Nicaragua

Full name of country: Republic of Nicaragua

Region: Central America and Caribbean

Official language: Spanish

Population: 6,676,948 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Nicaraguan(s) (noun), Nicaraguan (adjective)

Land area: 119,990 sq km (46,328 sq miles)

Water area: 10,380 sq km (4,008 sq miles)

Capital: Managua

National anthem: "Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua), by Salomon Ibarra Mayorga/Traditional, Arranged By Luis Abraham Delgadillo

National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)

Population growth: 0.95% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –6

Flag: Nicaragua's flag features the blue, white, blue pattern common to all Central American flags, recalling their former union. In particular, the Nicaraguan flag features three horizontal stripes in a blue, white, blue pattern with the center white stripe emblazoned with Nicaragua's coat of arms. White represents purity while the blue represents the oceans on each side of the country.

Motto: "En Dios Confiamos" (In God We Trust)

Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)

Government type: republic

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

The Republic of Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Bordered by Honduras and Costa Rica, it has coastline along both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Nicaragua was once part of the Spanish empire, giving the country its dominant ethnic and cultural make up.

A history of intervention by the United States came to a head in the 1980s, when the Iran-Contra scandal broke. High level officials of US President Ronald Reagan's administration were found guilty of selling arms to Iran and secretly funneling the money to counter-revolutionary guerillas who opposed the Sandinistas, the leftist group that won control of Nicaragua in 1979. In 1986, the International World Court ruled that the United States should pay Nicaragua $17 billion in damages, a ruling with which the United States refused to comply.

Political infighting, war, and natural disasters have taken their toll on Nicaragua, and the country struggles with widespread poverty.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Nicaragua's population is relatively young, with a median age of 29 in 2024. Life expectancy at birth was estimated at 73.2 years for males and 76.4 years for females in 2024. The country ranked 130 th out of 193 countries on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index, which measures quality-of-life indicators.

Most of Nicaragua's population is concentrated along the Pacific coast. During the second half of the twentieth century, the country's urban population began growing rapidly. By 2023, roughly 59.8 percent of the total population lived in urban areas. The largest city is Managua, the capital, with a population of 1.095 million in 2023. Leon and Granada are other important urban centers, but both are considerably smaller than the capital.

People of mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry, known as Mestizos, comprise about 69 percent of Nicaragua's population. Other significant ethnic groups include White (17 percent), Black (9 percent), and Indigenous (5 percent). Mestizo and White people tend to be concentrated along the Pacific coast and in the central highlands, whereas other ethnic groups are concentrated in the Caribbean lowlands. The ancestors of many of those of African descent arrived in Nicaragua after escaping enslavement in the West Indies.

Nearly all Nicaraguans speak the official language of Spanish, but it is typically a second language for those who live in the Caribbean lowlands. English dominates among the African population, and Miskito is the most widely spoken Indigenous language.

About half of Nicaraguans adhere to Roman Catholicism, the religion that predominates among the Mestizo and White population. Protestant Christianity is more common among those who live along the Caribbean coast, reflecting Britain's historical influence on that area. About 38.2 percent of the population follow various Evangelical denominations, while other religions account for 2.6 percent. An estimated 13.7 percent do not specify a religion and 0.2 percent profess no religious belief (2020 estimates).

Indigenous People: Before the sixteenth century, Nicaragua was populated by various Indigenous peoples. Diseases brought by the Spanish seriously reduced the Indigenous population throughout Central America. Survivors were often enslaved, further damaging the social structures that existed before European arrival in the Americas. However, the Miskito people were never fully conquered by the Spanish, and today they are the largest Indigenous group in the country. Others include the Sumu and the Rama.

Indigenous peoples long faced heavy discrimination by the Mestizo majority, and at times tensions have erupted into violent conflict. After heavy fighting during the early 1980s, the Sandinista government attempted to foster better relations by giving the Caribbean minorities more autonomy in a landmark 1987 peace agreement. However, in the twenty-first century disputes over land rights increased and violence continued to occasionally flare up between Miskitos and Mestizos.

