2021 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 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, 2016, and most recently in 2021. 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 anti-government protest movement in 2018. In the lead-up to the 2021 presidential election, most of the prominent opposition candidates were either arrested or forced into exile leaving only five lesser-known candidates of mostly small parties allied to ORTEGA's Sandinistas to run against him.

Area

land

119,990 sq km

total

130,370 sq km

water

10,380 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Coastline

910 km

Elevation

highest point

Mogoton 2,085 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

298 m

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

1,990 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Costa Rica 313 km, Honduras 940 km

total

1,253 km

Land use

agricultural land

42.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.2% (2018 est.)

forest

25.3% (2018 est.)

other

32.5% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km

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 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

Natural resources

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

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

Terrain

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

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.)

Birth rate

16.71 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.6% (2011/12)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

80.4% (2011/12)

Current Health Expenditure

8.6% (2018)

Death rate

5.16 deaths/1,000 population (2021 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.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.8

potential support ratio

11.4 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

54.3

youth dependency ratio

45.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 62.6% of population

improved: total

total: 83.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 37.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 16.9% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.4% of population

Education expenditures

3.4% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and White) 69%, White 17%, Black 9%, Amerindian 5%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

16.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

22.83 deaths/1,000 live births

total

19.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.86 years (2021 est.)

male

72.28 years

total population

74.51 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.8% (2015)

male

82.4%

total population

82.6%

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

Major urban areas - population

1.073 million MANAGUA (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

198 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

28.2 years (2020 est.)

male

26.4 years

total

27.3 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.2 years (2011/12 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Nicaraguan

noun

Nicaraguan(s)

Net migration rate

-2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.7% (2016)

Physicians density

0.98 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

6,243,931 (July 2021 est.)

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

Population growth rate

0.93% (2021 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 66.5% of population

improved: total

total: 80.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 89.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 33.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 19.9% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 10.2% of population

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.81 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

12.9% (2014 est.)

male

6.4%

total

8.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.3% of total population (2021)

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

Capital

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

geographic coordinates

12 08 N, 86 15 W

name

Managua

time difference

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

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

Constitution

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 2021

history

several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional 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)

local long form

Republica de Nicaragua

local short form

Nicaragua

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Kevin K. SULLIVAN (since 14 November 2018)

email address and website

ACS.Managua@state.govhttps://ni.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

FAX

[505] 2252-7250

mailing address

3240 Managua Place, Washington DC  20521-3240

telephone

[505] 2252-7100,

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker (since 28 June 2010)

consulate(s) general

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

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6545

telephone

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

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

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

election results

2021: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a fourth consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 75.9%, Walter ESPINOZA (PLC) 14.3%, Guillermo OSORNO (CCN) 3.3%, Marcelo MONTIEL (ALN) 3.1%, other 3.4%2016: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a third consecutive term; 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%

elections/appointments

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 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)

head of government

President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017)

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

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

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

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

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

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies, representing the country's 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions, and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by party-list 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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 75, PLC 9, ALN 2, APRE 1, CCN 1, PLI 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 46, women 45, percent of women 49.4%

elections

last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO

name

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

note

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 holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white

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]Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or CCN [Guillermo OSORNO]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]

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar cane, milk, rice, maize, plantains, groundnuts, cassava, beans, coffee, poultry

Budget

expenditures

4.15 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

3.871 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B- (2018)

Moody's rating

B3 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2018)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$989 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$694 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$11.771 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$11.674 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty. GDP growth of 4.5% in 2017 was insufficient to make a significant difference. Textiles and agriculture combined account for nearly 50% of Nicaragua's exports. Beef, coffee, and gold are Nicaragua’s top three export commodities.The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many Nicaraguan agricultural and manufactured goods.In 2013, the government granted a 50-year concession with the option for an additional 50 years to a newly formed Chinese-run company to finance and build an inter-oceanic canal and related projects, at an estimated cost of $50 billion. The canal construction has not started.

