Nicaragua

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• water pollution

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

0-14 years:

38.3% (male 980,621; female 945,386)

15-64 years:

58.7% (male 1,464,468; female 1,483,082)

65 years and over:

3% (male 65,610; female 84,651) (2002 est.)

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 (2002 est.)

noun:

Nicaraguan(s)

adjective:

Nicaraguan

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

68.2% (1999)

male:

67.1%

female:

70.5% (2000 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form:

Nicaragua

local short form:

Nicaragua

local long form:

Republica de Nicaragua

• 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 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 Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002);
• Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002);
• Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002);
• 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 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)

election results:

• Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (PLC) elected president - 56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PC) 1.4%;
• Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice president

• Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Dr. Fernando AGUERO Rocha];
• Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Virgilio GODOY];
• Liberal Alliance (ruling alliance including Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC, New Liberal Party or PALI, Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN, and Central American Unionist Party or PUCA) [leader NA];
• National Conservative Party or PC [Pedro SOLARZANO, Noel VIDAURRE];
• National Project or PRONAL [Benjamin LANZAS];
• Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO, Roberto RODRIGUEZ];
• Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA];
• Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra];
• Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Sergio RAMIREZ];
• Unity Alliance or AU [Alejandro SERRANO];
• Union Nacional Opositora 96 or UNO-96 [Alfredo CESAR Aguirre]

• National Workers Front or FNT is 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 is 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 is an independent labor union;
• Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups

chief of mission:

Ambassador Carlos J. ULVERT

consulate(s) general:

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

FAX:

[1] (202) 939-6542

telephone:

[1] (202) 939-6570

chancery:

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission:

Ambassador Barbara Calandra MOORE

embassy:

Apartado Postal 327, Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

mailing address:

APO AA 34021

telephone:

[505] 268-0123

FAX:

[505] 266-9943

• 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%

highest 10%:

49% (1998) (1998)

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:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

6 km

narrow gauge:

6 km 1.067-m gauge

note: carries mostly passengers from Chichigalpa to Ingenio San Antonio (2001)

total:

16,382 km

paved:

1,818 km

unpaved:

14,564 km (1998)

• 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;
• legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica