Nicaragua Facts
Country And Municipalities:
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| Country name | Republic of Nicaragua (Republica de Nicaragua) |
| Capital | Managua |
| Population | 5.2 million |
| Currency | Gold cordoba |
| People | 69% mestizo, 17% European descent, 9% African descent, 5% indigenous peoples |
| Language | Spanish, English (on Atlantic Coast), and indigenous languages |
| Religion | Roman Catholic (84%), Protestant (16%) |
| Area | 129,494 sq km |
| Elevation extremes | Pacific Ocean 0 m to Mogoton 2,438 m (approx 8000 ft) |
| Climate | Tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands |
| Time Zone | GMT/UTC -6 |
| Dialing Code | 505 |
| Electricity | 120V ,60Hz |
| Newspapers | La Prensa, El Nuevo Diario |
| Weights & measures | Metric |
| Government | Republic |
| Head of State | President Daniel Ortega Saavedra |
| GDP | US$1.11 billion |
| GDP per capita | US$2,200 |
| Inflation | 3.7% |
| Major Industries | Coffee, seafood, sugar, meat, bananas, food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear |
| Natural resources | Gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish |
| Major Trading Partners | Canada, Japan, Germany, Venezuela, USA, the rest of Central America |
| Visas | Citizens of the USA do not need visas and are issued a tourist card valid for 90 days on arrival. |
| History | The Pacific Coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. |
| Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| Location | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras |
| Economy | Nicaragua, one of the western hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, massive unemployment, and huge external debt. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. |
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