Lake Nicaragua
The largest lake in Central America
The Lake Nicaragua (Spanish Lago de Nicaragua), also Cocibolca, is the largest lake in Central America and is located in southwest Nicaragua on the border with Costa Rica.
Geography
With an area of 8,157 square kilometers of Lake Nicaragua is after Lake Titicaca is the second largest lake in Latin America. In the north, it is connected via the Río Tipitapa with the Managua.
In the lake there are more than 400 islands, the largest being Zapatera and Ometepe in the north in the middle of the lake. Ometepe has two volcanoes, the volcano Concepción with 1,610 m and the Maderas volcano with 1340 meters height. Outbreaks of both volcanoes have meant that the original two islands have grown together by the lava flow to a single island. Here are also prehistoric stone statues and petroglyphs. Perhaps the most famous island group are the Solentiname Islands in the south of the lake, where Ernesto Cardenal lived for a long time.
The lake is an important traffic artery: Numerous ferries connect a number of shore towns and inhabited islands. Again and again, there have been considerations to make a connection from the Pacific and Atlantic over the Río San Juan and Lake Nicaragua - Nicaragua Canal.
Fauna
The Common sawfish still lives in Lake Nicaragua. Since the 1970s, its population, however, has been decimated. Besides living in the lake larger populations of the bull shark, which can reach a length of over three meters. The sighting of a bull shark is many years back. It is assumed that the Süßwasserhai is extinct in Lake Nicaragua. One reason for the disappearance of both species is overfishing. In addition, can the increased management of the island by its inhabitants natural water and riparian habitats disappear.
Mythology
According to legend, the islands of Ometepe and Zapatera and Nicaragua from a tragic love story emerged: so, the highly Nagrando fell in love with the beautiful daughter of a neighboring tribe chieftain named Ometeptl. Both Indian tribes, however, were at odds over territorial claims and questions of power. By law, the ancestors of a love between warring tribes was forbidden. The couple had therefore soon flee from their home villages and hidden in a valley. As their love but did not remain concealed, they were pursued by their tribesmen. Finally, until they decided to commit suicide out of despair and opened the wrists. Ometeptl fell backwards, Nagrando staggered a few steps and also fell down. The blood of both filled in the valley and covered her body - the present-day Nicaragua. From Ometeptls body protrude only her breasts above the water level, today's volcanoes Concepcion and Maderas. From the body Nagrandos one sees only something removed, the tips of the island of Zapatera.