Background: The Corn Islands are a pair of oversized volcanic rocks that protrude out of the Caribbean Sea, roughly 50 miles beyond the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.  Enrobed in lush tropical vegetation and teeming with aquatic life, the islands support nearly 9,000 friendly inhabitants.  About 7,500 of these islanders live on Big Corn and they are a diverse mixture of Creole, Mestizo, White, and Miskito Indian.  English and Spanish are widely spoken on the islands, as well as Miskito.  

Commercial fishing has long been the principal industry of the people of the Corn Islands.  The recent growth in tourism throughout the region, however, has also affected the islands.  Tourism has grown considerably, with its many surrounding coral reefs making it a popular destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, and sport fishing.

History: The Corn islands were a favorite refuge and haven for some of the most ruthless of all Caribbean pirates, including the infamous Captain Henry Morgan.  However, before the pirates, the islands were inhabited by a fierce tribe of indians known as the Kukras.  These natives had a reputation for consuming the bodies of their enemies which inspired the first English visitors to call them the Skeleton Islands.  

The Corn Islands, along with the eastern half of present-day Nicaragua, were a British protectorate from 1655 until 1894, a period when the region was called the Miskito Coast.  In 1894 the Nicaraguan government claimed the area.  The islands were subsequently leased to the United States for a period of 99 years under the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty of 1914.  The terms of the lease made the Corn Islands subject to America law, but they remained Nicaraguan territory.  However, with the decision to engineer the Central American canal through Panama, the U.S. voluntarily relinquished their rights to the use of the islands and the Treaty was officially terminated under the Convention of Managua in 1970.

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Special Events:
Crab Soup Festival: August 27th: A week long festival celebrating the emancipation of slavery from the British.
Semana Santa: Easter week: A very fun time to be on the islands, full of people, and parties go on all week.
Fishing Tournament:  1st weekend in May: This is the first and only fishing tournament on the island, a great time to experience the life of a seaman. .