Survivor Nicaragua: Seasons 21 and 22

Survivor is the reality television show that started the entire reality television craze. In the summer of 2000, it debuted with Survivor: Borneo. Survivor will be returning in the fall of 2010 in Nicaragua. In an attempt to save money on production costs, CBS will film season 22, again in Nicaragua, right after it finishes filming season 21. It will air in the spring of 2011. Seasons 19 and 20 also filmed back-to-back in Samoa. Although some people might think of the Iran-Contra Affair when they think of Nicaragua, there is a lot more to the country than that. The two different seasons of Survivor in Nicaragua are likely to have two different themes, and will probably have two slightly different locations.

The Landscape of Nicaragua

The landscape of a location will always contribute to how a Survivor Season will turn out. Survivor Africa, where contestants had to get water from a muddy watering hole and set watches to protect themselves from lions, has a different character than Survivor Samoa, set on the ocean. Nicaragua borders the Caribbean Sea on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. It is a land with lakes, tropical rainforests, and volcanoes. It is a biologically diverse country, with jaguars, cougars, the capuchin monkey, howler monkey, toucans, turkeys, and turtles.

Survivor could film in a variety of Nicaraguan locations, including on island or a lagoon. It could choose a different type of location for each season, although the locations will probably be fairly close to each other, to make transportation for the crew easier.

Survivor will be filming during Nicaragua's rainy season. There are locations that will receive heavy flooding during this time period. Nicaragua is also vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes; this will probably not be an issue during the fall season of Survivor, but Survivor season 22 will be filmed during the early part of the hurricane season. Samoa was hit by a hurricane in 2009, however, filming had finished a little while before it hit.

Nicaraguan Culture that Survivor May Showcase

Nicaraguan culture has been influenced by a variety of sources. The Europeans have influenced the culture, as well as the Amerindian people (who are also located near the Tocantins area of Brazil). It was colonized by Spain, yet was also a British protectorate for a while, so it has both Latin influences and Caribbean influences.

Nicaraguans use a variety of different traditional instruments, including the marimba, bass fiddle, guitar, and guitarrilla (which is like a small mandolin). More than half of the population is Roman Catholic, although there are also Evangelical Christians and a small amount of people who are not religious or have another type of religion. Nicaraguans often eat foods like corn, rice and beans, seafood, coconut, bananas, and mango. Nicaraguans also eat more unconventional foods like iguanas, turtle eggs, and guinea pigs, but these creatures are endangered, so there probably will not be a gross food challenge involving these animals.

Nicaraguan History that Survivor Could Feature

CBS often likes to build each Survivor season around a theme, such as piracy or World War II. Native Americans have lived in Nicaragua for thousands of years, but the native people are not well known, like the Incans, Aztecs, or Mayans. Europeans first landed on the coast in 1502, when Columbus brought an expedition to the Mosquito Coast. Spain formed its first permanent settlement in Nicaragua in 1524. More than one Spanish settlement was made in the area, and the two captains actually fought against each other. These battles devastated the native population.

The Mosquito Coast became a protectorate of the United Kingdom in 1655. Another part of Nicaragua was part of the Mexican Empire. By the 1850s, Nicaragua was free from both the British and Mexican empires. It was settled by immigrants from all over Europe, including Germany, Italy, Spain, and France.

The United States has influenced Nicaragua for many years. It originally was going to build a canal in Nicaragua, but then chose to build the canal in Panama. The US occupied Nicaragua in the early part of the twentieth century, then set up a hereditary dictatorship in the country that lasted until 1979. This dictatorship was then overthrown by the Sandanistas. Ronald Reagan condemned them in 1981, as they were supporting Marxist revolutions. The US sent in the CIA to train guerrillas to oppose the Sandanista government (these were the Contras). Congress prohibited funding the Contras in 1983, but the US government supported them through a back door channel: selling weapons to Iran, with the proceeds going to fund the Contras. Today the country is much more stable, and tourism is reviving.

Survivor could run with any of these historical themes in the two seasons that it will be filming there.

Nicaragua is a beautiful location that has a lot of potential as a Survivor location. There are already several international versions of the show that have filmed there. With a great location, it is up to casting, the challenge designers, and the production team to ensure that Survivor Nicaragua ends up being a success.

Sources:

Survivorsucks.com
Wikipedia entries for Nicaragua, Culture of Nicaragua, and Climate of Nicaragua