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 a civic-military coalition, spearheaded by the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted 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 was elected president in 2006, 2011, and most recently in 2016. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Democratic institutions have weakened under the ORTEGA administration as the president has garnered full control over all branches of government, especially after cracking down on a nationwide antigovernment protest movement in 2018.


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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
Land: 119,990 km²
Water: 10,380 km²
Rank: 98
Comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state

Land boundaries
Total: 1253 km
Border countries: (2) Costa Rica 313 km; , Honduras 940 km

Coastline: 910 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

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
Mean elevation: 298 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mogoton 2,085 m

Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 42.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 25.3% (2011 est.)
Other: 32.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 1990 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanesvolcanism: significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (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
Distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters: 6,203,441 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 111
Growth rate: 0.96% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 110
Below poverty line: 29.6% (2015 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nicaraguan(s)
Adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, White 17%, Black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Languages: Spanish (official) 95.3%, Miskito 2.2%, Mestizo of the Caribbean coast 2%, other 0.5% (2005 est.)
Note: English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast

Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Evangelical 33.2%, other 2.9%, unspecified 13.2%, none 0.7% (2017 est.)

Demographic profile: Despite being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Nicaragua has improved its access to potable water and sanitation and has ameliorated its life expectancy, infant and child mortality, and immunization rates. However, income distribution is very uneven, and the poor, agriculturalists, and indigenous people continue to have less access to healthcare services. Nicaragua's total fertility rate has fallen from around 6 children per woman in 1980 to below replacement level today, but the high birth rate among adolescents perpetuates a cycle of poverty and low educational attainment.Nicaraguans emigrate primarily to Costa Rica and to a lesser extent the United States. Nicaraguan men have been migrating seasonally to Costa Rica to harvest bananas and coffee since the early 20th century. Political turmoil, civil war, and natural disasters from the 1970s through the 1990s dramatically increased the flow of refugees and permanent migrants seeking jobs, higher wages, and better social and healthcare benefits. Since 2000, Nicaraguan emigration to Costa Rica has slowed and stabilized. Today roughly 300,000 Nicaraguans are permanent residents of Costa Rica - about 75% of the foreign population - and thousands more migrate seasonally for work, many illegally.

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.63% (male 811,731/female 777,984)
15-24 years: 19.51% (male 609,962/female 600,567)
25-54 years: 42.41% (male 1,254,683/female 1,376,052)
55-64 years: 6.63% (male 188,591/female 222,766)
65 years and over: 5.82% (male 159,140/female 201,965) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 54.3
Youth dependency ratio: 45.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.8
Potential support ratio: 11.4 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.3 years
Male: 26.4 years
Female: 28.2 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 148

Population growth rate: 0.96% (2020 est.)
Rank: 110

Birth rate: 17.1 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 96

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 195

Net migration rate: -2.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 169

Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters

Urbanization
Urban population: 59% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.064 million MANAGUA (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought
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(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.2 years (2011/12 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 16.5 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 19 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.9 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 90

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.2 years
Male: 72 years
Female: 76.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 134

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 148

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 80.4% (2011/12)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.4% of population
Rural: 37.4% of population
Total: 16.9% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 8.6% (2017)

Physicians density: 1.01 physicians/1000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 10.2% of population
Rural: 33.5% of population
Total: 19.9% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 108
People living with hivaids: 9,600 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 105
Deaths note: <200 (2019 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 23.7% (2016)
Rank: 63

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.6% (2012)
Rank: 86

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 83

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 82.6%
Male: 82.4%
Female: 82.8% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

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
Etymology: Nicarao was the name of the largest indigenous settlement at the time of Spanish arrival; conquistador Gil GONZALEZ Davila, who explored the area (1622-23), combined the name of the community with the Spanish word agua (water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua)

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Managua
Geographic coordinates: 12 08 N, 86 15 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: may derive from the indigenous Nahuatl term 'mana-ahuac,' which translates as 'adjacent to the water' or a site 'surrounded by water'; the city is situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua

Administrative divisions: 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, 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
History: several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or assent of at least half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires approval by 60% of the membership of the next elected Assembly and promulgation by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2014

