Nicaragua
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Nicaragua
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CAPITAL CITY Managua GEOGRAPHYLocation: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and HondurasArea:
Land boundaries: total 1,231 km, Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km Coastline: 910 km Maritime claims:
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 Land use:
Irrigated land: 850 sq km (1989 est.) Environment:
PEOPLEPopulation: 4,206,353 (July 1995 est.)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.) Population growth rate: 2.61% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 33.73 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: -1.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 50.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 4.17 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Caucasian) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5% Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5% Languages:
Spanish (official)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
 Labor force:
1.086 million
GOVERNMENTNames:conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua Digraph: NU Type: republic Capital: Managua 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 Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Constitution: 9 January 1987 Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Political parties and leaders:
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 Diplomatic representation in
US:
US diplomatic representation:
ECONOMYOverview: 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.) National product real growth rate: 3.2% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $1,570 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.5% (1994 est.) Unemployment rate: 21.8%; underemployment 50% (1993) Budget:
Exports:
$329 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Imports:
$786 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
External debt: $11 billion (1993) Industrial production: growth rate -0.8% (1993 est.); accounts for 26% of GDP Electricity:
Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear Agriculture: crops account for about 15% of GDP; export crops - coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops - rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; also produces a variety of animal products - beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; normally self-sufficient in food Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US Economic aid:
Currency: 1 gold cordoba (C$) = 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 TRANSPORTATIONRailroads: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 Highways:
Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes Pipelines: crude oil 56 km Ports: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan del Sur Merchant marine: none Airports:
COMMUNICATIONSTelephone system: 60,000 telephones; low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave Systemlocal: NA
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