Nicaragua
Country Guide

Explore Nicaragua

Nicaragua with its capital Managua is located in North America (Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean). It covers some 130,371 square kilometers (slightly larger than Pennsylvania) with a population of 6,025,950. Spanish and English are the languages spoken by people in Nicaragua. As an interesting fact, is sharing borders with Costa Rica and Honduras.

Nicaragua s a country in Central America. It has coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea, in the east, and the North Pacific Ocean, in the west, and has Costa Rica to the southeast and Honduras to the northwest. Tourism in Nicaragua is growing at 15% to 20% annually. Tourists are coming for the beauty and richness this country has to offer. From eco-tourism, adventure, beach, colonial cities, nightlife, and a low cost of living, Nicaragua has experienced a booming number of tourists from around the world. The places where tourists are hanging out and having a good time are in the colonial cities of Granada and Leon, the Pacific Coast, hiking on the volcanoes, and in the Caribbean coast in the Corn Islands.

Popular Destinations in Nicaragua

Administrative regions of Nicaragua

• Costa Caribe Sur
• Departamento de Boaco
• Departamento de Carazo
• Departamento de Chinandega
• Departamento de Chontales
• Departamento de Esteli
• Departamento de Granada
• Departamento de Jinotega
• Departamento de Leon
• Departamento de Madriz
• Departamento de Managua
• Departamento de Masaya
• Departamento de Matagalpa
• Departamento de Nueva Segovia
• Departamento de Rio San Juan
• Departamento de Rivas
• North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN)

About the country

The topography is extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains with narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes. The average density of population is about 46 per km². The climate in Nicaragua can be described as tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands. Potential natural disasters are destructive earthquakes, extremely susceptible to hurricanes, landslides, significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m), which last erupted in 1999, is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes and volcanoes.

To reach someone Nicaragua dial +505 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".ni". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Cordoba is NIO.

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; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water.

The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA was elected president in 2006, 2011, and most recently in 2016. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are being rebuilt, but democratic institutions have weakened under the ORTEGA administration as the president has garnered full control over all four branches of government: the presidency, the judicial, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Electoral Council.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 99)	130,370	sq km
Land (World Rank: 98)	119,990	sq km
Water (World Rank: 46)	10,380	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 64)	27.20	%
Comparative	slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state
Coastline
910
Landborder
1253
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 120)	2,085	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 100)	42.20	%
Arable (World Rank: 92)	12.50	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 79)	2.50	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 64)	27.20	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 77)	1,990	sq km
Map reference
Central America and the Caribbean
Environment
Issues	- deforestation - soil erosion - water pollution
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Environmental Modification - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Wetlands - Whaling
Hazzards	- destructive earthquakes - extremely susceptible to hurricanes - landslides - significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m), which last erupted in 1999, is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes - volcanoes
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Climate
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 111)	6,025,950
Deathrate (World Rank: 188)	0.51	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 104)	1.77	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 115)	0.98	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 137)	-0.27	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 134)	1.89	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 150)	24.80
Female (World Rank: 146)	26.60
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 104)	837,465
0 14 female (World Rank: 103)	803,985
15 24 male (World Rank: 96)	644,153
15 24 female (World Rank: 94)	636,787
25 54 male (World Rank: 112)	1,149,750
25 54 female (World Rank: 109)	1,274,820
55 64 male (World Rank: 127)	166,782
55 64 female (World Rank: 123)	193,781
65 x male (World Rank: 120)	141,816
65 x female (World Rank: 120)	176,617
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 89)	1.83	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 131)	74	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 135)	76	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 125)	71	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 115)	0.91
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 151)	0.90
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 142)	67.90	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 63)	23.70	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 147)	87.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 131)	3,218,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 133)	3,177,000,000	kWh
Export (World Rank: 90)	17,870,000	kWh
Import (World Rank: 94)	109,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 132)	59.00	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 120)	8.40	%
Source renew (World Rank: 7)	36.10	%
Crude oil
Imports (World Rank: 70)	14,180	bbl / day
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 98)	14,260	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 120)	30,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 117)	253	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 123)	16,130	bbl / day
Carbon footprint
5200000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 89)	5	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 142)	1	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 39)	9	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 70)	-2	% of GDP
National symbol
turquoise-browed motmot
National colours
white
Adjective
Nicaraguan
Noun
Nicaraguan(s)
Background
The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA was elected president in 2006, 2011, and most recently in 2016. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are being rebuilt, but democratic institutions have weakened under the ORTEGA administration as the president has garnered full control over all four branches of government: the presidency, the judicial, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Electoral Council.
Flag description
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; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 124)	34,070,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 46)	4.70	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 164)	5,500	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 65)	14.80	%
Source industry (World Rank: 117)	24.20	%
Source service (World Rank: 174)	50.40	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 102)	3,013,000
In poverty (World Rank: 65)	29.60	%
Products
Industries	- beverages - chemicals - distribution - electric wire harness manufacturing - food processing - footwear - knit - machinery - metal products - mining - petroleum refining - wood - woven apparel
Agriculture	- bananas - beans - beef - coffee - corn - cotton - dairy products - lobsters - peanuts - pork - poultry - rice - sesame - shrimp - soya - sugarcane - tobacco - veal
Exports	- apparel - automobile wiring harnesses - beef - cigars - coffee - gold - lobster - peanuts - shrimp - sugar - textiles - tobacco
Imports	- consumer goods - equipment - machinery - petroleum products - raw materials

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 108)	366,636
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 154)	6.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 53)	130.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 121)	1,466,150
Population (World Rank: 176)	24.60	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 106)	12.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 27)	135.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 102)	23,897
Paved length (World Rank: 113)	3,346
Unpaved length (World Rank: 61)	20,551
Water
Total length (World Rank: 40)	2,220

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