Nicaragua Neighbouring Countries and Central American Map

Nicaragua’s Neighbors

Bordering Countries Overview

Snuggled in Central America, Nicaragua rubs shoulders with two key pals. On its northern side, it links up with Honduras and down south, it cozies up next to Costa Rica. These connections form the backbone of Nicaragua’s neighborhood ties. Flanked by the Caribbean Sea on the right and catching waves from the Pacific Ocean on the left, the country’s spot on the map gives it a crazy mix of terrains (Britannica).

Bordering Country	Border Length (km)
Honduras	922
Costa Rica	313

Land Borders

Nicaragua’s borders aren’t just lines on a map; they’re lifelines for trading goods and building friendships. The stretch with Honduras runs for about 922 kilometers, making it the longer of the two, while the skinnier border with Costa Rica measures around 313 kilometers. This setup is vital for moving stuff, doing business, and swapping culture with others in Central America (National Geographic Kids).

Maritime Boundaries

Beyond the dirt paths and paved roads, Nicaragua’s got water lines too. It shares watery borders with Colombia, particularly near the San Andrés and Providencia islands. Plus, there’s talk that Nicaragua might bump into Jamaica on the seas, depending on how certain legal chats go. It also rubs marine elbows with El Salvador in the Pacific.

Maritime Neighbor	Boundary Description
Colombia	San Andrés and Providencia archipelago
Jamaica	Possible maritime neighbor
El Salvador	Pacific Ocean meets

Figuring out who Nicaragua’s chatting with border-wise is like getting the scoop on its political playbook and trade tactics in Central America. Want to dive deeper into who’s next door to other countries? Check out our pieces on Mexico’s neighboring crew and Malaysia’s nearby countries.

Nicaragua-Honduras Relations

Border Length and Features

The line that separates Nicaragua from Honduras runs about 218 miles. This stretch goes all the way from the Pacific’s Gulf of Fonseca to the Caribbean. You start with ocean waves and warm beaches and move to rivers and rough spots inland, painting a picture of a terrain that keeps changing.

Border Feature	Details
Length	218 miles
Western Endpoint	Gulf of Fonseca
Eastern Endpoint	Caribbean Sea

The Gulf of Fonseca is like a crowded neighborhood, involving Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. It’s a bit of a juggling act managing who gets which part of those waters. The journey to the Caribbean side throws in rivers and rugged paths, making for a slice of nature that’s both beautiful and a bit tricky.

Conflict Over Gulf of Fonseca

Throw in three countries—Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador—and you’ve got a recipe for disagreement over the Gulf of Fonseca. This region has seen its share of clashes. Back in 1992, things got real when the International Court of Justice stepped in, divvying up control. Honduras took the bigger El Tigre Island, while El Salvador nabbed the two littler ones, Meanguera and Meanguerita. Plus, they went with this thing called a “tridominium,” which means sharing control where no one wanted to give an inch.

There’s been some tension cruising these waters, both diplomatic and sometimes boiling over. Nevertheless, they keep trying to figure out how to share the goodies like fish and fair sailing rights.

For those who like to dig deeper, check out stuff on Lithuania’s neighboring countries and Luxembourg’s neighboring countries.

Getting to know the complex relationship between Nicaragua and Honduras helps us understand the spicy blend of history and modern-day politics in Central America.

Nicaragua-Costa Rica Relations

Taking a look at how Nicaragua and Costa Rica rub shoulders geologically and politically shows just what’s brewing down there in Central America. Let’s dive into these feisty neighbors and their skirmishes.

Length of Border

Kicking things off with the numbers, Nicaragua and Costa Rica share a land border clocking in around 313 km long. This stretch carves through everything from lush rainforests to meandering rivers, beginning at the Pacific Ocean and wrapping up at the Caribbean Sea.

Border Segment	Length (km)
Nicaragua-Costa Rica	313

Disputes and Conflict

These amigos have had their share of dust-ups over the years. One hotspot is the San Juan River. This isn’t just any old river but a flashpoint of tension, beloved for its strategic value. They’re hashing this saga out at the World Court right now. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t miss a chance to stir the pot. In 2020, Nicaragua slammed its northern gates, blaming the tests Costa Rica insisted on before ships revved their engines. This traffic jam dealt a blow to trade and amped up the diplomatic tension. Costa Rica is calling for narrower restrictions to get trade up and running smoothly again.

For more on neighborhood politics, check out what’s shaking with Lithuania’s Neighbors or how Luxembourg Gets Along with Its Neighbors.

International Court of Justice Involvement

Rulings and Decisions

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been the peacekeeper for border scuffles with Nicaragua and its neighbors. Flashback to 1992 – the ICJ stepped into a spat between Honduras and El Salvador, deciding Honduras should get dibs on the island of El Tigre, while El Salvador scooped up Meanguerita and Meanguera. On top of that, they set up a shared control situation (a “tridominium,” fancy word alert) for some other areas among the trio of countries (World Atlas).