Education: Nicaragua has one of the lowest levels of education in Central America. Following the 1979 revolution, education became a top priority for the Sandinista government. A national literacy campaign was launched and money was poured into the educational system as a means to bridge the gaps between urban and rural areas and between rich and poor. However, as the country descended into civil war fewer resources were available for education, and schools were frequently attacked by counter-revolutionaries. Except for the greater number of schools in rural areas, the initial gains made under the Sandinistas largely evaporated in the following decades.

Conditions improved somewhat in the twenty-first century, but many challenges remained. The education system struggled to cope with the growing number of school-age children, and widespread poverty contributed to highly uneven educational outcomes. Primary education comprises six grades. Education from preprimary through secondary school is free and obligatory. Many students, however, do not attend school or do not complete the primary grades. The literacy rate for those over age fifteen was estimated at 82.6 percent in 2015.

Reforms at the university and college level also occurred during the Sandinista period. Emphasis was placed on agriculture, education, and medicine, and lower-income students were able to attend. Nicaragua has several technical and private universities in addition to the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, which has campuses in Managua and Leon, and the Central American University, located in Managua.

Health Care: The Sandinistas also made health care a priority, and were successful in improving the quality and availability of care. Programs for health education, vaccinations, and community participation were enacted, and new hospitals and clinics were built. These achievements were set back by the civil war, which limited government funding for health care in favor of defense and caused many injuries among the populace. The counter-revolutionary guerillas, moreover, often made hospitals and clinics their targets.

For much of the population, the underfunded, ill-equipped, and understaffed national health care system is inadequate. Common illnesses, many of which are preventable, include bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid, dengue, and malaria, and Zika virus. Despite substantial improvement in the twenty-first century, the infant mortality rate remains relatively high (14.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to 2024 estimates). Over one-third of the rural population lacks access to improved drinking water sources, according to 2020 estimates. Child malnutrition, adult obesity, and inadequate housing also contribute to the array of health problems. Most doctors and hospitals are found in urban centers, exacerbating these problems in rural areas.

Food: Nicaraguans eat dishes common to many parts of Latin America, including tamales, grilled meats, and enchiladas, but they have also evolved a distinct cuisine of their own. Among the most popular dishes are gallo pinto, a combination of rice, beans, onions, and sometimes meat or eggs; vigoron, a combination of cassava, cabbage, and pork rinds; and baho, which contains ripe and unripe plantains, onions, tomatoes, cassava, and meat.

Fruit juices and coffee with milk are popular drinks, as are chicha and pozol, fermented corn drinks; cebada, a drink made from barley; and tiste, a drink made from corn and cacao. Flor de Caña, a rum produced in Nicaragua, is considered among the finest in the world.

Arts & Entertainment: Poetry is traditionally the most widely esteemed literary form in Nicaragua, and the country has produced several poets who have influenced the course of Latin American literature. Rubén Darío (1867–1916) was primarily a modernist poet but also wrote travel articles, literary criticism and an autobiography; Cantos de Vida y Esperanza (Songs of Life and Hope), published in 1905, is his most acclaimed book.

Other popular art forms in Nicaragua include primitivist painting, associated with the Solentiname Islands in Lake Nicaragua, and folk music. Reggae and related musical forms are commonly played by the Caribbean population.

Basketball, football (soccer), and volleyball are popular in Nicaragua, but baseball is the national sport. The sport is widely played, and the country's professional teams receive ardent support. Numerous Nicaraguan baseball players have found success in Major League Baseball (MLB) as well.

Holidays: The country's major holidays pertain to Catholic traditions. Each town and city has a patron saint whose day is marked by feasts, processions, and street parties. Holidays celebrated on a national scale are the pre-Easter Holy Week and Easter (March or April), Labor Day (May 1), Festival of Santo Domingo (August 1), the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (December 7 and 8), and Christmas (December 25). These events are marked by religious ceremonies, family gatherings, and festivals.

Nicaragua's independence from Spain (1821) is celebrated on September 15.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Nicaragua can be divided into the Pacific lowlands in the west, the Caribbean lowlands in the east, and the central highlands between them. In the south, the highlands taper down into the basin of the San Juan River, and the elevation approaches sea level.

The narrow, flat lowlands along the Pacific are broken by several volcanoes beginning near the Gulf of Fonseca and extending to Lake Managua. Running southeast from the Gulf is a depression in which Central America's two largest lakes formed: Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua.

