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CHARITIES HELPING NICARAGUA
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| About
Nicaragua - Source: CIA |
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| Background: |
Settled as a colony of Spain in the
1520s, Nicaragua gained its independence in 1821.
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 to power in
1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El
Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista
contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free
elections in 1990 and again in 1996 saw the
Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly
rebuilt its economy during the 1990s, but was
hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. |
| Location: |
Middle America, bordering both the
Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean,
between Costa Rica and Honduras |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
13 00 N, 85 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total: 129,494 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly smaller than the state of
New York |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km,
Honduras 922 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental shelf:
natural prolongation
territorial sea: 200 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical in lowlands, cooler in
highlands |
| Terrain: |
extensive Atlantic coastal plains
rising to central interior mountains; narrow
Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m |
| Natural
resources: |
gold, silver, copper, tungsten,
lead, zinc, timber, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 27%
other: 17% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
880 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
destructive earthquakes, volcanoes,
landslides, and occasionally severe hurricanes |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
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 |
| Geography
- note: |
largest country in Central America;
contains the largest freshwater body in Central
America, Lago de Nicaragua |
| Population: |
4,918,393 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 38.98%
(male 976,087; female 941,141)
15-64 years: 58.08% (male 1,418,555;
female 1,438,096)
65 years and over: 2.94% (male
62,963; female 81,551) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.15% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
27.64 births/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
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: 0.77
male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
33.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2001
est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 69.05
years
male: 67.1 years
female: 71.11 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.18 children born/woman (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.2% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
4,900 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
360 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white)
69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant |
| Languages: |
Spanish (official)
note: English and indigenous
languages on Atlantic coast |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 65.7%
male: 64.6%
female: 66.6% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua
local long form: Republica de
Nicaragua
local short form: Nicaragua |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
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* |
| Independence: |
15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 15 September
(1821) |
| Constitution: |
9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995
and 2000 |
| Legal
system: |
civil law system; Supreme Court may
review administrative acts |
| Suffrage: |
16 years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (since 10 January
1997); Vice President Leopoldo NAVARRO (since 24
October 2000); note - the president is both chief
of state and head of government
head of government: President
Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (since 10 January 1997);
Vice President Leopoldo NAVARRO (since 24 October
2000); 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 4 November 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% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or
Asamblea Nacional (93 seats; members are elected
by proportional representation to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 20 October 1996
(next to be held 4 November 2001)
election results: percent of vote by
party - Liberal Alliance (ruling party - includes
PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN 36.55%,
PCCN 3.73%, PCN 2.12%, MRS 1.33%; seats by party
- Liberal Alliance 42, FSLN 36, PCCN 4, PCN 3,
PRONAL 2, MRS 1, PRN 1, PC 1, PLI 1, AU 1, UNO-96
Alliance 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16
judges elected for seven-year terms by the
National Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
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 |
| International
organization participation: |
BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Alfonso ORTEGA Urbina
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 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Oliver P. GARZA
embassy: Apartado Postal 327,
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 |
| 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; 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
- overview: |
Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's
poorest countries, faces low per capita income,
flagging socio-economic indicators, and huge
external debt. While the country has made
progress toward macro-economic stabilization over
the past few years, a banking crisis and scandal
has shaken the economy. Managua will continue to
be dependent on international aid and debt relief
under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
initiative. Donors have made aid conditional on
improving governability, the openness of
government financial operation, poverty
alleviation, and human rights. Nicaragua met the
conditions for additional debt service relief in
December 2000. Growth should remain moderate to
high in 2001. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $13.1
billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP -
real growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP -
per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $2,700
(2000 est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 22.8%
services: 45.6% (1999) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
50% (2000 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 39.8% (1993) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
11% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.7 million (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 43%, agriculture 42%,
industry 15% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
20% plus considerable
underemployment (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $734 million
expenditures: $836 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
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| Industries: |
food processing, chemicals,
machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing,
petroleum refining and distribution, beverages,
footwear, wood |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4.4% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
2.349 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 67.26%
hydro: 17.71%
nuclear: 0%
other: 15.03% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
2.265 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
20 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
100 million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton,
rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef,
veal, pork, poultry, dairy products |
| Exports: |
$631 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
coffee, shrimp and lobster, cotton,
tobacco, beef, sugar, bananas; gold |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 37.7%, El Salvador 12.5%, Germany
9.8%, Costa Rica 5.1%, Spain 2.5%, France 2.1%
(1999) |
| Imports: |
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment, raw
materials, petroleum products, consumer goods |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 34.5%, Costa Rica 11.4%,
Guatemala 7.3%, Panama 6.9%, Venezuela 5.9%, El
Salvador 5.5% (1999) |
| Debt -
external: |
$6.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
NA |
| Currency: |
gold cordoba (NIO) |
| Exchange
rates: |
gold cordobas per US dollar - 12.96
(November 2000), 12.69 (2000 est.), 11.81 (1999),
10.58 (1998), 9.45 (1997), 8.44 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
140,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
7,911 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.24 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
3 (plus seven low-power repeaters)
(1997) |
| Televisions: |
320,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ni |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
20,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 6 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge
(2001) |
| Highways: |
total: 16,382 km
paved: 1,818 km
unpaved: 14,564 km (1998) |
| Waterways: |
2,220 km (including 2 large lakes) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 56 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff,
Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan
del Sur |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
182 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 171
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 145 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
1,269,322 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
779,267 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 58,232 (2001
est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$26 million (FY98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.2% (FY98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
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 is before the ICJ; legal dispute over
navigational rights of San Juan River on border
with Costa Rica |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment point for cocaine
destined for the US and transshipment point for
arms-for-drugs dealing |
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