Nicaragua

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Image:nu-flag.png
Quick Facts
CapitalManagua
Governmentrepublic
Currencygold cordoba (NIO)
Areatotal: 129,494 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km
Population5,023,818 (July 2002 est.)
LanguageSpanish (official)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
ReligionRoman Catholic 85%, Protestant

Nicaragua is a country in Central America. It has coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea, in the east, and the North Pacific Ocean, in the west, and has Costa Rica to the southeast and Honduras to the northwest.

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua.

Contents

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Regions

Map of Nicaragua
Map of Nicaragua

There are 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento):

And 2 autonomous regions (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista):

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Cities

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Ports and harbors

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Other destinations

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Understand

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Climate

Tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands. Extremely susceptible to hurricanes.

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Terrain

Extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes. Natural hazards : destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides.

Highest point 
Mogoton 2,438 m
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History

The Pacific Coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century.

Independence 
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday 
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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.

Constitution 
9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000

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.

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Get in

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By plane

You will fly into the international airport in Managua, most likely from Houston or Miami, if you come from the US. It costs 7 dollars to enter the country (prices change so make sure you have twenty dollars cash on hand). Tourist visas are three months for US citizens as well as for people from the EU. There will be taxis right outside, these are abnormally expensive, walk out to the road and try to flag down a regular cab. All the hostles are located in the Barrio Marta quezada. The taxi drivers try to rip you off, usually they start with 10 US dollars, but a price around 5 to 6 US/90 to 100 Cordobas is appropriate.

You can also fly into the tiny Granada airstrip from San Jose (Costa Rica).

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By train

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By car

There are two border crossings to Costa Rica, Pena Blanca west of Lago Nicaragua and Los Chiles east of it.

There are three major border crossings to Honduras. Las Manos is on the shortest route to Tegucigalpa, the others ones are on the Panamericana Highway and on north of Leon.

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By bus

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By boat

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Get around

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Distances

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MANAGUA 03838813214845162461399329130226557111300216
BLUEFIELDS 3830322510462402476422243476386444540842461351530
BOACA 8832202201571071811277918191149425517166240235
CHINANDEGA 13251022001611771941772713716118123859124343229
ESTELÍ 1484621571610166103185219141151717849822638368
GRANADA 454021071771660180411841381614824457668318234
JINOTEGA 162476181194103180020223217516532181459240377171
JINOTEPE 464221271771854120201711223717026660365346256
JUIGALPA 139243792712191842322020229141198296599208160297
LEÓN 90476181371411381751222290122143219650187394209
MASAYA 29386911611511616537141122013022955873301219
MATAGALPA 13044414918171148321701981301300428297297343139
OCOTAL 22654042523878244181266296229229149057630445529
PT. CABEZAS 5578425175914985764596035995585584285760625760566
RIVAS 111461166243226682406520873732973046250318244
SAN CARLOS 300351240433833183773461603013013434557603180447
SOMOTO 21653023522968234171256297219219139295664474470


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By bus

Bus is definitely the main mode of travel in Nicaragua. If you're a younger American, Nicaragua may give you flashbacks to your elementary school days. Most of the buses are old decomissioned yellow US school buses. Expect these buses to be packed full. You'd better be quick or you may be standing most of the trip.

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By Plane

At the international airport there are two offices right to the right of the main terminal, these offices house the domestic airlines. These are great if you want to get to the atlantic coast. I will not give prices as they change but it take 1.5 hours to get to the corn islands as opposed to 2 days by overland route. If you are trying to save time than this is the best way to get to the corn islands or anywhere on the atlantic coast.

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By boat

Boat is the only way to get to the island of Ometepe or to the Solentinames. Be aware that high winds or other bad weather can cancel ferry trips leaving you stranded. That might not be such a bad thing, though.

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By taxi

The taxi drivers in Managua are agrresive and there are loads so it is easy to find a fare that suits you. You can also split the cost of taxi to get to destinations that are close to Managua by like Masaya, if you should prefer to travel with modicum of comfort. Taxi's in all the cities are generally fair and well mannered and a nice way to see local scenery

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By taxi

The taxi drivers in Managua are agrresive and there are loads so it is easy to find a fare that suits you. You can also split the cost of taxi to get to destinations that are close to Managua by like Masaya, if you should prefer to travel with modicum of comfort. Taxi's in all the cities are generally fair and well mannered and a nice way to see local scenery

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Hitchhiking

Easy and Comfortable. Finding a bus to the right suburb in managua is tricky.

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Talk

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

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Eat

Food is very cheap if you dont mind that everything is fried in the worst kind of cooking oil. Very easy to be vegetarian as the most common dish is gallo pinto, which is just beans and rice. If you like meat try the Naca Tamale which is a pork tamale. A big meal should cost under 3 dollars US

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Drink

The local brand of Rum is Flor de Caña. One local beer is Victoria, anotherone "Toña". It's pretty cheap to drink in Nicaragua if you're drinking the local poison.

