2010 Edition

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. The 2008 municipal elections were characterized 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 face new challenges under the ORTEGA administration.

Area

land

119,990 sq km

total

130,370 sq km

water

10,380 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New York state

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Coastline

910 km

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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

237 cu m/yr (2000)

total

1.3 cu km/yr (15%/2%/83%)

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

Irrigated land

610 sq km (2003)

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%

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural prolongation

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

volcanism

Nicaragua experiences significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (elev. 728 m, 2,388 ft), 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

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

Total renewable water resources

196.7 cu km (2000)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,013,866/female 976,430) 15-64 years: 62.9% (male 1,847,756/female 1,857,264) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 85,782/female 110,101) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

22.77 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

4.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2003)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,700 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

21.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

27.14 deaths/1,000 live births

total

24.16 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.05 years (2010 est.)

male

69.61 years

total population

71.78 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

67.8% (2003 est.)

male

67.2%

total population

67.5%

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)

Median age

female

22.9 years (2010 est.)

male

22.1 years

total

22.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Nicaraguan

noun

Nicaraguan(s)

Net migration rate

-1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

5,995,928 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.74% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2003)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/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 (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.51 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

57% of total population (2008)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

12 09 N, 86 17 W

name

Managua

time difference

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

Constitution

9 January 1987; revised in 1995, 2000, and 2005

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form

Nicaragua

local long form

Republica de Nicaragua

local short form

Nicaragua

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert J. CALLAHAN

embassy

Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

FAX

[505] 252-7304

mailing address

American Embassy Managua, APO AA 34021

telephone

[505] 252-7100, 252-7888; 252-7634 (after hours)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker

consulate(s) general

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

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6545

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6570, 6573

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 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 elected president - 38.1%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE 29%, Jose RIZO 26.2%, Edmundo JARQUIN 6.4%

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

head of government

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

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

Government type

republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

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

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

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

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)

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); note - as of 1 May 2009: seats by party - FSLN 38, PLC 20, BDN 17, ALN 6, MRS 3, APRE 1, Independent 7

elections

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

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for the Republic or APRE; 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

National Workers Front or FNT (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 (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 (an independent labor union); Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP (a confederation of business groups)

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

NA% (31 December 2009) NA% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.04% (31 December 2009 est.) 13.17% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$819 million (2010 est.) -$841.1 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$4.03 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $3.633 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

43.1 (2001) 60.3 (1998)

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 fiscial 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.

Electricity - consumption

2.569 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

63.95 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

3.286 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 21.35 (2010), 20.34 (2009), 19.374 (2008), 18.457 (2007), 17.582 (2006)

Exports

$3.182 billion (2010 est.) $2.593 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts; textiles and apparel

Exports - partners

US 61.98%, El Salvador 7.74%, Costa Rica 3.67% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

17.6%

industry

26.5%

services

56% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,900 (2010 est.) $2,900 (2009 est.) $3,000 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.8% (2010 est.) -1.5% (2009 est.) 2.8% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.375 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$17.34 billion (2010 est.) $16.87 billion (2009 est.) $17.12 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 41.8% (2005)

Imports

$4.7 billion (2010 est.) $3.481 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 22.63%, Venezuela 12.27%, Mexico 9.05%, Costa Rica 8.66%, China 7.16%, Guatemala 6.59%, El Salvador 5.63% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

1.5% (2010 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.7% (2010 est.) 3.7% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

22.8% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

2.343 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

28%

industry

19%

services

53% (2010 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

29,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

213 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

29,570 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

48% (2005)

Public debt

78% of GDP (2010 est.) 63% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.58 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $1.573 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $2.586 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$4.083 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $4.161 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.273 billion (31 December 2010 est) $989.5 million (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

8% (2010 est.) 8.2% (2009 est.) note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008

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

Internet hosts

157,162 (2010)

Internet users

199,800 (2009)

Telephone system

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

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

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

255,000 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3.204 million (2009)

Airports

143 (2010)

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 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

132 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 115 (2010)

Pipelines

oil 54 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Bluefields, Corinto

Roadways

paved

2,033 km

total

19,137 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)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,605,398 females age 16-49: 1,594,270 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,318,762 females age 16-49: 1,374,652 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

68,948 (2010 est.)

male

71,171

Military branches

National Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito Nacional de Nicaragua, ENN; includes Navy, Air Force) (2010)

Military expenditures

0.6% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour of duty 18-36 months (2008)

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

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing page last updated on January 12, 2011 ======================================================================