Nicaragua

Location

• Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
• largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Managua	973,087	Capital
León	144,538
Masaya	130,113
Chinandega	126,387
Matagalpa	109,089
Estelí	96,422
Granada	89,409
Mateare	61,234
Jinotega	55,000
El Viejo	53,504

Size

• 49,998 square miles
• 129,494 square kilometers
• slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York State

History

The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony 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. By 1978, violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought a civil-military coalition to power in 1979, spearheaded by Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista Contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, ORTEGA was elected president in 2006, 2011, 2016, and most recently in 2021. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Democratic institutions have lost their independence under the ORTEGA regime as the president has assumed full control over all branches of government, as well as cracking down on a nationwide pro-democracy protest movement in 2018 and shuttering over 3,300 civil society organizations between 2018 and 2024. In the lead-up to the 2021 presidential election, authorities arrested over 40 individuals linked to the opposition, including presidential candidates, private sector leaders, NGO workers, human rights defenders, and journalists. Only five lesser-known presidential candidates from mostly small parties allied to ORTEGA's Sandinistas were allowed to run against ORTEGA. He then awarded the Sandinistas control of all 153 of Nicaraguan municipalities in the 2022 municipal elections, consolidating one-party rule. 

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain

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

Languages

Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.)major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.note: English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast

Religions

Roman Catholic 44.9%, Protestant 38.7% (Evangelical 38.2, Adventist 0.5%), other 1.2%, (includes Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ), believer but not belonging to a church 1%, agnostic or atheist 0.4%, none 13.7%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or assent of at least half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires approval by 60% of the membership of the next elected Assembly and promulgation by the president of the republic
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)head of government: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 6-year term (no term limits)most recent election date: 7 November 2021election results: 2021: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a fourth consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 75.9%, Walter ESPINOZA (PLC) 14.3%, Guillermo OSORNO (CCN) 3.3%, Marcelo MONTIEL (ALN) 3.1%, other 3.4%2016: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a third consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7%expected date of next election: 1 November 2026note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered termssubordinate courts: Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 91 (all directly elected)electoral system: proportional representationscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 11/7/2021parties elected and seats per party: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) (75); Liberal and Constitutionalist Party (PLC) (9); Other (6)percentage of women in chamber: 54.9%expected date of next election: November 2026

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• low-income Central American economy; until 2018, nearly 20 years of sustained GDP growth; recent struggles due to COVID-19, political instability, and hurricanes; significant remittances; increasing poverty and food scarcity since 2005; sanctions limit investment
• Budget: revenues: $3.856 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $3.382 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
• Industries: food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining
• Agricultural Products: sugarcane, milk, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, beans, chicken (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 42.3% (2022 est.)arable land: 12.5% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 2.5% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 27.4% (2022 est.)forest: 26.7% (2022 est.)other: 31% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: garments, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, plastic products, fabric (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 24%, China 13%, Mexico 9%, Honduras 9%, Guatemala 8% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: garments, gold, insulated wire, coffee, beef (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 51%, Mexico 12%, El Salvador 6%, Canada 6%, Switzerland 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports