The Corn Islands are two small Caribbean islands located about 45 miles off of the Nicaraguan coast.  The islands were a former refuge and haven for Caribbean pirates, including the infamous Captain Morgan.  Yet before the pirates, the islands were inhabited by a fierce tribe of indians known as the Kukras.  These natives had a reputation for consuming the bodies of their enemies which inspired the first English visitors to call them the Skeleton Islands.  The Corn Islands, along with the eastern half of present-day Nicaragua, were a British protectorate from 1655 until 1894, a period when the region was called the Miskito Coast.  In 1894 the Nicaraguan government claimed the area.  The islands were leased to the United States for a period of 99 years under the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty of 1914.  The terms of the lease made the Corn Islands subject to America law, but they remained Nicaraguan territory.  With American acquiescence, the Nicaraguan government directed the island’s local administration.  The U.S.’s right to the actual or potential use of the islands remained until April 25, 1971, when the lease was officially terminated under the Convention of Managua in July 14, 1970.

Commercial fishing has long been the principal industry of the people of the Corn Islands.  The recent growth in tourism throughout the region, however, has also affected the islands.  Tourism on the islands has grown considerably, with its many surrounding coral reefs making it a popular destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, and sport fishing.

The islands are inhabited by a population of around 9,000, with about 7,500 on Big Corn.  The local people are a diverse mixture of Creole, Mestizo, White, and Miskito.  English and Spanish are widely spoken on the islands, as well as members of the Amerindian Miskito people who speak the Miskito language.