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Nicaragua - History

Nicaragua - History
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Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 7 to 9
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   9.25

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    corruption, dictator, interference, greatly, revolutionary, founded, economic, politics, military, political, independence, sales, financial, whom, influence, opponent
     content words:    Central America, United States, Within Nicaragua, Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean, William Walker, General Somoza, National Guard, Augusto Sandino, US President Ronald Reagan

Nicaragua - History
By Ekaterina Zhdanova-Redman 		  
1     In Central America, there's a country with a uniquely difficult history. This country has been greatly affected by the United States, among other countries. It has had many bad leaders, some of whom were happy to let its people die. It has also had good leaders, some who greatly improved the lives of its people. This country is called Nicaragua.
 
2     Nicaragua's history starts with some footprints. These footprints are 10,000 years old. They belong to the people of the Acahualinca, Nicaragua's native inhabitants. The footprints were preserved through the years under lots of volcanic ash.
 
3     Nicaragua's natives fell victim to European explorers who arrived in the 16th century. Explorers from Spain landed on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast to the east. They founded the cities of Granada and Leon, taking control of the natives. The natives fought, but ultimately lost.
 
4     After centuries of Spanish rule, Nicaraguans (and much of the rest of Central America) won independence from Spain in the early 19th century. But independence didn't save Nicaragua from the hands of outside influence. Within Nicaragua are waterways between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. This made Nicaragua very important to the United States.
 
5     For most of the 20th century, the United States was deeply involved in Nicaraguan politics. The United States wanted to control the Nicaraguan government, so it used all kinds of methods to try to do that. Some of the United States' interference would cost many lives in Nicaragua.

Paragraphs 6 to 11:
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