Exchange rates

currency

cordobas (NIO) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

26.01 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

27.257 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

28.678 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

28.678 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

30.11 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$5.56 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$5.71 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$5.34 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and apparel, gold, insulated wiring, coffee, beef (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 60%, El Salvador 5%, Mexico 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

41.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

15.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

69.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-55.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

28.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

15.5% (2017 est.)

industry

24.4% (2017 est.)

services

60% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.57 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2009

45.8 (2009)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

46.2 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

47.1% (2014)

lowest 10%

1.8%

Imports

Imports 2018

$6.75 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$6.25 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$5.94 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, crude petroleum, packaged medicines, insulated wiring (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 27%, Mexico 12%, China 11%, Guatemala 9%, Costa Rica 7%, El Salvador 6%, Honduras 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

3.8% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

4.9% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

5.3% (2019 est.)

Labor force

3.046 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

31%

industry

18%

services

50% (2011 est.)

Population below poverty line

24.9% (2016 est.)

Public debt

note

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

Public debt 2016

31.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

33.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$37.05 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$35.68 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$34.98 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

4.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

4.7% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

4.9% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$5,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$5,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$5,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$2.448 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$2.758 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008

Unemployment rate 2016

6.2% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

6.4% (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

12.9% (2014 est.)

male

6.4%

total

8.5%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

16,180 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

3.59 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

17.87 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

56% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

35% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

205 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.551 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

4.454 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

92% (2019)

electrification - total population

97% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

99.2% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

37,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

460 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

20,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

14,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4.38 (2020 est.)

total

290,351 (2020)

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

Internet users

percent of population

27.86% (2019 est.)

total

2.78 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 4 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 88 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

with authoritarian government, weak public institutions, and impoverished citizenry, Nicaragua’s telecom system is dependent on upgrades through foreign investment, primarily from Russia and China; World Bank funded national fiber broadband network and links to Caribbean submarine cables; Chinese-financed projects, including airport, oil pipeline, and roads in process; nearly all installed telecom capacity now uses financed digital technology; lowest fixed-line tele-density and mobile penetration in Central America; Internet cafes provide access to Internet and email services; rural areas lack access to most basic telecom infrastructure; LTE service in dozens of towns and cities; importer of broadcasting equipment and computers from China (2020)

international

country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which 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) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3.18 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

210,981 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

90.22 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

5,976,479 (2020)

Airports

total

147 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

3

total

12

under 914 m

4 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

15

total

135

under 914 m

119 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YN

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3 (2021)

total

5

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

7

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

54 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Bluefields, Corinto

Roadways

paved

3,346 km (2014)

total

23,897 km (2014)

unpaved

20,551 km (2014)

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) (2011)

Military - note

the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984); prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s; the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA García, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956; his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979; the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas

Military and security forces

Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Forces (Fuerza Terrestre); Naval Forces (Fuerza Naval); Air Forces (Fuerza Aérea); Special Operations Command (Comando de Operaciones Especiales); Nicaraguan National Police (2021)

note

note - both the military and the police report directly to the president

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Nicaraguan military's inventory includes mostly second-hand Russian/Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, Russia is the leading arms supplier to Nicaragua (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

0.5% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

0.6% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.6% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

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 (2021)

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

Illicit drugs

a transit route for drug traffickers smuggling cocaine from South America through Mexico into the United States via maritime and air routes

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Nicaragua and Nicaraguans abroad; women, children, and migrants are most at risk; women and children are subject to sex trafficking within the country and its two Caribbean autonomous regions, as well as  in other Central American countries, Mexico, Spain, and the United States; traffickers used social media to recruit victims with promises of high-paying jobs in restaurants, hotels, construction, and security outside of Nicaragua where they are subjected to sex or labor trafficking; traffickers exploit children through forced participation in illegal drug production and trafficking; children and persons with disabilities are subjected to forced begging; Nicaragua is also a destination for child sex tourists from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe

tier rating

Tier 3 — Nicaragua does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so and was downgraded to Tier 3; the government identified slightly more victims than in the previous reporting period and prosecuted a trafficker; however, no traffickers were convicted and victim identification remained inadequate; authorities did not  investigate, prosecute, or convict government employees complicit in trafficking; the government provided no victim services; prosecution, protection, and prevention efforts in the two Caribbean autonomous regions of Nicaragua continued to be much weaker than in the rest of the country (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

5.59 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

6.46 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

16.87 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

42.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.2% (2018 est.)

forest

25.3% (2018 est.)

other

32.5% (2018 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

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

1.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

164.52 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.185 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

73.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

286 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.3% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,528,816 tons (2010 est.)