The long, narrow Caribbean lowlands account for over 50 percent of Nicaragua's total area. They are characterized by coastal plains, bays, lagoons, salt marshes, and ridges descending from the central highlands. Numerous islands dot the coastline.

The central highlands are characterized by mountain peaks and deep valleys. The Cordillera Isabella range crosses the highlands and contains the country's highest peaks, several of which rise to 2,100 meters (6,890 feet).

None of Nicaragua's major rivers empty into the Pacific. The Rio Grande, the Escondido, the Coco and the San Juan Rivers flow into the Caribbean. The Rio Grande and its tributaries form the country's largest river system, but the Escondido is the most traveled.

Lake Nicaragua, the country's largest lake, gives rise to the San Juan River. It covers 8,000 square kilometers (3,100 square miles) and contains many islands and several volcanoes. The Tipitapa River, flowing from Lake Managua, connects the two bodies of water. Lake Managua covers 1,050 square kilometers (405 square miles).

Natural Resources: Land is Nicaragua's most important natural resource. The region's many volcanoes have deposited ash into the soil, creating excellent conditions for agriculture. The country also has large tracts of forest, though these are quickly disappearing as the trees are taken for lumber and the land is cultivated for crops. Forest covered about 25.3 percent of the land according to 2018 estimates.

Nicaragua has significant mineral deposits, including copper, lead, tungsten, and zinc. However, gold, silver, and salt have dominated mining activity in the country.

Approximately half of Nicaragua's energy needs are met by hydroelectric and geothermal plants that tap the country's rivers and volcanoes.

The Caribbean Sea has traditionally provided fertile fishing grounds, contributing to both domestic and foreign consumption. Pollution of some of the country's lakes, however, has ruined the fish habitats.

Deforestation is the most pressing environmental problem in Nicaragua. In addition to the loss of trees and animal habitats, it has led to the erosion of topsoil.

Plants & Animals: Nicaragua is home to a rich array of tropical plants and animals, especially along the Caribbean coast and where protected by governmental decree. There are an estimated 6,500 plant species, many of them flowering, including several types of orchids. Fruit trees, pine, oak, mahogany, cedar and rosewood are a few of the trees found in Nicaragua; although the hardwoods are quickly disappearing.

Among Nicaragua's two hundred or so mammal species are the armadillo, the three-toed sloth, the white-tailed deer, the ocelot, the jaguar, and the puma, as well as several monkey and bat species. Reptiles include venomous snakes, boa constrictors, iguanas, geckos, and sea turtles, which have been hunted for their meat and eggs. Bird species, which number over six hundred, include parrots, hummingbirds, wrens, and hawks.

The more exotic animal species are under the general threat of being captured for sale as pets. It is common for Nicaraguans to have wild animals as pets, and the country has been a major hub for selling them throughout the world. Specific legislation is aimed at protecting the animals from being trapped, kept as pets, and smuggled abroad.

Climate: Elevation rather than season affects the tropical climate of Nicaragua's three zones. The Pacific lowlands are hot, and drier than the Caribbean coast. The average temperature is about 27° Celsius (81° Fahrenheit), and the average rainfall ranges between 1,000 and 1,800 millimeters (40 and 70 inches). The central highlands receive a similar amount of precipitation but are cooler, with average temperatures between 16° and 27° Celsius (60° and 80° Fahrenheit). The rainy season lasts from May to October.

The Caribbean coast is the wettest region in all of Central America and very humid. It is also the region of Nicaragua which is most prone to tropical storms and hurricanes. The rainy season brings more than 2,500 millimeters (100 inches) of precipitation, with higher totals along the southernmost stretch of the coast.

Nicaragua is prone to natural disasters. Volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tropical storms, and the ensuing landslides and floods have caused widespread damage. The earthquake of 1972 destroyed the center of Managua, and Hurricane Joan (1988) and Hurricane Mitch (1998) caused billions of dollars in damage, killed thousands of people, and left thousands more homeless.

Economy

Until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979, Nicaragua's economy was dominated by a small upper class that owned most of the land, received funding from the United States, and used the country's resources to increase its own personal wealth while keeping the lower classes in poverty. The Sandinistas attempted to redress these inequalities, with mixed success.

