LOCATION:

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

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

POPULATION:

5,465,100

(July 2005 est.)

AGE STRUCTURE:

0-14 years: 37.2%
 (male 1,036,487/female 999,226)
15-64 years: 59.7%
(male 1,623,065/female 1,638,017)
65 years and over: 3.1%
 (male 73,935/female 94,370)

(2005 est.)

MEDIAN AGE:

total: 20.56 years
male: 20.15 years
female: 20.98 years

(2005 est.)

POPULATION GROWTH:

1.92%

(2005 est.)

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:

total: 29.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.44 deaths/1,000 live births

 (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:

0.2 %

HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :

Ages 15-49:

6,200

low estimate:
3,000

high estimate:
10,000

HIV/AIDS-DEATH

low estimate:
less than 500

high estimate:
less than 1,000

ETHNIC GROUPS:

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%,
white 17%,
 black 9%, Amerindian 5%

RELIGIONS:

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

LANGUAGES:

Spanish (official)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

LITERACY:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 
total population: 67.5%

male: 67.2%
female: 67.8%

(2003 est.)

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

republic

CAPITAL:

Managua

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

INDEPENDENCE:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

ECONOMY:

Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, massive unemployment, and huge external debt. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has made progress toward macroeconomic stability over the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs. As a result of successful performance under its International Monetary Fund policy program and other efforts, Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Even after this reduction, however, the government continues to bear a significant foreign and domestic debt burden. If ratified, the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will provide an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and deepen economic development. While President BOLANOS enjoys the support of the international financial bodies, his internal political base is meager.

GDP:

purchasing power parity - $12.34 billion

 (2004 est.)

POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:

50%

(2001 est.)

INFLATION RATE:

9.3%

 (2004 est.)

UNEMPLOYMENT:

7.8% plus underemployment of 46.5%

(2003 est.)

EXCHANGE RATES:

gold cordobas per US dollar -
15.9705 (2004),
14.2513 (2003),
14.2513 (2002),
13.3719 (2001),
12.6844 (2000)

ILLICIT DRUGS:

transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing