2007 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 36.4% (male 1,031,897/female 994,633) 15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,677,633/female 1,691,353) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 76,758/female 97,855) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

176 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m

3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

165 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23

under 914 m

141 (2006)

Area

land

120,254 sq km

total

129,494 sq km

water

9,240 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the state of New York

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 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt. Geography Nicaragua

Birth rate

24.51 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.254 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$945.3 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

12 09 N, 86 17 W

name

Managua

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Coastline

910 km

Constitution

9 January 1987; reforms in 1995 and 2000

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form

Nicaragua

local long form

Republica de Nicaragua

local short form

Nicaragua

Currency (code)

gold cordoba (NIO)

Currency code

NIO

Current account balance

$-883 million (2006 est.)

Death rate

4.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$3.763 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI

embassy

Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

mailing address

P.O. Box 327

telephone

[505] 266-6010

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

vacant

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index

55.1 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

$419.5 million (2005 est.)

Economy - overview

Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has low per capita income and widespread underemployment. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in November 2006 obtained over $800 million in debt relief from the Inter-American Development Bank. In October 2005, Nicaragua ratified the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and deepen economic development. Energy shortages, however, are a serious bottleneck to growth.

Electricity - consumption

2.573 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

22 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

23 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

2.766 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

83.9%

hydro

7.7%

nuclear

0%

other

8.4% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mogoton 2,438 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - 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, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification

Ethnic groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Exchange rates

gold cordobas per US dollar - 17.5815 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004), 15.105 (2003), 14.251 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) elected president - 38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE (ALN) 29%, Jose RIZO (PLC) 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN (MRS) 6.44%

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 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)

head of government

President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007)

Exports

$1.714 billion f.o.b.; note - includes free trade zones (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts

Exports - partners

US 34.1%, El Salvador 14.3%, Honduras 7.9%, Costa Rica 6.1%, Guatemala 5.2%, Mexico 5.1%, Spain 4.2% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6545

[505] 266-3861

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Nicaragua

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 Nicaragua

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

17.3%

industry

25.8%

services

56.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.816 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$16.83 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 85 00 W

Geography - note

largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua People Nicaragua

Government type

republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

6,400 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

45% (2001)

lowest 10%

1.2%

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$3.202 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products

Imports - partners

US 20.1%, Venezuela 11.9%, Costa Rica 8.9%, Mexico 8.3%, Guatemala 7%, El Salvador 5.1%, Japan 4.5%, Ecuador 4.2% (2005)

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2005 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

24.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

31.51 deaths/1,000 live births

total

28.11 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.4% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.ni

Internet hosts

24,452 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet users

140,000 (2005) Transportation Nicaragua

Investment (gross fixed)

29.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

610 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

2.261 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

30.5%

industry

17.3%

services

52.2% (2003 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

total

1,231 km

Land use

arable land

14.81%

other

83.37% (2005)

permanent crops

1.82%

Languages

Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)

note

English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; members are 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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election), MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)

elections

last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.81 years (2006 est.)

male

68.55 years

total population

70.63 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

67.8% (2003 est.) Government Nicaragua

male

67.2%

total population

67.5%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

females age 17-49

1,315,186 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

1,309,970

Manpower fit for military service

females age 17-49

1,129,649 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

1,051,425

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 17-49

63,133 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

65,170

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural prolongation

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

21.4 years (2006 est.)

male

20.5 years

total

20.9 years

Military branches

Army (includes Navy, Air Force)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$32.27 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.7% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Nicaragua

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Nationality

adjective

Nicaraguan

noun

Nicaraguan(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-1.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

25,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports

758.9 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports

15,560 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - production

14,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Pipelines

oil 54 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon]; Central American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS]; Christian Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Conservative Party or PC [Azalia AVILES Salmeron]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo]; Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; 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 [Dora Maria TELLEZ]; Unity Alliance or AU

Political pressure groups and leaders

National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including - Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups

Population

5,570,129 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

1.89% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff Military Nicaragua

Public debt

82.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

1.24 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

6 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total

6 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$723 million (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

2,299 km

total

19,036 km

unpaved

16,737 km (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System

general assessment

inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment

international

country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

220,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.119 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

320,000 (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.8% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2006 est.)

Waterways

2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (2005)