Fast forward to the present, Costa Rica and Nicaragua are hashin’ things out at the World Court over their borders. This showdown highlights the ICJ’s knack for sorting out international beefs that demand fair solutions.

Year	Dispute	ICJ Ruling
1992	Honduras vs. El Salvador	El Tigre’s Honduras-bound; Meanguerita and Meanguera to El Salvador; area sharing for others
Ongoing	Costa Rica vs. Nicaragua	Stay tuned

Handling Border Disputes

The ICJ sorts out border tiffs by diving into old treaties, checking out the laws on the books, and eyeballing the political stew of the moment. In Nicaragua’s squabbles, the ICJ aims to keep the peace and get neighbors to act neighborly.

With disputes like Costa Rica and Nicaragua’s, they push for a bit of chin-wagging and handshake deals, maintaining themselves as the neutral referee. This ensures everybody sticks to the agreed international playbook.

Hungry for more scoop on boundary battles? Peek at our pieces on Luxembourg’s neighboring countries and Malawi’s neighboring countries. Craving more? Take a gander at Mongolia’s neighboring countries and Portugal’s neighboring countries.

Recent Tensions and Border Issues

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has really thrown a wrench into the border dealings between Nicaragua and its neighbors. Let’s start with Nicaraguans shutting their northern border on May 18, 2020. Why? Costa Rica went ahead and started testing drivers coming in, which sent old border disputes right back into motion (Latina Republic). Costa Rica decided to block 50 drivers who caught the virus from coming in, which just made everyone more ticked off—especially with that whole regional spat.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s leader, was the man behind the wheel on that border closure, leaving a mess of vehicles from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica stuck at Peñas Blancas. Costa Rica pleaded with Nicaragua to lift the blockade so they could get trade back on track and give diplomacy a little CPR.

Panama jumped in too, closing its border with Costa Rica because of similar virus checks. This left Panamanian trucks either squeezing past Costa Rica’s rules or doing an end-run through Nicaragua (Latina Republic).

Trade Disruptions

All these closed borders and restrictions during the pandemic messed up trade pretty good for Nicaragua and the neighbors. The closure triggered pile-ups and headaches, making business take a hit across the board.

Date	Event	Impact
May 18, 2020	Nicaragua closes northern border	Tensions skyrocket with Costa Rica
May 2020	Costa Rica tests truckers for COVID-19, turns away 50	Trade with Nicaragua in a chokehold
May 2020	Trucks from five countries stranded	Economy tanks from stalled trade
May 2020	Panama clamps down on border with Costa Rica	Panamanian routes zigzag through Nicaragua

Costa Rica’s move to get the trading gates open again was like sweet-talking Nicaragua into accepting a compromise. They were trying to dodge ongoing trade issues and keep the economic boat from tipping over.

For insights on how these border shutdowns echo around the block, go check out more about Malaysia’s neighbors and Myanmar’s border pals.

Regional Border Closures

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many areas into chaos, Central America being no exception. This section spills the beans on how shutting down borders hit trade hard and the growing clamor for swinging those borders back open.

Impacts on Trade

When Nicaragua slammed its border shut on May 18, 2020, it was like dropping a trade bomb in the neighborhood. They did it because Costa Rica started checking truck drivers for COVID-19, like bouncers at a club. The Costa Rican cops say they had to do it; they stopped 50 sick drivers from crossing the line (Latina Republic).

Country	Date of Border Closure	Reason	Trade Impact
Nicaragua	May 18, 2020	COVID-19 Testing by Costa Rica	Big
Costa Rica	May 2020	COVID-19 Testing Rules	High
Panama	May 2020	COVID-19 Testing Stuff	Moderate

This whole mess made things messy and delayed for those dealing with the back-and-forth shipments. Panama jumped in, too, closing off its border with Costa Rica thanks to the same testing deal. So, Panamanian truckers were in a pickle: go through Costa Rica with all sorts of restrictions or take the scenic route through Nicaragua (Latina Republic).

Calls for Reopening

After the Nicaraguan border went into lockdown, Costa Rica was over there waving its arms, urging Nicaragua to hit the ‘open’ button again to keep trade moving. They pushed for letting stuff and folks flow again, saying some limits are worth it to get things rolling (Latina Republic).

Folks from different walks of life are begging for a border comeback to keep essentials flowing. Nearby nations like Mexico and Panama, along with others keeping an eye on the border bungle, are chiming in about the need to help each other out in these trying times. Amid all the fuss, it’s clear that balancing health with keeping the economy from tanking is the name of the game.