13 00 N, 85 00 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 129,494 sq km land: 120,254 sq km water: 9,240 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than the state of New York

Land boundaries:

total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Coastline:

910 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural prolongation

Climate:

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain:

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 14.81% permanent crops: 1.82% other: 83.37% (2005)

Irrigated land:

610 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

196.7 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.3 cu km/yr (15%/2%/83%) per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

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

Geography - note:

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

People
Nicaragua

Population:

5,785,846 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,019,281/female 981,903) 15-64 years: 62.1% (male 1,792,398/female 1,803,133) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 82,840/female 106,291) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.7 years male: 21.3 years female: 22.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.825% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

23.7 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

4.33 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 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 total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 25.91 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 71.21 years male: 69.08 years female: 73.44 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.63 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

6,400 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Nicaraguan(s) adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

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

Languages:

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

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.5% male: 67.2% female: 67.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2003)

Education expenditures:

3.1% of GDP (2003)

Government
Nicaragua

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Managua geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

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

Legal system:

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

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

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 head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007) 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 so long as it is not consecutive); election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011) election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra elected president - 38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE 29%, Jose RIZO 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN 6.44%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 90 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 de Justicia (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Conservative Party or PC [Azalia AVILES Salmeron]; Liberal
Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Nicaraguan
Liberal Alliance or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; 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)

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, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo CRUZ Sequeira, Jr. chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 939-6570, (202) 939-6573 FAX: (202) 939-6545 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua mailing address: American Embassy Managua, APO AA 34021 telephone: 252-7100, 252-7888; 252-7634 (after hours) FAX: 252-7304

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

Economy - overview:

Nicaragua has widespread underemployment, one of the highest degrees of income inequality in the world, and the third lowest per capita income in the Western Hemisphere. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, annual GDP 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. In early 2004, Nicaragua secured some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in October 2007, the IMF approved a new poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF) program that should create fiscal space for social spending and investment. The continuity of a relationship with the IMF reinforces donor confidence, despite private sector concerns surrounding ORTEGA, which has dampened investment. 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. Energy shortages fueled by high oil prices, however, are a serious bottleneck to growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$16.17 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$5.723 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 16.9% industry: 25.8% services: 57.2% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.262 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 29% industry: 19% services: 52% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.9% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

48% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 33.8% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

43.1 (2001)

Investment (gross fixed):

31.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.115 billion expenditures: $1.291 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

62.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

11.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.04% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$465.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$1.802 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$4.133 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

3.012 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

2.413 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

63.95 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 83.9% hydro: 7.7% nuclear: 0% other: 8.4% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

28,880 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

808.5 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

29,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$1.001 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$2.313 billion f.o.b.; note - includes free trade zones (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

US 31.7%, El Salvador 14%, Honduras 9.3%, Costa Rica 7.2%, Canada 5.8%, Guatemala 5.5%, Mexico 4.8% (2007)

Imports:

$4.078 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

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

Imports - partners:

US 22.5%, Mexico 13.5%, Costa Rica 8.4%, Venezuela 6.4%, Guatemala 6.2%, El Salvador 4.8% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$471 million (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$1.103 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.341 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: