Bluefields, town, capital of the
South Atlantic Coast Autonomous Region and Zelaya dept., SE Nicaragua, on
Bluefields Bay at the mouth of the Escondido River. It is Nicaragua's chief
Caribbean port. Hardwoods and fish are exported. Bluefields was a rendezvous
for English and Dutch buccaneers in the 16th and 17th cent. and became
(1678) capital of the British protectorate over the Mosquito Coast. During U.S.
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 in a hurricane in 1988 but was
rebuilt.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Nicaragua Political Geography
