Nicaragua

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

Civil air

12 major transport aircraft

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

Merchant marine

2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil, 56 km

Ports

Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama

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)

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

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Defense expenditures

$70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 845,961; 521,425 fit for military service; 44,222 reach military age (18) annually

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

Budget

revenues $244 million; expenditures $550 million, including capital expenditures of $73 million (1988)

Currency

cordoba (plural--cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

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

Electricity

415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced, 360 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

cordobas (C$) per US$1--13,300,000 (January 1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987), 97.48 (1986), 38.90 (1985)

Exports

$298 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals; partners--OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, other 10%

External debt

$9 billion (December 1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.)

Imports

$710 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing; partners--Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)

Industrial production

growth rate - 7% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP

Industries

food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11,800% (1990)

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.

Unemployment rate

35% (1990)

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Coastline

910 km Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain); Continental shelf: not specified; Territorial sea: 200 nm

Comparative area

slightly larger than New York State

Disputes

territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de Fonseca

Environment

subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Land boundaries

1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Land use

arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%

Natural resources

gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Terrain

extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Total area

129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2

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

Capital

Managua

Communists

15,000-20,000

Constitution

January 1987

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

Executive branch

president, vice president, Cabinet

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

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts Chief of State and Head of Government--President Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990) 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

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Legislative branch

National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)

Long-form name

Republic of Nicaragua

Member of

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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)

Suffrage

universal at age 16 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

Type

republic

Birth rate

37 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate

7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic divisions

mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%

Infant mortality rate

60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force

1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)

Language

Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast

Life expectancy at birth

60 years male, 65 years female (1991)

Literacy

57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality

noun--Nicaraguan(s); adjective--Nicaraguan

Net migration rate

- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor

35% of labor force

Population

3,751,884 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)

Religion

Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%

Total fertility rate

4.7 children born/woman (1991)