05 June 2014

RAAS

     What the hell is a RAAS?  
     RAAS is the "Region Autonoma del Atlantico Sur," or the Autonomous Region of the Southern Atlantic.  And RAAS has a northern twin, in name and political make-up if nothing else:  RAAN, the "Region Autonomo del Atlantico Norte" - no translation needed for that one.      
     Nicaragua's government is that of a unitary state, as are most of the world's governments...like the United Kingdom or Spain.  The United States government, on the other hand, is a federation. 
     There are fifteen departments in Nicaragua, what are called states in the United States; and then there are the two autonomous regions of RAAS and RAAN.  Nicaragua's constitution established the Charter of Autonomy which provides for limited self-government for these two autonomous regions (which are not departments) that make up the entire eastern part of the nation. Geographically RAAS and RAAN make up a bit more than half the country's total land mass.
     False Bluff is in RAAS, about 8 miles by water from the RAAS capital city of Bluefields.