Siuna is a county-sized administrative
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
, located approximately northeast of the capital city of
Managua
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and west of the coastal city and regional capital
Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas (; en, Bragman's Bluff; miq, Bilwi) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. ...
in the
North Caribbean Autonomous Region (RACN). Siuna is the name of the city as well as the municipality. The municipality of Siuna contains 204 rural communities and 20 neighborhoods. Most were settled in support of gold mining along the
Ei River drainage basin, leading to rapid population growth from the mid-1930s.
Demographics
The population of the Siuna municipality varies by information resource and ranges between 97,308 and 100,770 people. 22% of the population, or some 22,856 people, live in the city of Siuna, while approximately 78% of the population, 81,229 people, live in the over 200 rural communities.
There are 20 neighborhoods that originally had names based on the population that lived there during the mining, such as "Moskitown" (where the
Miskitos lived) and "Jamaicatown" (where the
Creoles lived). Although these names are commonly used, today all neighborhoods have Spanish names.
The population is 99.7%
Mestizo, .2%
Mayangna
The Mayangna (also known as Sumu or Sumo) are a people who live on the eastern coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras, an area commonly known as the Mosquito Coast. Their preferred autonym is Mayangna, as the name "Sumo" is a derogatory name historicall ...
, .07% Miskito, and .01% Creole.
History
The town of Siuna was the site of La Luz Mining company, which was active from 1936 to 1968. There was migration from other areas of the country to work in the gold mine during those years, including people from the coast and indigenous groups. The mine was shut down in 1968 due to damage of the hydroelectric plant.
Currently
Calibre Miningowns the mine, but it is inactive. The only producing mine in the mining triangle is in
Bonanza, and operated throug
HEMCO
HEMCO is also active in Siuna through th
Javier Chamorro Forestry Projectworking through Norwegian teak growe
NORTEAK
Government institutions
The following government institutions are present and working in Siuna:
MINSA MARENA INTAINAFOR and as well as the SILAIS office for the RACCN.
Education
There are two universities that offer courses in Siuna. Th
URACCAN (Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense)which offer majors in Agro-Forestry and Local Development. Th
offers a Nursing degree.
There is a secondary school run throug
MINEDas well as a secondary/primary school run through th
parish
Economy
The majority of the population today are farmers after the closing of the regional gold mining operations. Service businesses and the educational institutions round out the town's employment. The primary crops are beans and corn. There is a greater focus in recent years on cacao production as alternative income. The organizatio
Cacao RAANworks with a number of cooperatives in the region focused on cacao and chocolate production.
Bridges to Community
The
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
, Bridges to Community,
focused on community development and service learning, has an office in Siuna and actively works in two communities, Rosa Grande and Fonseca. Bridges to Community works with the local communities in projects focused on education, health, and economic development. In the area of education, Bridges to Community has most recently built with the community of Rosa Grande a library where now over 400 students in the area go to access literature, research, and study. In the area of health, Bridges to Community has worked most recently with the community of Fonseca in building a water project to benefit 30 houses in addition to the school and chapel. Bridges to Community is also working in digging a well and repairing the distribution system at the MINSA hospital to ensure constant water access in the hospital. Currently in discussion is a joint project involving Bridges to Community, MINSA, US-based Medical Schools, and local health leaders in building and creating a model health care clinic in the region.
Bridges to Community's approach is unique in that the NGO only works in communities that solicit the NGO's support and works with the community on projects that the community wants. In addition the approach focuses not only on construction of projects but of exchange between people and cultures through service learning and reflection.
In 2013 Bridges to Community will begin work in the community of Tadazna.
Transportation and tourism
Siuna Airport is served by
Avianca Nicaragua
Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A.'', "Airways of the American Continent") is a Colombian airline. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered unde ...
(La Costeña). The town may be reached by bus on the Managua -
Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas (; en, Bragman's Bluff; miq, Bilwi) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. ...
Highway or through
Waslala
Waslala is a town and a municipality in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. It is located 71 miles from Matagalpa and 161 miles from Managua.
The Nicaraguan Revolution affected Waslala tremendously - it was the location of ...
on the Matagalpa - Waslala - Siuna road. The bus from Managua to Siuna takes 12 hours through Rio Blanco on the Puerto Cabezas road. Siuna is located from Waslala and takes about 6 hours by bus.
In town taxis as well as a local bus system provide transportation to the public.
References
External links
Pictorial History of SiunaLa Luz Mine, SiunaOpenStreetMap - Siuna Video Aerial Tour of Town of SiunaVideo about Music played in Siuna at La Luz Gold Mine"A Town Survives by Jet Plane" Newsreel about Siuna by Paramount News from 1946 Bridges to CommunityCACAO RAANWritten History of Siuna
{{North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region
Municipalities of the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region