Nicaragua

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• water pollution;
• Hurricane Mitch damage

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

0-14 years:

40% (male 971,580; female 936,888)

15-64 years:

57% (male 1,372,169; female 1,392,861)

65 years and over:

3% (male 60,539; female 78,532) (2000 est.)

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.77 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Nicaraguan(s)

adjective:

Nicaraguan

conventional long form:

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form:

Nicaragua

local long form:

Republica de Nicaragua

local short form:

Nicaragua

• 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista);
• Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*

chief of state:

• President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (10 January 1997);
• Vice President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (10 January 1997);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (10 January 1997);
• Vice President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (10 January 1997);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

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;
• election last held 20 October 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001);
• note - in July 1995 the term of the office of the president was amended to five years

election results:

Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (Liberal Alliance - ruling party - includes PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 51.03%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 37.75%, Guillermo OSORNO (PCCN) 4.10%, Noel VIDAURRE (PCN) 2.26%, Benjamin LANZAS (PRONAL) 0.53%, other (18 other candidates) 4.33%

• Central American Integrationist Party or PIAC [leader NA];
• Central American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS Echaverry];
• Conservative Action Movement or MAC [Hernaldo ZUNIGA];
• Conservative National Party or PNC [Adolfo CALERO, Noel VIDAURRE];
• Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Dr. Fernando AGUERO Rocha];
• Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Virgilio GODOY];
• Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo];
• Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Jose RIZO Castellon];
• Movement for Revolutionary Unity or MUR [leader NA];
• National Democratic Party or PND [Alfredo CESAR Aguirre];
• National Project or PRONAL [Antonio LACAYO Oyanguren];
• Nationalist Liberal Party or PLN [Enrique SANCHEZ Herdocia];
• Neoliberal Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel];
• Nicaraguan Democratic Movement or MDN [Alfredo GUZMAN];
• Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Road or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO, Roberto RODRIGUEZ];
• Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Fabio GADEA];
• Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra];
• Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Sergio RAMIREZ];
• Social Christian Party or PSC [Erick RAMIREZ];
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Adolfo JARQUIN];
• Unity Alliance or AU [Alejandro SERRANO];
• UNO-96 Alliance [Alfredo CESAR Aguirre]

note: political blocs include: left - FSLN; center left - MRS, PSD, PSC, MUR, PIAC, AU, PCN, PND, PUCA, UNO-96 Alliance, and MDN; center right - PALI,

PRN, PLI, PRONAL, and MAC; right - PCCN, PLC, PLIUN, PNC, and PLN

• National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions: 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;
• and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG;
• National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions: Sandinista Workers Central or CST;
• Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN;
• Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions: 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 is an independent labor union;
• Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups

chief of mission:

Ambassador Francisco AGUIRRE Sacasa

chancery:

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 939-6570

FAX:

[1] (202) 939-6542

consulate(s) general:

Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Oliver P. GARZA

embassy:

Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

mailing address:

APO AA 34021

telephone:

[505] (2) 662298, 666010, 666012, 666013, 666015, 666018, 666026, 666027, 666032, 666033

FAX:

[505] (2) 669074

• 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

lowest 10%:

1.6%

highest 10%:

39.8% (1993)

total:

16,382 km

paved:

1,818 km

unpaved:

14,564 km (1998 est.)

• 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 ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required;
• maritime boundary dispute with Honduras in the Caribbean Sea