Nicaragua

Nicaragua

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República de Nicaragua/Republic of Nicaragua Area 127,849 sq km/49,362 sq mi Capital Managua Language Spanish (official), English, American Indian languages Religion Roman Catholic 95% Time difference GMT -6 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 19 July, 14–15 September, 8, 25 December; variable: Good Friday, Holy Thursday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities León, Chinandega, Masaya, Granada, Estelí Major ports Corinto, Puerto Cabezas, El Bluff Physical features narrow Pacific coastal plain separated from broad Atlantic coastal plain by volcanic mountains and lakes Managua and Nicaragua; one of the world's most active earthquake regions Airports one international airport and about 185 other airports and airfields; total passengers carried: 61,000 (2001 est) Railways total length: 287 km/178 mi; freight services reported withdrawn in 1994 Roads total road network: 18,658 km/11,594 mi, of which 11.4% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 39.1 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Daniel Ortega from 2007 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 15 departments and two autonomous regions Political parties Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Marxist–Leninist; Opposition Political Alliance (APO, formerly National Opposition Union: UNO), loose US-backed coalition Death penalty abolished in 1979 Armed forces 14,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary (since 1990) Defence spend (% GDP) 0.7 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 3.1 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 3.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency cordoba GDP (US$) 4.9 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.7 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 5 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 3,650 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 8.6% (2006 est) Unemployment 5.6%; plus underemployment of 46% (2005 est) Labour force 30.5% agriculture, 18% industry, 51.5% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 5 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, El Salvador, Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala Resources gold, silver, copper, lead, antimony, zinc, iron, limestone, gypsum, marble, bentonite Industries food products, beverages, petroleum refining, chemicals, metallic products, processed leather, cement Exports coffee, beef, sugar, shrimps and lobsters, bananas, chemical products. Principal market: USA 64.3% (2005) Imports consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, mineral fuels and lubricants, chemicals, and related products. Principal source: USA 20.4% (2005) Arable land 14.8% (2006 est) Agricultural products coffee, cotton, sugar cane, bananas, maize, rice, beans, green tobacco; livestock rearing (cattle and pigs); fishing; forest resources


POPULATION

Population 5,599,800 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 44 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 58 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 39%, 15–59 56%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups about 70% of mixed American Indian and Spanish origin; about 15% European origin; about 9% African; 5% American Indian; mixed American Indian and black origin Life expectancy 69 (men); 74 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 38 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 6 Literacy rate 77% (men); 77% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 16.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.9 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.2 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <500 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 93 (urban); 65 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 3.8 (2004 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 13.2 (2004 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 277 (1998) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 121 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 3.6 (2004 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 2.2 (2004 est)


CHRONOLOGY

10th century Indians from Mexico and Mesoamerica migrated to Nicaragua's Pacific lowlands. 1522 Visited by Spanish explorer Gil Gonzalez de Avila, who named the area Nicaragua after local Indian chief, Nicarao. 1523–24 Colonized by the Spanish, under Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, who was attracted by local gold deposits and founded the cities of Granada and León. 17th–18th centuries Britain was dominant force on Caribbean side of Nicaragua, while Spain controlled the Pacific lowlands. 1821 Independence achieved from Spain; Nicaragua was initially part of Mexican Empire. 1823 Became part of United Provinces (Federation) of Central America, also embracing Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. 1838 Became fully independent when it seceded from the Federation. 1857–93 Ruled by succession of Conservative Party governments. 1860 The British ceded control over the Caribbean (‘Mosquito’) Coast to Nicaragua. 1893 Liberal Party leader, José Santos Zelaya, deposed the Conservative president and established dictatorship which lasted until overthrown by US marines in 1909. 1912–25 At the Nicaraguan government's request, with the political situation deteriorating, USA established military bases and stationed marines. 1927–33 Re-stationed US marines faced opposition from the anti-American guerrilla group led by Augusto César Sandino, who was assassinated in 1934 on the orders of the commander of the US-trained National Guard, Gen Anastasio Somoza Garcia. 1937 Gen Somoza elected president; start of near-dictatorial rule by the Somoza family, which amassed a huge personal fortune. 1961 Left-wing Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) formed to fight the Somoza regime. 1978 Nicaraguan Revolution: Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, popular publisher and leader of anti-Somoza Democratic Liberation Union (UDEL), assassinated, sparking general strike and mass movement in which moderates joined with FSLN to overthrow Somoza regime. 1979 Somoza government ousted by FSLN after military offensive. 1980 FSLN junta took power in Managua, headed by Daniel Ortega Saavedra; lands held by Somozas nationalized and farming cooperatives established. 1982 Subversive activity against government by US-backed right-wing Contra guerrillas attacking from bases in Honduras; state of emergency declared. 1984 US troops mined Nicaraguan harbours. This was condemned by World Court in 1986 and $17 billion in reparations ordered. FSLN won assembly elections. 1985 US president Ronald Reagan denounced Sandinista government, vowed to ‘remove it’, and imposed US trade embargo. 1987 Central American peace agreement signed by Nicaraguan leaders. 1988 Peace agreement failed. Nicaragua held talks with Contra rebel leaders. Hurricane left 180,000 people homeless. 1989 Demobilization of rebels and release of former Somozan supporters; ceasefire ended but economy in ruins with 60% unemployment. 1990 FSLN defeated by right-of-centre National Opposition Union (UNO), a US-backed coalition; Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, widow of murdered Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, elected president; antigovernment riots. 1992 Around 16,000 people made homeless by earthquake. 1994 Peace accord made with remaining Contra rebels. 1996 Right-wing candidate Arnoldo Aleman won presidential elections. 1998 Daniel Ortega re-elected FSLN leader. Hurricane Mitch killed around 3,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. 2001 Liberal Party leader Enrique Bolaños elected president. 2002–04 Former president Arnoldo Aleman charged with money laundering and embezzlement during his term in office; sentenced to 20 years for corruption; transferred from jail a year later to house arrest. 2004 World Bank wrote off 80% of country's debt to the development institution; Russia later agreed to write off Nicaragua's Soviet-era multi-billion-dollar debt. 2006 Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with USA. Former president Daniel Ortega re-elected.


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