By the end of the civil war of 1977–89, the economy was in shambles and the infrastructure was damaged; the economic situation deteriorated further when the country was struck by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. However, following this natural disaster, many of Nicaragua's foreign debts were canceled. The nation subsequently enjoyed two decades of steady economic growth, although the benefits were unevenly distributed and poverty remained widespread. Further economic struggles came with increasing political instability in the late 2010s and the global COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in 2020.

Nicaragua's gross domestic product (GDP; purchasing power parity) was an estimated US$51.088 billion in 2023, or $7,300 per capita. Unemployment stood around 4.8 percent in 2023, and underemployment is a massive problem as well. Approximately 24.9 percent of the population lives below the poverty line (2016 estimate).

Industry: Industry accounted for 27.3 percent of the 2023 GDP and employed 18 percent of the labor force in 2011. Nicaragua's industrial products include refined sugar, processed food and beverages, textiles, machinery, wood, metal, and chemicals. Products such as apparel, footwear, and jewelry are assembled in local plants. Mining and petroleum refining are also important industries.

Agriculture: Agriculture accounted for 15.3 percent of the 2023 GDP and employed 31 percent of the population in 2011. Approximately 42.2 percent of the land was under cultivation or used as pasture according to 2018 estimates. Coffee has long been the country's major cash crop but is susceptible to international price fluctuations; it is grown in the upper elevations of the central highlands.

Other crops include sugarcane, bananas, corn, beans, rice, soybeans, sesame, and peanuts. Cattle, which are raised in the lower central highlands, are the most common livestock. Pork, poultry, and crustaceans are other important animal products.

Tourism: After the end of the civil war, the tourist industry in Nicaragua grew steadily for decades, except for an extended slump following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. However, extended political unrest in 2018 caused a marked decline in tourism, and an even sharper drop off came with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Tourists are drawn to Nicaragua for its cultural and political history as well as its scenic beauty and animal life. Historic Granada and Leon both offer colonial architecture, including several important cathedrals. The Volcán Masaya National Park, numerous nature reserves, the extensive coastlines, and the islands in Lake Nicaragua and off the Caribbean coast are among the country's natural attractions.

Government

Nicaragua is a republic. Its 1987 constitution has been amended several times, including in 2014 and 2021. There is universal suffrage for citizens sixteen years of age and older.

The president is chief of state and head of government. The president and vice president are elected by qualified plurality vote to a five-year term. Presidential duties include the nomination of judges and the appointment of cabinet ministers. There are no term limits.

The unicameral legislature, called the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional), is composed of ninety-two members who are elected to five-year terms. In addition to putting law into effect, the National Assembly is responsible for approving the presidential nominations and appointments and for choosing the members of the high court.

The Supreme Court is composed of sixteen judges who are responsible for interpreting the constitution and mediating disputes between the executive and legislative branches. They also appoint judges to the lower courts. Judges serve five-year terms.

Nicaragua is divided into fifteen departments and two autonomous regions. The departments are divided into smaller administrative units which are presided over by popularly elected mayors and councilors; the two autonomous regions have regional councils.

Numerous political parties operate in Nicaragua, but the left-wing Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) has long been most prominent. The Sandinistas were a central force in the 1979 revolution and ensuing civil war. They then participated in free and fair elections through the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. In 2006 Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega was elected to the presidency, and over the following years he steadily consolidated power and cracked down on opposition groups and media freedom. After initial reelection in 2011, Ortega won disputed elections in 2016 and 2021, drawing increasing international criticism for democratic backsliding and authoritarianism as the FSLN solidified its control of all branches of government.

Interesting Facts

• Christopher Columbus sighted the Caribbean coastline of Nicaragua in 1502.
• The only freshwater sharks in the world are found in Lake Nicaragua.
• Various plans to build a canal through Nicaragua to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have been proposed. One project was approved in 2013, but plans stalled after a few years.
• In 2016, Nicaragua was one of the few countries that did not sign the Paris climate agreement, claiming that the accord did not go far enough to ensure goals would be met. It eventually signed on in 2017.

Bibliography

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13th March 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

"Nicaragua." The World Bank 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/nicaragua. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

"Nicaragua." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 29 Dec. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nicaragua/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

"Nicaragua." World Health Organization, www.who.int/countries/nic/en/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.