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
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, 1996, and again in 2001
saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its
economy during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in
1998.
destructive
earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to
hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
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
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: 0.78 male(s)/female total
population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
32.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total
population: 69.37 years female: 71.44 years (2002
est.) male: 67.39 years
Total fertility rate:
3.09 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2000/01 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,800
(2000/01 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: 68.2% (1999) male: 67.1%
female: 70.5% (2000 est.)
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua local short
form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de
Nicaragua
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Managua
Administrative divisions:
15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 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 Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10
January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January
2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS
Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon
(since 10 January 2002); 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 4 November 2001 (next to be held by
November 2006) election results: Enrique BOLANOS Geyer
(PLC) elected president - 56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN)
42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PC) 1.4%; Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice
president
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (93 seats;
members are elected by proportional representation to serve
five-year terms) elections: last held 4 November 2001
(next to be held by November 2006) 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 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-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
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos J. ULVERT
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
Orleans, New York FAX: [1] (202) 939-6542
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570 chancery: 1627
New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Calandra MOORE
embassy: Apartado Postal 327, Kilometer 4.5 Carretera
Sur, Managua mailing address: APO AA 34021
telephone: [505] 268-0123 FAX: [505] 266-9943
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
Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low
per capita income, flagging socio-economic indicators, and huge
external debt. Distribution of income is extremely unequal. While
the country has made progress toward macroeconomic 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
move up in 2002 because of increased private investment and recovery
in the global economy.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2001 est.)
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)
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; 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
870/03 - NICARAGUA
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