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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.
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Common Name: Nicaragua
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Local Official Name: Nicaragua
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Nicaragua
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Official Name: Republica de Nicaragua
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Official Script Name: Nicaragua
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Local Common Name: Nicaragua
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Former Name: Nicaragua
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer
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Government Type: republic
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Independence: 1821 September 15 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 1987 January 9, with reforms in 1995 and 2000
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 15 September
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International Organization Participation: BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, 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
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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
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: 16 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo (since 10 October 2005); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo was elected Vice President by the deputies of the National Assembly after Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon resigned on 27 September 2005
head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo (since 10 October 2005)
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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)
election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) elected president - 38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE (ALN) 29%, Jose RIZO (PLC) 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN (MRS) 6.44%; note - ORTEGA will take office 10 January 2007
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)
elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)
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)
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)
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Party 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 [Mario Sebastian RAPPACCIOLI]; 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
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International Disputes: Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; 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
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Illicit Drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
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Location of Nicaragua: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
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Continent: South America
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Land Area Total: 129,494 sq km
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Region: Central America |
Land Area Land: 120,254 sq km
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Capitol City: Managua
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Land Area Water: 9,240 sq km
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Latitude: 013 00 N
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Border Boundary Land: 1,231 km
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Longitude: 085 00 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 910 km
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Arable Land: 14.81 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 1.82 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 2,438 m
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Location: Mogoton
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Pacific Ocean
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Largest City in Nicaragua: Managua
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Managua Largest City Population: 930,000
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Threatened Species: 76
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Environmental Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
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Irrigated Land: 610
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Bordering Countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
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Natural Resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
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Geographical Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
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Comparative Area of Nicaragua: slightly smaller than the state of New York
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Nicaragua's Geography: largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
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General Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
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Natural Hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
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Economic Overview: Nicaragua, one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest countries, has low per capita income, widespread underemployment, and a heavy external debt burden. 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 because of its earlier successful performances under its International Monetary Fund policy program and other efforts. 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. High oil prices helped drive inflation to 9.6% in 2005, leading to a fall in real GDP growth to 4% from over 5% in 2004.
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GDP: $16,100,000,000 USD
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Currency: gold cordoba
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GDP per Capita: $2,900 USD
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Currency Code: NIO
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GDP Growth Rate: 4.00 %
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Currency Exchange Rate History: gold cordobas per US dollar - 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004), 15.105 (2003), 14.251 (2002), 13.372 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 16.50 %
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GDP of Industry: 27.50 %
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GDP of Services: 56.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 9.60 % |
Population in Poverty: 50.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 5.60 %
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Tourism: 468,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 1.20 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $1,134,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 45.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $1,358,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 2,887,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 21,800,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 1,848,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 23,300,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 81.68%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 9.40%
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Other Electricity Production: 8.92%
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Oil Production: 14,300 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 25,200 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 758 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 15,560 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $3,188,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $419,500,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp, lobsters
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Primary Industries: food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood
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Industrial Growth Rate: 2.40 %
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Import Amount in USD: $2,865,000,000 USD - consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products
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Import Partners: US 19.6%, Mexico 10.3%, Venezuela 9.5%, Costa Rica 8.5%, Guatemala 6.7%, El Salvador 4.5%, South Korea 4.1%
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Export Amount in USD: $1,550,000,000 USD - coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
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Export Partners: US 60.7%, Mexico 8.6%, El Salvador 6.2%
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GINI Index: 55.10%
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Labor Force Number of People: 2,010,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture: 30.5%, industry: 17.3%, services: 52.2%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 96 |
Number of People with Radios: 1,240,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 3 |
Number of People with Televisions: 320,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 220,900 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 1,119,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 24,452 |
Internet Users: 140,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .ni |
Newspapers: 30 |
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Two Letter Country Code: NU |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 505 |
Electricity Voltage: 120 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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)
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Highways: 2,299 km |
Railways: 6 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 54 km |
Waterways: 2,220 km
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Airports: 11 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 30 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 3,045,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.70 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: NA
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Ports and Harbors: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff
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Population: 5,570,129 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 24.51 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 42.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 4.45 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 1.89% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 2.75 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 1,031,897 |
Population Female 0-14: 994,633 |
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Population Male 15-64: 1,667,633 |
Population Female 15-64: 1,691,353 |
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Population Male 65+: 76,758 |
Population Female 65+: 97,855 |
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Population 0-14: 36.40% |
Literacy Rate: 67.50% |
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Population 15-64: 60.50% |
Literacy rate of Males: 67.20% |
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Population 65+: 3.10% |
Literacy rate of Females: 67.80% |
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Population that is Male: 50.00
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Population that is Female: 50.00% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 70.63 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 28.11 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 68.55 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 72.81 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.20%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 6,400
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -1.17
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Nationality: NICARAGUAN
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Ethnic Groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
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Primary Language: Spanish
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Other Languages: Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5%
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Branches: Army (includes Navy, Air Force)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 17 years
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Manpower Available: 2,625,156 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 2,181,074 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 128,303 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.70
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Nicaragua Spa and Resort Directory
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Nicaragua Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
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Nicaragua Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
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