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
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where bilateral agreements exist
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits as of 2014); election last held on 6 November 2016 (next to be held on 7 November 2021)
Election results: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote; 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 6 November 2016 (next to be held on 7 November 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 71, PLC 14, ALN 2, PLI 2, APRE 1, PC 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 50, women 42, percent of women 45.7%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms
Subordinate courts: Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Carlos CANALES]Conservative Party or PC [Alfredo CESAR]Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Jose del Carmen ALVARADO]Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Maria Haydee OSUNA]Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti]Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Suyen BARAHONA]Sons of Mother Earth or YATAMA [Brooklyn RIVERA]

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, 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 (since 28 June 2010)
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: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin K. SULLIVAN (since 18 December 2018)
From the us telephone: [505] 2,252-7,100, 2,252-7,888; 2,252-7,100 or 8,767-7,100 (after hours)
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 FAX: [505] 2,252-7,250

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 colors: blue, white

National anthem
Name: Salve a ti, Nicaragua (Hail to Thee, 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 1830s until 1876

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 50

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 148

Gross national saving:
Rank: 69

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 69.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 28.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 41.2% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -55.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15.5% (2017 est.)
Industry: 24.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 60% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 88

Labor force: 3.046 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 103
By occupation agriculture: 31%
By occupation industry: 18%
By occupation services: 50% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
Rank: 101

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 29.6% (2015 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.8%
Highest 10: 47.1% (2014)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 3.871 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 4.15 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 106

Taxes and other revenues: 28% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 97

Public debt:
Note: official data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; Nicaragua rebased its GDP figures in 2012, which reduced the figures for debt as a percentage of GDP
Rank: 157

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 186

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 131

Exports:
Rank: 126
Partners: US 44.2%, El Salvador 6.4%, Venezuela 5.5%, Costa Rica 5.5% (2017)
Commodities: coffee, beef, gold, sugar, peanuts, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, cigars, automobile wiring harnesses, textiles, apparel

Imports:
Rank: 126
Commodities: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products
Partners: US 20.8%, China 14.3%, Mexico 11.1%, Costa Rica 7.9%, Guatemala 7%, El Salvador 5.6% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 113

Debt external:
Rank: 109

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 97% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 99.2% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 92% (2019)
Production: 4.454 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 124
Consumption: 3.59 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 132
Exports: 17.87 million kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 91
Imports: 205 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 93
Installed generating capacity: 1.551 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 123
Generation sources fossil fuels: 56% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 138
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 155
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 120
Generation sources other renewable sources: 35% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 9

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 183
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 175
Crude oil imports: 16,180 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 69
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 178

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 14,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 95
Products consumption: 37,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 115
Products exports: 460 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 111
Products imports: 20,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 121

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 179
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 183
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 162
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 167
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2015 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 177

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 5.405 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 132

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 215,055
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3.5 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 121
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 5,433,530
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88.43 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 116

Telephone system

Broadcast media: multiple terrestrial TV stations, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; nearly all are government-owned or affiliated; more than 300 radio stations, both government-affiliated and privately owned (2019)

Internet
Country code: .ni
Users total: 1,695,340
Users percent of population: 27.86% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 126

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 192,413
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2018 est.)
Rank: 109


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 139

Military and security forces: Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN; includes Navy, Air Force) (2020)

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2017)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YN (2016)

Airports: 147 (2013)
Rank: 38
With paved runways total: 12 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 135 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 119 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: 54 km oil (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 23,897 km (2014)
Paved: 3,346 km (2014)
Unpaved: 20,551 km (2014)
Rank: 107

Waterways: 2,220 km
Note: (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) (2011)
Rank: 39

Merchant marine
Total: 6
By type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 3 (2019)
Rank: 164

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Bluefields, Corinto


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Disputes international: 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; Nicaragua and Costa Rica regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island to the ICJ; there is an ongoing case in the ICJ to determine Pacific and Atlantic ocean maritime borders as well as land borders; in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region; Nicaragua filed a case against Colombia in 2013 over the delimitation of the Continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast, as well as over the alleged violation by Colombia of Nicaraguan maritime space in the Caribbean Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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