Siuna
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Siuna is a county-sized administrative municipality in Nicaragua, located approximately 318 kilometres (198 mi) northeast of the capital city of Managua and 218 kilometres (135 mi) west of the coastal city and regional capital Puerto Cabezas 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[2] 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[3] 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%
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.[5]
Currently, Calibre Mining owns the mine, but it is inactive. The only producing mine in the mining triangle is in Bonanza, and operated through HEMCO.
HEMCO is also active in Siuna through the Javier Chamorro Forestry Project working through Norwegian teak grower NORTEAK.
Government institutions
The following government institutions are present and working in Siuna: MINSA, MARENA, INTA, INAFOR, and as well as the SILAIS office for the RACCN.
Education
There are two universities that offer courses in Siuna. The URACCAN (Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense) which offer majors in Agro-Forestry and Local Development. The Martin Luther University offers a Nursing degree.
There is a secondary school run through MINED as well as a secondary/primary school run through the 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 organization Cacao RAAN works with a number of cooperatives in the region focused on cacao and chocolate production.
Bridges to Community
The
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
In town taxis as well as a local bus system provide transportation to the public.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Citypopulation.de Population of Siuna municipality
- ^ Information taken from MINSA-Siuna
- ^ MINSA records, Siuna
- ^ Siuna Mayors Office Records
- ^ "Calibre Mining Corp. - Siuna Camp - Sat Dec 18, 2010". www.calibremining.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-18.
- ^ "Home". bridgestocommunity.org.
External links
- Pictorial History of Siuna
- La Luz Mine, Siuna
- OpenStreetMap - Siuna
- Video Aerial Tour of Town of Siuna
- Video 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 Community
- CACAO RAAN
- Written History of Siuna