Nicaragua
It is speculated that Nicaragua's first contact with Islam, like other countries in the Latin American region, was through the Spaniards who colonized the continent from the early 16th century onwards. Muslims were among the slaves brought by the Spanish from their other colonies in Africa to work in their colonies in the region, but these elements later blended into the local population.
Currently, the number of Muslims in Nicaragua, where the majority of the population is Christian, is no more than 1,000-2,000. Most of them are Arab Muslims who migrated from Middle Eastern countries such as Palestine and Lebanon. In this regard, Nicaragua is one of the countries with the lowest proportion of Muslims in the Americas. However, it is known that interest in Islam has increased across the Latin world, especially after the events of September 11.
The first structure opened by Muslims in the country is the Islamic Cultural Union of Nicaragua in the capital Managua. Consisting of a mosque with a capacity of 1,000 people and a cultural center, this building was founded by Shiites.
