GREAT CORN ISLAND AND LITTLE CORN ISLAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000400220005-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: MISC

NI 1
/Th I n
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13: CIA-RDP08001297R000400220005-1
GREAT. CORN ISLAYD A!1D LITTLE CORN ISLAND
POLITICAL
The Corn Islends are not possessions of the United States. . In 1914,
they were leased by the United States for ninellanine years. Although the
terms of the agreement make the Corn Islands subject exclusively to the
laws and sovereign authority of the United States, as a matter of fact
the Nicaraguan Government has continued in the local administration of
the islands, with the acquiescence of the United States The right to the
use of the islands, whether that use is actual or potential, remains un?
impaired.
PHYSICAL
From "Sailing Directions for the East Coasts of Central America and
Mexico", published by the United states Nydromrephic OffiCee 1952, I quote
brief summaries of the phfiical geography of each of the islands:
Corn Island (12? 10 North, 83? 08' West)
About 2 1/2 miles long end attput 2 miles wide, lies nbout 38 miles
east?northeastward of El Bluff (Bluefields Bluff). Mount Pleasant
Is a 370 foot peak in the middle of the northern part of the island,
and there is a 100?foot bluff at the southern end. The island is
surrounded by foul ground extending about 1/4 mile to 1 1/2 miles
offshore.
Walt,Sois_1?13ns_A (120 18' North, 82* 15' Vest)
About 1 1/2 miles long, 1/2 mile wide, and 125 feet hiah, lies about
7 miles north?northeastward of Great Corn Island. The northern and
and the eastern side are fringed by reefs extending about 1/2 to 1
mile offshore. The western side of the island is fairly steep?to
with 'shoal water extending 250 to 500 yards offshore beyond which
there are depths of 4 to 5 fathoms with the 54athom curve about 114
to 1/2 mile offshore. A light is shown on the island.
TPANSPOPTATION
The latest inforeation we have on transportation to the island is thqt
small sailing vessels operate eeekly mail and passenger setvice between
Bluefields, Nicaragua and Great Corn Island.
POPULATION
From the Nicaraguan National Statistical Office comes the following
census figures as of February 1951:
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13: CIA-RDP08001297R000400220005-1
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13: CIA-RDP08001297R000400220005-1
Great Corn Islam': Total
population of 1,304 (a 1.940 figure gave
estimee of 900 for the Corn Islands)
en
Nicaraguans . ? ,
?
0 ?????????
1241
Colombians . ? 9
0
OOOOOOOOO
?
20
British subjects
.0
0 ? OOOOO 0 0
0
29
Panamanians
6 ?
o
6
Costa RiC8110 ? ?
2
Hondurans
0
2
Chinese .2
. ? ? 0
****** . ***
o
Jamaican 0 . ??
0 0 ????...?
0
1
Cayman Islander??? ****** ? ea
*
1
Of these people, about 200 are reported as Caucasian; the remainder
are negro or "Mambo" (mixed negro and Indian)
L(Inguate:
The above 1,304 inhabitants are also listed according to language
pre'erence: 1,258 prefer Snglish; 33 prefer Spanish; and 13 prefIr
Miskito.
All but three of the inhabitants are rated as to religion:
Protestant 1,250; Pomo' Catholic 110
Mmak_linit
Only .4 percent of the population are reported to have a high
school education. At the other extreme, 11 percent are illiterate.
Kconomv:
Agriculture is the principal industry on the island, with about
90 percent of the working population listed as farmers. Another
5 percent more or lees, are fishermen, and the remainder barbers,
merchants, carpenters, eto.
Most of the land, thanks to fertile volcanic soil, is occupied
by coconut and banana plantations.
Jjttle Cornjggagt
According to the NicaraRuan canals there are no inhabitants on this
inland.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13: CIA-RDP08001297R000400220005-1