| Land area (sq. km) |
121,400.00 |
WDI |
| Arable land (% of land area) |
15.86 |
WDI |
| Population, total |
5,376,140.00 |
WDI |
| Population growth (annual %) |
2.03 |
WDI |
| Population density (people per sq. km) |
44.29 |
WDI |
| Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) |
76.68 |
WDI/UN/UNICEF |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) |
70.09 |
WDI |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) |
30.80 |
WDI |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population)** |
50.0 (2001 est.) |
WDI/CIA/UNICEF |
| Urban population (% of total) |
58.64 |
WDI |
| Ethnic breakdown |
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5% |
CIA |
| Religious breakdown |
Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census) |
CIA |
| Language |
Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) |
CIA |
| Capital City |
Managua |
CIA |
| Character of government |
Republic; Administrative Division: 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions; Independence day: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
CIA* |
| Current President/Prime Minister |
President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002) |
CIA* |
| Executive branch description |
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 (eligible for a second term) |
CIA* |
| Legislative branch description |
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; members are elected by proportional representation and party lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election) |
CIA* |
| Judicial branch description |
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly) |
CIA |
| Women in national parliament (% of total) |
21.00 |
WDI |
| Foreign aid per capita (current US$) |
229.24 |
WDI |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflow (BoP, current US$ bn) ** |
0.25 |
WDI |
| GDP growth (annual %) |
5.14 |
WDI |
| GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) |
818.74 |
WDI |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) |
8.44 |
WDI |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
0.71 |
WDI/CIA/WRI |
| Military expenditure (% of central government expenditure) |
3.52 |
WDI/WRI/Dept of State/UNICEF |
| Health expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
3.73 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Education expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
3.39 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Main export |
coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts |
CIA |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) |
7.80 (2003) |
WDI/CIA |
| External debt, total (DOD, current US$) |
5,145,200,128.00 |
WDI/CIA |
| Currency |
Gold Cordoba (NIO) |
CIA |
| Local Currency Rate, per US$ |
15.94 |
CIA |
| Internet users (per 1,000 people) |
23.25 |
WDI/Comp Industry Almanac |
| Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) |
137.39 |
WDI |
| Personal computers (per 1,000 people) |
37.20 |
WDI |
| Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people) |
39.90 |
WDI |