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Sleep

Look for pensiones or huespedes or hospedajes as these are the cheapest sleeps costing under 5 dollars US. They are usually family owned and youll be hanging out with mostly locals. Make sure you know what they lock their if you are going to party. Hotels have more amenities but are more expensive. There are some backpacker hostels in Granada, San Jaun del Sur, Ometepe,Masaya, Managua, and in Leon otherwise it's pensiones all the way

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Learn

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Work

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Stay safe

Homosexuality is illegal and is punished by up to three years in jail.

The majority of NIcaraguan cities are quite safe to walk in at night (not Managau) but as with anywhere it is better to stay in groups or take taxis from one destination to another. Crime is not as big a problem in Nicaragua as in other central american countries. It is dangerous in Granada by the water front at night so be careful at the bars Managua always has an element of danger so be really careful walking around

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Stay healthy

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Respect

Nicaraguans are among the nicest people on earth. They are quick to give advice and help the needy traveller. They are unfortuneatly overwhelmingly macho and if you are a woman than you will hear constant catcalls, the best policy is to ignore them.

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Contact

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External links

de:Nicaragua fr:Nicaragua ja:ニカラグア WikiPedia:Nicaragua

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Geography

Geographic coordinates 
13 00 N, 85 00 W
Area 
total: 129,494 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km
Area - comparative 
slightly smaller than the state of New York
Coastline 
910 km
Maritime claims 
continental shelf: natural prolongation
territorial sea: 200 NM
Natural resources 
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use 
arable land: 20.24%
permanent crops: 2.38%
other: 77.38% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land 
880 sq km (1998 est.)
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
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People

Population 
5,023,818 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure 
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 980,621; female 945,386)
15-64 years: 58.7% (male 1,464,468; female 1,483,082)
65 years and over: 3% (male 65,610; female 84,651) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 
2.09% (2002 est.)
Birth rate 
26.98 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate 
4.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate 
-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio 
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
Literacy 
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68.2% (1999)
male: 67.1%
female: 70.5% (2000 est.)
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Government

Country name 
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua
local short form: Nicaragua
local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
Government type 
republic
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
International organization participation 
BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US 
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
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Economy

Economy - overview 
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.)
GDP - real growth rate 
2.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita 
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector 
agriculture: 33%
industry: 23%
services: 44% (2000) (2000)
Population below poverty line 
50% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share 
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 49% (1998) (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index 
60 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 
7.4% (2001 est.)
Labor force 
1.7 million (1999) (1999)
Labor force - by occupation 
services 43%, agriculture 42%, industry 15% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate 
23% plus considerable underemployment (2001 est.)
Budget 
revenues: $726 million
expenditures: $908 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries 
food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood
Industrial production growth rate 
4.4% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production 
2.233 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source 
fossil fuel: 82%
hydro: 9%
other: 9% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption 
2.176 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 
1 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 
100 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products 
coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products
Exports 
$609.5 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities 
coffee, shrimp and lobster, cotton, tobacco, beef, sugar, bananas; gold
Exports - partners 
US 57.7%, Germany 5.3%, Canada 4.2%, Costa Rica 3.3%, Honduras 3% (2000)
Imports 
$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities 
machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products, consumer goods
Imports - partners 
US 23.9%, Costa Rica 11.4%, Venezuela 9.9%, Guatemala 7.9%, Mexico 5.9% (2000)
Debt - external 
$6.1 billion (2001 est.)
Currency 
gold cordoba (NIO)
Currency code 
NIO
Exchange rates 
gold cordobas per US dollar - 13.88 (January 2002), 13.37 (2001), 12.69 (2000), 11.81 (1999), 10.58 (1998), 9.45 (1997)
Fiscal year 
calendar year
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Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 
140,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 
7,911 (1997)
Telephone system 
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)
Radio broadcast stations 
AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 
1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations 
3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions 
320,000 (1997)
Internet country code 
.ni
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 
3 (2000)
Internet users 
20,000 (2000)
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Transportation

Railways 
total: 6 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge
note: carries mostly passengers from Chichigalpa to Ingenio San Antonio (2001)
Highways 
total: 16,382 km
paved: 1,818 km
unpaved: 14,564 km (1998)
Waterways 
2,220 km (including 2 large lakes)
Pipelines 
crude oil 56 km
Merchant marine 
none (2002 est.)
Airports 
182 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways 
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways 
total: 165
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 141 (2002)
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Military

Military branches 
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower - military age 
18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability 
males age 15-49: 1,308,430 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service 
males age 15-49: 802,779 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually 
males: 58,232 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure 
$26 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 
1.2% (FY98)
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Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 
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
Retrieved from "http://www.world-travel-guide.net/Travel/Nicaragua"
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