Culture in a Costa Rican Village". Susquehanna University Press.
4. (April 2023). "List of Corn Island Tangible Cultural Heritage".
5. (May 2023). "Historical Review of Ebenezer Baptist School on corn Island".
6. (April 2023). "A Brief Historical Review of the Episcopal Church on Corn Island, Nicaragua".
7. (23 February 1940). "La Gaceta - N. 45".
8. "Climatological Normals of Bluefields, Nicaragua". [[Hong Kong Observatory]].
9. "POBLACION VOLUMEN".
10. (22 June 1993). "LEY DE USO OFICIAL DE LAS LENGUAS DE LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA COSTA ATLANTICA DE NICARAGUA".
11. {{Cite rowlett. nicc
12. {{cite ngall. 110. 2016