Map of Nicaragua | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990 1996 and 2001 former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra was elected president in 2006. The 2008 municipal elections were marred by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt but democratic institutions have been weakened under the ORTEGA administration.


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Location: Central America bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean between Costa Rica and Honduras

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N 85 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 130,370 km²
Rank: 98
Land: 119,990 km²
Water: 10,380 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New York state

Land boundaries
Total: 1231 km
Border countries: (2) Costa Rica 309 km; Honduras 922 km

Coastline: 910 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: natural prolongation

Climate: tropical in lowlands cooler in highlands

Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m

Natural resources: gold silver copper tungsten lead zinc timber fish

Land use
Arable land: 14.81%
Permanent crops: 1.82%
Other: 83.37% (2005)

Irrigated land: 610 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 196.7 km³ (2000)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Volcanism: Nicaragua experiences significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (elev. 728 m) which last erupted in 1999 is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes include Concepcion Cosiguina Las Pilas Masaya Momotombo San Cristobal and Telica

Geography
Note: largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America Lago de Nicaragua


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Population: 5,666,301 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 109
Growth rate: 1.088% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 106
Below poverty line: 48% (2005)

Nationality
Noun: Nicaraguan
Adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69% white 17% black 9% Amerindian 5%

Languages: Spanish (official) 97.5% Miskito 1.7% other 0.8% (1995 census)
Note: English and indigenous languages found on the Atlantic coast

Religions: Roman Catholic 58.5% Protestant 23.2% (Evangelical 21.6% Moravian 1.6%) Jehovah's Witnesses 0.9% other 1.7% none 15.7% (2005 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.7%
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 1,743,591/female 1,874,025)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 116,153/female 138,809) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 22.9 years
Male: 22.1 years
Female: 23.7 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.088% (2011 est.)
Rank: 106

Birth rate: 19.46 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 93

Death rate: 5.03 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 182

Net migration rate: -3.54 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 182

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 57% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 22.64 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 88
Male: 25.94 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.19 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.9 years
Rank: 130
Male: 69.82 years
Female: 74.09 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 115

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.37 physicians/1000 population (2003)
Rank: 133

Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 152

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 106
People living with hivaids: 6,900 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 112
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 94

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria
Water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.3% (2004)
Rank: 90

Education expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (2003)
Rank: 130

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 67.5%
Male: 67.2%
Female: 67.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2003)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
Conventional short form: Nicaragua
Local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
Local short form: Nicaragua

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Managua
Geographic coordinates: 12 09 N 86 17 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 15 departments (departamentos singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas singular - region autonoma); Atlantico Norte* Atlantico Sur* Boaco Carazo Chinandega Chontales Esteli Granada Jinotega Leon Madriz Managua Masaya Matagalpa Nueva Segovia Rio San Juan Rivas

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 9 January 1987; revised in 1995 2000 and 2005

Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra ; Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term so long as it is not consecutive); election last held on 6 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2016)
Election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president; percent of vote - Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra 62.5% Fabio GADEA 31% Arnoldo ALEMAN 5.9% other 0.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 90 members elected by proportional representation and party lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president 1 seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election)
Elections: last held on 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 38 PLC 25 ALN 24 MRS 5; note - political parties have been reorganized to reflect the following seat distribution: as of 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly); note - in 2010 President Ortega directly replaced seven justices on the Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Conservative Party or PC [Alejandro BOLANOS Davis]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Indalecio RODRIGUEZ]; Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Enrique SAENZ-NAVARRETE]

International organization participation: BCIE CACM FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITSO ITU ITUC LAES LAIA (observer) MIGA NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA PetroCaribe RG SICA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker
In the us chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-6,570 6,573
In the us fax: [1] (202) 939-6,545
In the us consulate general: Houston Los Angeles Miami New York San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. CALLAHAN
From the us embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur Managua
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Managua APO AA 34,021
From the us telephone: [505] 252-7,100 252-7,888; 252-7,634 (after hours)
From the us fax: [505] 252-7,304

