Bluefields

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Note: This article title may be easily confused with Bluefield.

Bluefields (population of 57,256 in 2000) is the capital of the municipality of the same name, and of the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur) of southeastern Nicaragua, and was the capital of the former Zelaya department, which was divided into the North and South Atlantic Autonomous Regions. It is located on Bluefields Bay at the mouth of the Escondido River.

Bluefields is Nicaragua's chief Caribbean port, from where hardwood and seafood, mostly shrimp and lobster, are exported. Bluefields was a rendezvous for English and Dutch buccaneers in the 16th and 17th century and became capital of the British protectorate over the Mosquito Coast in 1678. During United States interventions (1912-15, 1926-33) in Nicaragua, Marines were stationed there. In 1984, the United States mined the harbor (along with those of Corinto and Puerto Sandino). Bluefields was destroyed by Hurricane Joan in 1988 but was rebuilt. The population of Bluefields is mixed mestizo, indian, and black.

[edit] Municipalities

The city is located beside the Bay of its same name Bluefields; it is integrated by 17 neighborhoods including the Port of El Bluff, located on the peninsula of its same name El Bluff. This peninsula has become a true island that closes the Bay of Bluefields on the east side little by little. El Bluff has an extension of 1.29 Kms² and it is about 8 Km from Bluefields.

The municipal jurisdiction of Bluefields has several municipal headquarters and rural communities that are:

Urban Level: Santa Rosa, Central, San Mateo, Point Teen, Fátima, Tres Cruces, Ricardo Morales, Old Bank, Santa Pedro, Teodoro Martínez, 19 de Julio, Pancasán, Cotton Tree, New York, Beholdeen, El Canal, Loma Fresca,

Rural Level: Cuenca Río Escondido, Cuenca Río Maíz, San Nicolás, La Fonseca, Rama Cay, San Luís, Caño Frijol, Tarsuani, Long Beach, Dalzuno, Cuenca Río Indio, Río Maíz, Guana Creek, Nueva Chontales, Neysi Ríos, La Palma, Sub-Cuenta Mahagony, Krisinbila, Sub-Cuenca Caño Negro, Río Kama, El Bluff, Las Mercedes, Monkey Point, El Corozo, Cuenca Punta Gorda, Caño Dalzuno, Hallouver, Villa Hermosa, San Ramón, Río Cama (El Cilicio), San Brown, La Virgen, San Mariano, La Pichinga, Musulaine, Caño Blanco, Aurora (San Francisco), Kukra River (Delirio), Barra Punta Gorda, Kukra River,