39 124(3) Act No. 28 of September 2, 1987, published in “La Gaceta” No. 238 of October 30, 1987, entitled “Statute of Autonomy of the Atlantic Coast Regions of Nicaragua,” divided the Caribbean or Atlantic Coast into the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) and the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), because “autonomy makes it possible for the Atlantic Coast communities to exercise their right to participate in designing ways of exploiting the region’s natural resources so that the benefits are reinvested in the Atlantic Coast. This law recognizes that “the indigenous people [are] subject to a process of increasing poverty, segregation, marginalization, assimilation, oppression, exploitation and extermination[, which] requires profound political, economic and cultural changes in order to satisfy their needs and aspirations.”23 The autonomy regime in these regions is regulated by the provisions of the Regulations of October 2, 2003, to Act No. 28.24 124(4) The Atlantic Coast covers approximately 45.8% of the State’s territory and is the second most populous area of Nicaragua. Around 626,629 people live there; namely, 11.4% of the country’s total population.25 Approximately 72.54% of the population are mestizos. 28% of the population of the Caribbean or Atlantic Coast identifies itself with one of the indigenous communities.26 About 172,069 inhabitants of the Atlantic Coast belong to indigenous or ethnic communities; that is, 3.13% of the national population. Most indigenous people in Nicaragua live in the RAAN.27 124(5) Several multilingual indigenous and ethnic communities inhabit the Caribbean or Atlantic Coast: mestizos, Miskitos, Sumos, Ramas, Creoles and Garifunas. They have a specific cultural identity; they maintain the values and characteristics of 23 Cf. Act No. 28 of October 30, 1987, entitled “Statute of Autonomy of the Atlantic Coast Regions of Nicaragua” (evidence incorporated de oficio by the Court under Article 45(1) of its Rules of Procedure). 24 Cf. Act No. 28 of October 30, 1987, entitled “Statute of Autonomy of the Atlantic Coast Regions of Nicaragua” (evidence incorporated de oficio by the Court under Article 45(1) of its Rules of Procedure); and Decree No. 3584 of October 2, 2003, entitled Regulations to Act No. 28 “Statute of Autonomy of the Atlantic Coast Regions of Nicaragua” (appendixes to the brief with preliminary objections, answering the application and with comments on the brief with requests and arguments, appendix F, file of preliminary objections, merits and reparations, tome II, folios 404-410). Cf. Desarrollo humano en la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua [Human Development in the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua]. Report prepared by the Programa Nacional de Asesoría para la Formulación de Políticas with the support of the Consejo Nacional de Planificación Económica Social (CONPES) (file of appendixes to the application, tome II, appendix 7, folio 502); and report entitled “Población total por área de residencia y sexo, según departamento y grupos de edades, años 2002 and 2003” [Total Population by Residence Area and Gender, according to Department and Age Groups, years 2002 and 2003]. Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos de Nicaragua (INEC), see www.inec.gob.ni (evidence incorporated de oficio by the Court under Article 45(1) of its Rules of Procedure). 25 26 Cf. Desarrollo humano en la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua [Human Development in the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua]. Report prepared by the Programa Nacional de Asesoría para la Formulación de Políticas with the support of the Consejo Nacional de Planificación Económica Social (CONPES) (file of appendixes to the application, tome II, appendix 7, folio 470); and Act No. 28 of October 30, 1987, entitled “Statute of Autonomy of the Atlantic Coast Regions of Nicaragua” (evidence incorporated de oficio by the Court under Article 45(1) of its Rules of Procedure). Cf. Desarrollo humano en la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua [Human Development in the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua]. Report prepared by the Programa Nacional de Asesoría para la Formulación de Políticas with the support of the Consejo Nacional de Planificación Económica Social (CONPES) (file of appendixes to the application, tome II, appendix 7, folio 470); and report entitled Población total por área de residencia y sexo, según departamento y grupos de edades, años 2002, and 2003. Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos de Nicaragua (INEC), see www.inec.gob.ni (evidence incorporated de oficio by the Court under Article 45(1) of its Rules of Procedure). 27