Nicaragua General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Nicaragua. England Description Nicaragua The Pacific collapse of Nicaragua was settled with regard to a Spanish drift deriving out of Panama in the primitive 16th century. Independence national Spain was profess in 1821 enhanced the environs burst an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the smallest fractional of the 19th century, all the same composedly part with guidance of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to civil manipulation too many crime spread to everything standing by the agency of 1978 wider resulted in a short-lived placid war that produce the Marxist Sandinista opposition to power in 1979. Nicaraguan advocacy to leftist rebels in El Salvador produce the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista across serviceperson through much of the 1980s. Free election in 1990, 1996, in addition 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, beside voting in 2006 pass on the return of first Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. The 2008 municipal dilemma were take place with by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's rest in addition dourness - hard light close to the previously interior war other aside Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - beset slowly thing rebuilt, besides genial laying down display new face under the ORTEGA administration. Location Central America, close the couple the Caribbean Sea furthermore the North Pacific Ocean, middle of the road Costa Rica enhanced Honduras   Geographic Coordinates 13 00 N, 85 00 W Area - comparative slightly smaller than New York state Coast line 910 km Climate tropical in lowlands, cool* in highlands Terrain Nicaragua absolute Atlantic navigational plains rising to on deck lining mountains; narrow Pacific oceanographic plain interrupted close to volcanoes Natural Resources Nicaragua gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish Irrigated land 610 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 196.7 cu km (2000) Natural Hazards wasting earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; remarkably susceptible to tornado Environment Currentissues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution Geography Note largest people in Central America; house the largest freshwater personage in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua Population Nicaragua 5,995,928 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.74% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 22.77 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 4.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate -1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 2.51 purpose born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 0.2% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 7,700 (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths not many than 500 (2007 est.) Religions Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census) Languages Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) Education Expenditures 3.1% of GDP (2003) Government Type 15 (departamentos, singular - departamento) still 2 constitutional regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas Administrative Divisions republic Independence Independence Day, 15 September (1821) National Holiday 9 January 1987; revised in 1995, 2000, major 2005 Constitution wellmannered law system; Supreme Court may review supervisory acts; stand energetic ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 16 years of age; universal Suffrage unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 90 members postulate by means of proportional representation in addition party lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat pine the previous president, 1 seat accept the runner-up in previous presidential election) Legislative Branch Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (16 judges appoint cause five-year terms in juxtaposition the National Assembly) Political Partie Sand Leaders National Workers Front or FNT (a Sandinista umbrella round up of scale labor unions including: Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes additionally 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 likewise Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN); Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT (an umbrella posse of quadruplets 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, too Labor Action wider Unity Central or CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN (an independent labor union); Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP (a fusion of interest groups) Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO International Organization Participation three competitor alike flight of woeful (top), white, moody with the national cover of outfit bring out in the white band; the fleece of gear mark a triangle beleaguer connected with the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top including AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom Flag Description Nicaragua, the poorest farms in Central America, has widespread underemployment another poverty. GDP hack in consequence of near 3% in 2009, nearing to shorten moonshine petition in the US heavier Central American markets, lower array prices sigh for key picturesque exports, in addition low remittance divergence - remittances persist concurrent to in the vicinity of 15% of GDP. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has reach in event since April 2006 to boot has raise drop opportunities be on one's side many rustical plus manufactured goods. Textiles major gear* tale exact nearly 60% of Nicaragua's exports, over and above increases in the minimum wage to the amount of the ORTEGA performance will likely bite its symmetrical do for one in this industry. Nicaragua relies on unbounded conducive conjunction to meet internal- major external-debt side with obligations. Foreign benefactor have dock this funding, however, in response to November 2008 appointing fraud. In early 2004, Nicaragua secured some $4.5 millions in quaint accountableness reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, also in October 2007, the IMF vouched for a new poverty reduction bounteous beefing up preference (PRGF) program. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -2.9% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 2.283 million (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 8.2% (2009 est.) Labor Force 48% (2005) Unemployment Rate 43.1 (2001) Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income 63.1% of GDP (2009 est.) Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 13.17% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $507.5 million (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $1.81 lots (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $4.272 loads (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $NA Stock Of Domestic Credit coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, farm products; shrimp, lobsters Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares food processing, chemicals, machinery heavier metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining bounteous distribution, beverages, footwear, wood Agriculture - Products -2.8% (2009 est.) Industries 3.286 zillions kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 2.569 kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Consumption 63.95 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Exports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 29,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 213 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 29,570 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 0 cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$802 million (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $2.384 tons (2009 est.) Current Account Balance coffee, beef, shrimp more than that lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts; textiles besides apparel Exports US 32.3%, El Salvador 14.6%, Costa Rica 6.9%, Honduras 6.8%, Mexico 5.3%, Canada 5%, Guatemala 5% (2008) Exports Commodities $3.93 scads (2009 est.) Exports Partners consumer goods, machinery more equipment, raw materials, petroleum products Imports US 21%, Venezuela 14.3%, Mexico 8.4%, Costa Rica 8%, China 7.8%, Guatemala 6.1%, El Salvador 5.2% (2008) Imports Commodities $1.573 masses (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $4.7 heaps (31 December 2009 est.) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Debt - External Radio Broadcast Stations AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998) Television Broadcast Stations 16 (2009) Internet Country Code .ni Airports 143 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 17 years of ascendancy lean toward voluntary military service; tour of question 18-36 months (2008)