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NICARAGUA.

Constitution and Government.

Thk Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua is that which name into operation on April 5th, 1913. Tin- is the same as was promulgated on March 12, 1912, with the exception of Artic-les 168 and 170. Previous constitution was that of March 30, 1905. It vests the legislative power in a Congress of two houses consisting of 40 deputies, elected for 4 years by universal suffrage, and 13 Senators elected for 6 years. The Executive power is with a President appointed for 4 years.

President. — Dr. Diego Manuel Chamorro. (Inaugurated Jauuary 1, 1921. Term of office expires December 31, 1924.)

The President exercises his functions through a council of responsible ministers, comj>osed of the heads of the departments of Foreign Affairs and Public Instruction ; Finance ; Interior, Justice, and Police : War. and Marine ; Public Works.

The Republic is divided into 13 departments and 2 comarcas, each of which is under a political head, who has supervision of finance, instruction and other matters, and is also military commandant. The Mosquito Reserve now forms a department named Bluefields. The Indians in this region were long under the protection of Great Britain ; but under the treaty of April 19, 1905 (ratified August 24, 1906), the treaty of 1860 was abrogated, and Great Britain agreed to recognise the absolute sovereignty of Nicaragua over the territory.

The judicial power is vested in a supreme Court of Justice, three chambers of second instance, and judges of inferior tribunals.

On February 18, 1916, a treaty between Nicaragua and the United State- was ratified, under which the Baited Slates in return for 3 million dollars acquires the canal route through Nicaragua and also a naval base in the Bay of Fonesc* on the Pacific coast and Corn Island on the Atlantic coast. Ratified by Nicaragua on April 7. 1916.

Area and Population.

Area estimated at 49,200 English square miles, and it has a coastline of about 300 miles on the Atlantic and of about 200 miles on the Pacific. The estimated population on December 31, 1917, was "46,000, as against 689,891 on December 31, 1913. At least 75 per cent, of the inhabitants live in the western half of the country. The two halves of the Republic differ greatly in many respects and there is little communication between them, the journey by trail and river being so slow and difficult that passengers usually ^o by way of Costa Rica, while the small amounts of merchandise shipped from one side to the other are sent mainly by way of Panama.

The people of the western half of the Republic are principally of mixed Spanish and Indian extraction, though there are a considerable number of

Eure Spanish descent and many Indians. The population of the eastern alt is composed mainly of Mosquito and Zambo Indians and negroes from Jamaica and other islands of the Caribbean, with some Americans and a comparatively small number of Niearaguans from the western part of the Republic.

There are within the Republic 105 municipalities of which 28 have from