Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country of Central America. 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.

border countries: Costa Rica, Honduras

related countries: Spain, United Kingdom

other Central American countries: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama

Official Name:
Republica de Nicaragua
short form: Nicaragua
int'l long form: Republic of Nicaragua

ISO Country Code: ni
Local Time = UTC -6h

Country Calling Code: +505

Capital City: Managua (pop. 1 million)

Other Cities: Granada, León, Jinotega, Matagalpa, Chinandega, Masaya.

Government:
Type: Republic.
Independence: 1821 (from Spain).
Constitution: The 1987 Sandinista-era Constitution was changed in 1995 to provide for a more even distribution of power among the four branches of government and again in 2000 to increase the Supreme Court and the Controller General's Office and to make changes to the electoral laws.

Geography:
Location: Central America
Area: 130 688 sq. km. (50 446 sq. mi.)
Terrain: Extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes.

Climate: Tropical in lowlands; cooler in highlands.

People:
Nationality: Nicaraguan(s)
Population: 5.4 million.
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed European and indigenous) 69%, white 17%, black (Jamaican origin) 9%, indigenous 5%.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, with rapidly growing percentage of Evangelical Protestants.
Languages: Spanish (official), English and indigenous languages on Caribbean coast.
Literacy: 75%

Natural resources: Arable land, livestock, fisheries, gold, timber.
Agriculture products: Coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products.
Industries: Food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood.

Exports partners: USA 35.9%, El Salvador 17.2%, Costa Rica 8.1%, Honduras 7.3%, Mexico 4.6%, Guatemala 4.3% (2003)

Imports partners: USA 24.9%, Venezuela 9.7%, Costa Rica 9%, Mexico 8.4%, Guatemala 7.3%, El Salvador 4.9%, Japan 4.3% (2003)

Currency: Cordoba Oro (NIO)