1992 Edition

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Coastline

910 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than New York State

Contiguous zone

25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain)

Continental shelf

not specified

Disputes

territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de Fonseca

Environment

subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Land area

120,254 km2

Land boundaries

1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Land use

arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%

Natural resources

gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Terrain

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

Territorial sea

200 nm

Total area

129,494 km2

Birth rate

37 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%

Infant mortality rate

57 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)

Languages

Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast

Life expectancy at birth

60 years male, 66 years female (1992)

Literacy

57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality

noun - Nicaraguan(s); adjective - Nicaraguan

Net migration rate

-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

35% of labor force

Population

3,878,150 (July 1992), growth rate 2.8% (1992)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%

Total fertility rate

4.6 children born/woman (1992)

Administrative divisions

9 administrative regions encompassing 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, North Atlantic Coast Autonomous Zone (RAAN), Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, South Atlantic Coast Autonomous Zone (RAAS)

Capital

Managua

Chief of State and Head of Government

President Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990)

Communists

15,000-20,000

Constitution

January 1987

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 939-6570 US: Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur., Managua (mailing address is APO AA 34021); telephone [505] (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34; FAX [505] (2) 666046

Executive branch

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag

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

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Legislative branch

National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)

Long-form name

Republic of Nicaragua

Member of

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National Assembly

last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results - UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats - (92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Other political or pressure groups

National Workers Front (FNT) is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor

Health Workers Federation (FETASALUD), National Union of Employees (UNE), National Association of Educators of Nicaragua (ANDEN), Union of Journalists of Nicaragua (UPN), Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations (CONAPRO), and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers (UNAG); Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group of four

Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Labor (CGT-I), and Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN) is an independent labor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is a confederation of business groups

non-Sandinista labor unions

Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS),

unions

Sandinista Workers' Central (CST), Farm Workers Association (ATC),

Political parties and leaders

ruling coalition: National Opposition Union (UNO) is a 14-party alliance - National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS; Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO; National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA; National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin JARQUIN; Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO; Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA; Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA; National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS; Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA; Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis Humberto GUZMAN; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY; Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ opposition parties: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS; Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES; Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo CORONADO; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER; Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ; Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA; Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando AGUERRO; Popular Action Movement - Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ

President

last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results - Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%

Suffrage

universal at age 16

Type

republic

Agriculture

accounts for 15% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops - coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops - rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products - beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; normally self-sufficient in food

Budget

revenues $347 million; expenditures $499 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1991)

Currency

cordoba (plural - cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,381 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion

Electricity

423,000 kW capacity; 1,409 million kWh produced, 376 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

cordobas (C$) per US$1 - 25,000,000 (March 1992), 21,354,000 (1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987)

Exports

$342 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals partners: OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, other 10%

External debt

$10 billion (December 1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, per capita $425; real growth rate -1.0% (1991 est.)

Imports

$738 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing partners: Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)

Industrial production

growth rate NA; accounts for about 25% of GDP

Industries

food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

766% (1991)

Overview

Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the CHAMORRO government has pledged to greatly reduce intervention. Four private banks have been licensed, and the government has liberalized foreign trade and abolished price controls on most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial firms remain state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war had produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989 and 4% in 1990, and remained about even in 1991. The agricultural sector employs 44% of the work force and accounts for 15% of GDP and 80% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes about 25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989, fell slightly in 1990, and remained flat in 1991; output still is below pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1991 the inflation rate was 766%, down sharply from the 13,490% of 1990.

Unemployment rate

13%; underemployment 50% (1991)

Airports

228 total, 155 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

9 major transport aircraft

Highways

25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km

Inland waterways

2,220 km, including 2 large lakes

Merchant marine

2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 56 km

Ports

Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama

Railroads

373 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge, government owned; majority of system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with mainline)

Telecommunications

low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Branches

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991 budget)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 878,066; 541,090 fit for military service; 42,997 reach military age (18) annually