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. Free elections in 1990 1996 and again in 2001 saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its economy during the 1990s but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N 85 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 129,494 km²
Land: 120,254 km²
Water: 9,240 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than the state of New York

Land boundaries
Total: 1,231 km
Border countries: (2) Costa Rica 309 km; , Honduras 922 km

Coastline: 910 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 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: 15.94%
Permanent crops: 1.94%
Other: 82.12% (2001)

Irrigated land: 880 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes volcanoes landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

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

Population: 5,359,759 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.97% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nicaraguan
Adjective: Nicaraguan

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

Languages
Note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Religions: Roman Catholic 85% Protestant

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,038,887; female 1,001,518)
15-64 years: 58.9% (male 1,570,494; female 1,586,706)
65 years and over: 3% (male 71,125; female 91,029) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.2 years
Male: 19.8 years
Female: 20.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.97% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 25.5 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 4.54 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.22 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 30.15 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 33.73 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 26.38 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.02 years
Male: 67.99 years
Female: 72.16 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 6,400 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

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

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: Managua

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

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 9 January 1987 with reforms in 1995 and 2000

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

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
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; election last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
Election results: Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (PLC) elected president - 56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PCN) 1.4%; Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice president

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Alliance (ruling party - includes PCCN, PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN 36.55%, PCN 2.12%; seats by party - Liberal Alliance 53, FSLN 38, PCN 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Mario RAPPACCIOLI]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO Molina]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [leader NA]; Unity Alliance or AU [leader NA]; Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon Oscar WENDOLYN Vargas Karla WHITE]; Liberal Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; Christian Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]

International organization participation: BCIE CACM FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU LAES LAIA (observer) MIGA NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN (since 5 December 2003)
In the us chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-6,570, [1] (202) 939-6,573
In the us fax: [1] (202) 939-6,545
In the us consulates general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Calandra MOORE
From the us embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,021
From the us telephone: [505] 266-6,010
From the us fax: [505] 266-9,074

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; 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

Economy overview: Nicaragua one of the hemisphere's poorest countries faces low per capita income massive unemployment and huge external debt. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has made progress toward macroeconomic stability over the past few years GDP annual growth of 1.5% - 2.5% has been far too low to meet the country's need. Nicaragua will continue to be dependent on international aid and debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Nicaragua has undertaken significant economic reforms that are expected to help the country qualify for more than $4 billion in debt relief under HIPC in early 2004. Donors have made aid conditional on the openness of government financial operation poverty alleviation and human rights. A three-year poverty reduction and growth plan agreed to with the IMF in December 2002 guides economic policy.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.3% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28.9%
Industry: 25.4%
Services: 45.7% (2003 est.)

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

Industries: food processing chemicals machinery and metal products textiles clothing petroleum refining and distribution beverages footwear wood

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1.91 million (2003)
By occupation agriculture: 42%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 43% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 22% plus considerable underemployment (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.7%
Highest 10: 48.8% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 60.3 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $672.5 million
Expenditures: $954.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 125.3% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.3% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $-859 million (2003)

Exports: $632 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: coffee shrimp and lobster cotton tobacco bananas beef sugar gold
Partners: US 35.9% El Salvador 17.2% Costa Rica 8.1% Honduras 7.3% Mexico 4.6% Guatemala 4.3% (2003)

Imports: $1.658 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment raw materials petroleum products consumer goods
Partners: US 24.9% Venezuela 9.7% Costa Rica 9% Mexico 8.4% Guatemala 7.3% El Salvador 4.9% Japan 4.3% (2003)

Debt external: $5.833 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: gold cordobas per US dollar - 14.2513 (2003) 14.2513 (2002) 13.3719 (2001) 12.6844 (2000) 11.8092 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 2.549 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 2.388 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 17 million kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 171,600 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 202,800 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
Domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
International: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .ni
Hosts: 7,094 (2003)
Users: 90,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $30.8 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 1.2% (2003)

Airports: 176 (2003 est.)
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 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 165
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 141 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: oil 54 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 6 km
Narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)

Waterways: 2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (1997)

Merchant marine: none

Disputes international: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank region; 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

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