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top) white and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water
Note: similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

National symbols: turquoise-browed motmot (bird)

National anthem
Name: 'Salve a ti Nicaragua'
Lyricsmusic: Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO
Note: although only officially adopted in 1971 the music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939; the tune originally from Spain was used as an anthem for Nicaragua from the 1830's until 1876

National heritage


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Economy overview: Nicaragua the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Hemisphere has widespread underemployment and poverty. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods. Textiles and apparel account for nearly 60% of Nicaragua's exports but increases in the minimum wage during the ORTEGA administration will likely erode its comparative advantage in this industry. ORTEGA's promotion of mixed business initiatives owned by the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan state oil firms together with the weak rule of law could undermine the investment climate for domestic and international private firms in the near-term. Nicaragua relies on international economic assistance to meet internal- and external-debt financing obligations. Foreign donors have curtailed this funding however in response to November 2008 electoral fraud. Managua has an IMF extended Credit Facility program which could help keep the government's fiscal deficit on target during the 2011 election year and encourage transparency in the use of Venezuelan off-budget loans and assistance. In early 2004 Nicaragua secured some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative however Managua still struggles with a high public debt burden. Nicaragua is gradually recovering from the global economic crisis as increased exports drove positive growth in 2010. The economy is expected to grow at a rate of about 3% in 2011.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 130
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 83

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 168
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 18.5%
Industry: 25.9%
Services: 55.6% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee bananas sugarcane cotton rice corn tobacco sesame soya beans; beef veal pork poultry dairy products; shrimp lobsters

Industries: food processing chemicals machinery and metal products knit and woven apparel petroleum refining and distribution beverages footwear wood

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 139

Labor force: 2.811 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 104
By occupation agriculture: 28%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 53% (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 84
Note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 48% (2005)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.4%
Highest 10: 41.8% (2005)

Distribution of family income gini index: 60.3 (1998)
Rank: 48

Budget
Revenues: $2.12 billion
Expenditures: $2.156 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 54

Taxes and other revenues: 32.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 83

Public debt: 63.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 27

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.7% (2009 est.)
Rank: 157

Central bank discount rate:

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.04% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 72

Stock of narrow money: $965.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 135

Stock of broad money: $2.523 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 135

Stock of domestic credit: $4.061 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 115

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$827.9 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 129

Exports: $2.39 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 121
Commodities: coffee beef shrimp and lobster tobacco sugar gold peanuts; textiles and apparel
Partners: US 58.2% El Salvador 7.7% Canada 6.4% Venezuela 4.2% (2010)

Imports: $3.929 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 117
Commodities: consumer goods machinery and equipment raw materials petroleum products
Partners: US 23.4% Venezuela 16.7% Costa Rica 8.8% China 7.2% Mexico 6.7% Guatemala 6% El Salvador 4.6% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.573 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 122

Debt external: $4.42 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 113

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 3.419 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 123
Consumption: 2.646 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 2 million kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 111
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 114
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 156
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 166
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 178

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 258,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 122
Mobile cellular: 3.771 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 115

Telephone system
General assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
Domestic: since privatization access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing and reached 55 per 100 persons in 2009; connected to Central American Microwave System
International: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America parts of the Caribbean and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Broadcast media: multiple privately-owned terrestrial television networks supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; of more than 100 radio broadcast stations nearly all are privately owned; Radio Nicaragua is government-owned and Radio Sandino is controlled by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ni
Hosts: 157,162 (2010)
Hosts rank: 70
Users: 199,800 (2009)
Users rank: 141

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 153

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 143 (2010)
Rank: 39
With paved runways total: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 132
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 115 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 54 km (2010)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 19,137 km
Rank: 112
Paved: 2,033 km
Unpaved: 17,104 km (2009)

Waterways: 2,220 km (navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country) (2010)
Rank: 40

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Bluefields Corinto


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Disputes international: memorials and countermemorials were filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea final public hearings are scheduled for 2007; the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing