Nicaragua

Republic of NicaraguaRepublica de Nicaragua

republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Nicaragua as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 82 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 sq km

LocationMiddle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the

Populationas each edition published it

4.21 million July 1995 est. · 3.72m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.61% 1995 est. · 2.74% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 20.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

64.54 years 1995 est. · 63.5 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.17 children per woman 1995 est. · 5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

50.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 68 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,570 1994 est. · $425 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3.2% 1994 est. · 0.5% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 129,494 sq km

arable land 9%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 43%forest and woodland 35%other 12%irrigated 850 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

129,494sq km

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

Coastline

910km

contiguous zone: 25-nm security zonecontinental shelf: natural prolongationterritorial sea: 200 nm

Land boundaries

1,231km

total · Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Location

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

International disputes

territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank;
with respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) referred the disputants to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required

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

Environment

current issues:: deforestation;
soil erosion;
water pollution
natural hazards:: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasionally severe hurricanes
international agreements:: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

People

15 fields

Population

4,206,353

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.61% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

33.73Death

6.45Net migration

-1.19

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years64.54

61.67 · 67.53

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy57%

57% · 57%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Ethnic divisions

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

Labor force

1.086million

by occupation: services 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 44% (female 921,356; male 930,594)
15-64 years:: 53% (female 1,146,485; male 1,097,811)
65 years and over:: 3% (female 62,607; male 47,500) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

50.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective:: Nicaraguan

Languages

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

Government

Republic

22 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

54.7%

Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%other 4.5%

Legislature, 92 seatsone dot, one seat

UNO 41FSLN 39"Centrist" (Dissident UNO) 12

Names

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

Administrative divisions

16 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Zelaya

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government:: President Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990);
Vice President Virgilio GODOY Reyes (since 25 April 1990);
election last held 25 February 1990 (next to be held November 1996);
results - Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%
cabinet:: Cabinet

National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)

elections last held 25 February 1990 (next to be held November 1996);
results - UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%;
seats - (92 total) UNO 41, FSLN 39, "Centrist" (Dissident UNO) 12

Political parties and leaders

far right:: Liberal Constitutionalist Party* (PLC), Arnold ALEMAN;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (APC), Myriam ARGUELLO;
Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS Echaverry;
Independent Liberal Party for National Unity (PLUIN), Alfonso MOCADO Guillen;
Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCN - formed in 1992 by the merger of the Conservative Social Party (PSC) with the Democratic Conservative Party (PCD) and PCL, the Conservative party of Labor), Fernando AGUERO;
National Justice Party (PJN), Jorge DIAZ Cruz;
National Conservative Party* (PNC), Adolfo CALERO
center right:: Neoliberal Party* (PALI), Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel;
National Action Party* (PAN), Delvis MONTIEL;
Independent Liberal Party* (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO
center left:: Christian Democratic Union (UDC), Luis Humberto GUZMAN;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Adolfo JARQUIN;
Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Pablo HERNANDEZ;
Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), Sergio RAMIREZ;
Democratic Action Movement (MAD), Eden PASTORA;
Communist Party of Nicaragua* (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO Perez
far left:: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA;
Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA;
Popular Action Movement-Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA;
Unidad Nicaraguense de Obreros, Campesinos, y Profesionales (UNOCP), Rosalio GONZALEZ Urbina

note: parties marked with an asterisk belong to the National Opposition Union (UNO), an alliance of moderate parties, which, however, does not always follow a unified political agenda

Other political or pressure groups

National Workers Front (FNT) is a

Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions

Sandinista Workers' Central (CST);
Farm Workers Association (ATC);
Health Workers Federation (FETASALUD);
National Union of Employees (UNE);
National Association of Educators of Nicaragua (ANDEN);
Union of Journalists of Nicaragua (UPN);
Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations (CONAPRO);
and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers (UNAG);
Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group of

four non-Sandinista labor unions:: Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS);
Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A);
Independent General Confederation of Labor (CGT-I);
and Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS);
Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN) is an independent labor union;
Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is a confederation of business groups

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Roberto Genaro MAYORGA Cortes
chancery:: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:: [1] (202) 939-6570
consulate(s) general:: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador John F. MAISTO
embassy:: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur., Managua
mailing address:: APO AA 34021
telephone:: [505] (2) 666010, 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34

FAX

[505] (2) 666046

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

Since March 1991, when President CHAMORRO began an ambitious | economic stabilization program, Nicaragua has had considerable success | in reducing inflation and obtaining substantial economic aid from | abroad.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,570

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

3.2%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -0.8% (1993 est.); accounts for 26% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

19.5%

(1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

21.8%

underemployment 50% (1993)

Budget

Revenues

$375 million (1992)Expenditures

$410 million (1991 est.)

expenditures (1992), including capital expenditures of $115 million

Installed generating capacity, 460,000 kW

Electricity production

1.6 billionElectricity consumption per capita

376 (1993)

Overview

Since March 1991, when President CHAMORRO began an ambitious economic stabilization program, Nicaragua has had considerable success in reducing inflation and obtaining substantial economic aid from abroad. Annual inflation fell from more than 750% in 1991 to less than 5% in 1992.

Inflation rose again to an estimated 20% in 1993, although this increase was due almost entirely to a large currency devaluation in January. As of early 1994, the government was close to finalizing an enhanced structural adjustment facility with the IMF, after the previous standby facility expired in early 1993.

Despite these successes, achieving overall economic growth in an economy scarred by misguided economic values and civil war during the 1980s has proved elusive. Economic growth was flat in 1992 and slightly negative in 1993. Nicaragua's per capita foreign debt is one of the highest in the world;

nonetheless, as of late 1993, Nicaragua was current on its post-1988 debt as well as on payments to the international financial institutions. Definition of property rights remains a problem; ownership disputes over large tracts of land, businesses, and homes confiscated by the previous government have yet to be resolved. A rise in exports of coffee and other products led growth in 1994.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$329 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: meat, coffee, cotton, sugar, seafood, gold, bananas
partners:: US, Central America, Canada, Germany

Imports

$786 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities:: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, petroleum products
partners:: Central America, US, Venezuela, Japan

External debt

$11 billion (1993)

Industries

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

Agriculture

crops account for about 15% of GDP;
export crops - coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton;
food crops - rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans;
also produces a variety of animal products - beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products;
normally self-sufficient in food

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-92), $620 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.381 billion

Currency

1 gold cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

gold cordobas (C$) per US$1 - 7.08 (December 1994), 6.72 (1994), 5.62 (1993), 5.00 (1992);
note - gold cordoba replaced cordoba as Nicaragua's currency in 1991 (exchange rate of old cordoba had reached per US$1 - 25,000,000 by March 1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 198 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

149

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

15,286Railroads

376Inland waterways

2,220

Highways: paved: 1,598 km · unpaved: 13,688 km note: there is a 368.5 km portion of the Pan-American Highway which is not in the total · Railroads: ; note - majority of system is nonoperational · standard gauge: 3 km 1.435-m gauge line at Puerto Cabezas; note - does not connect with mainline · narrow gauge: 373 km 1.067-m gauge · Inland waterways: , including 2 large lakes

Railroads

total:: 376 km; note - majority of system is nonoperational
standard gauge:: 3 km 1.435-m gauge line at Puerto Cabezas; note - does not connect with mainline
narrow gauge:: 373 km 1.067-m gauge