Nicaragua

republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Nicaragua as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalManagua

Area129,494 km2

Populationas each edition published it

3.75 million July 1991 · 3.72m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.74% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 20.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 63.5 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.7 children per woman 1991 · 5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

60 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 68 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $425 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.5% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

129,494km2

land area: 120,254 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than New York State

Land boundaries

1,231km total

Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Coastline

910 km Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm

Disputes

territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de Fonseca

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land 9%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures 43%;
forest and woodland 35%;
other 12%;
including irrigated 1%

Environment

subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes;
deforestation;
soil erosion;
water pollution

People

14 fields

Population

3,751,884

(July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

37Death

Ethnic divisions

mestizo 69%white 17%black 9%Indian 5%

Literacy

57%

(male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality

noun--Nicaraguan(s); adjective--Nicaraguan

Language

Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast

Labor force

1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)

Government

Republic

17 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

54.7%

Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%other 4.5%25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996)

National Assembly, 92 seats, elected 25 February 1990one dot, one seat

UNO 51FSLN 39PSC 1MUR 1

Percent of vote

UNO 53.9%FSLN 40.8%PSC 1.6%MUR 1.0%

Administrative divisions

9 administrative regions encompassing 16 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento);
Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Zelaya;
note--Zelaya may have been replaced by 2 autonomous regions (regiones autonomistas, singular--region autonomista) named North Atlantic Coast and South Atlantic Coast

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts Chief of State and Head of Government--President Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990);
Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990) ruling coalition--National Opposition Union (UNO) is a 14-party alliance--National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO;
National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA;
National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin JARQUIN;
Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO;
Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA;
Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA;
National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS;
Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA;
Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis HUMBERTO;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY;
Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ;
opposition parties--Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA;
Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS;
Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES;
Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo CORONADO;
Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER;
Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ;
Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA;
Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando AGUERRO;
Popular Action Movement--Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ

Suffrage

universal at age 16 President--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996);
results--Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%;
National Assembly--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996);
results--UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%;
seats--(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1

Other political or pressure groups

Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers (CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CST);
Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute (INDE)

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO;
Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009;
telephone (202) 387-4371 or 4372;
US--Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN;
Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur., Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021);
telephone [505] (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34

Flag

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

Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the Chamorro government has pledged to reduce it.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.7billion

per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

11,800%

(1990)

Unemployment rate

35%

(1990)

External debt

$9billion

(December 1990)

Budget

Revenues

$244 millionExpenditures

$550 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $73 million (1988)

Overview

Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the Chamorro government has pledged to reduce it. The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and distribution of most goods.

Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth successive year of decline.

The agricultural sector employs 44% of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes about 25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989 and remains below pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1990 the annual inflation rate was 11,800%, sharply up from 1,800% in 1989.

Exports

$298 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals;
partners--OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, other 10%

Imports

$710 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing;
partners--Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)

Industrial production

growth rate - 7% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP

Electricity

415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced, 360 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force;
cash crops--coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton;
food crops--rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans;
variety of animal products--beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy;
normally self-sufficient in food

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,186 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion

Currency

cordoba (plural--cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

cordobas (C$) per US$1--13,300,000 (January 1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987), 97.48 (1986), 38.90 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 251 total, 162 usable

permanent-surface runways

10runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

2runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

25,930Railroads

373Inland waterways

2,220

Highways: ; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km · Railroads: , government owned; majority of system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with mainline) · Inland waterways: , including 2 large lakes