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NAVIGATION
Republic of Nicaragua
Republica de Nicaragua
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Managua |
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Administrative divisions:
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15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur* |
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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
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Constitution:
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9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000 |
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Legal system:
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civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts |
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Suffrage:
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16 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.5% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 33%
industry: 23% services: 44% (2000) (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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50% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 49% (1998) (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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60 (1998) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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7.4% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.7 million (1999) (1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 43%, agriculture 42%, industry 15% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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23% plus considerable underemployment (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $726 million
expenditures: $908 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.4% (2000 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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2.233 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 82%
hydro: 9% other: 9% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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2.176 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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100 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products |
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Exports:
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$609.5 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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coffee, shrimp and lobster, cotton, tobacco, beef, sugar, bananas; gold |
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Exports - partners:
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US 57.7%, Germany 5.3%, Canada 4.2%, Costa Rica 3.3%, Honduras 3% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products, consumer goods |
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Imports - partners:
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US 23.9%, Costa Rica 11.4%, Venezuela 9.9%, Guatemala 7.9%, Mexico 5.9% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$6.1 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA |
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Currency:
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gold cordoba (NIO) |
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Currency code:
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NIO |
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Exchange rates:
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gold cordobas per US dollar - 13.88 (January 2002), 13.37 (2001), 12.69 (2000), 11.81 (1999), 10.58 (1998), 9.45 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |