NICARAGUA
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline: 910 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago
de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime
boundary in Golfo de Fonseca
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: arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
43%; forest and woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%
Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes,
landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil
erosion; water pollution
PEOPLE
Population: 3,751,884 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 65 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
Ethnic divisions: mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Language: Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking
minorities on Atlantic coast
Literacy: 57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1971)
Labor force: 1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13%
(1986)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
Type: republic
Capital: Managua
Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions encompassing 16
departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Boaco, Carazo,
Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz,
Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas,
Zelaya; note--Zelaya may have been replaced by 2 autonomous regions
(regiones autonomistas, singular--region autonomista) named
North Atlantic Coast and South Atlantic Coast
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: January 1987
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review
administrative acts
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Violeta
Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990);
Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling coalition--National Opposition Union (UNO) is a
14-party alliance--National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO;
National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA;
National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin JARQUIN;
Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO;
Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA;
Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA;
National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS;
Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA;
Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis HUMBERTO;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY;
Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ;
opposition parties--Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN),
Daniel ORTEGA;
Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS;
Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES;
Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo CORONADO;
Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER;
Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ;
Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA;
Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando AGUERRO;
Popular Action Movement--Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ
Suffrage: universal at age 16
Elections:
President--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February
1996);
results--Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra
(FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%;
National Assembly--last held on 25 February 1990
(next to be held February 1996);
results--UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%;
seats--(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
Communists: 15,000-20,000
Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers
(CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan
Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers
(CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan
Workers' Central (CST); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is
an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber
of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development
Institute (INDE)
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO;
Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone
(202) 387-4371 or 4372;
US--Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5
Carretera Sur., Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); telephone
505 (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032
through 34
Flag: 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: Government control of the economy historically has been
extensive, although the Chamorro government has pledged to reduce it.
The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also
regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and
distribution of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial
firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war
have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy
continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee
and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth
successive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44%
of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings.
Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes about
25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989 and remains below
pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a
per capita basis. In 1990 the annual inflation rate was 11,800%, sharply
up from 1,800% in 1989.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990
est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11,800% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 35% (1990)
Budget: revenues $244 million; expenditures $550 million, including
capital expenditures of $73 million (1988)
partners--Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and
Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)
External debt: $9 billion (December 1990)
Industrial production: growth rate - 7% (1989); accounts
for about 25% of GDP
Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced,
360 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles,
clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash
crops--coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops--rice, corn,
cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products--beef, veal,
pork, poultry, dairy; normally self-sufficient in food
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $1,186 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of
system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does
not connect with mainline)
Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km
gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km
unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km
Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
Airports: 251 total, 162 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being
expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000
telephones; stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth
stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 845,961; 521,425 fit for
military service; 44,222 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991)
