Back Nikaragua ACE Никарагуа ADY Nicaragua Afrikaans Nicaragua ALS ኒካራጓ Amharic Nicaragua AMI Nicaragua AN Nicaragua ANG निकारागुआ ANP نيكاراغوا Arabic

Nicaragua

For other uses, see Nicaragua (disambiguation).

Republic of Nicaragua
República de Nicaragua (Spanish)
Motto: En Dios confiamos (Spanish)
"In God We Trust"[a]
Anthem: Salve a ti, Nicaragua (Spanish)
"Hail to Thee, Nicaragua"
Location of Nicaragua
Capital
and largest city
Managua
12°6′N 86°14′W / 12.100°N 86.233°W / 12.100; -86.233
Official languagesSpanish
Recognised regional languages
Ethnic groups
(2023[2])
Religion
(2015)[3][4]
  • 14.7% no religion
  • 0.9% other
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic under an authoritarian dictatorship[5][6][7]
• President
Daniel Ortega
Rosario Murillo
LegislatureNational Assembly
Independence from Spain, Mexico and the Federal Republic of Central America
• Declared
15 September 1821
• Recognized
25 July 1850
• from the First Mexican Empire
1 July 1823
31 May 1838
• Revolution
19 July 1979
• Current constitution
9 January 1987[8]
Area
• Total
130,375 km2 (50,338 sq mi) (96th)
• Water (%)
7.14
Population
• 2023 estimate
6,359,689[9] (110th)
• Density
51/km2 (132.1/sq mi) (155th)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $56.697 billion[10] (115th)
• Per capita
Increase $8,492[10] (129th)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $17.843 billion[10] (127th)
• Per capita
Increase $2,673[10] (134th)
Gini (2014)46.2[11]
high inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.669[12]
medium (130th)
CurrencyCórdoba (NIO)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
Drives onright
Calling code+505
ISO 3166 codeNI
Internet TLD.ni

Nicaragua,[b] officially the Republic of Nicaragua,[c] is the geographically largest country in Central America, comprising 130,370 km2 (50,340 sq mi). With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024,[13] it is the third-most populous country in Central America after Guatemala and Honduras.

Nicaragua is bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean and shares maritime borders with El Salvador to the west and Colombia to the east. The country's largest city and national capital is Managua, the fourth-largest city in Central America, with a population of 1,055,247 as of 2020. Nicaragua is known as "the breadbasket of Central America" due to having the most fertile soil and arable land in all of Central America.[14][15][16][17][18][19] Nicaragua's multiethnic population includes people of mestizo, indigenous, European, and African heritage. The country's most spoken language is Spanish, though indigenous tribes on the Mosquito Coast speak their own languages and English.

Originally inhabited by various indigenous cultures since ancient times, the region was conquered by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Mosquito Coast followed a different historical path, being colonized by the English in the 17th century and later coming under British rule. It became an autonomous territory of Nicaragua in 1860 and its northernmost part was transferred to Honduras in 1960. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest, dictatorship, occupation and fiscal crisis, including the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and the Contra War[broken anchor] of the 1980s.

The mixture of cultural traditions has generated substantial diversity in folklore, cuisine, music, and literature, including contributions by Nicaraguan poets and writers such as Rubén Darío. Known as the "land of lakes and volcanoes",[20][21] Nicaragua is also home to the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, the second-largest rainforest of the Americas.[22] The biological diversity, warm tropical climate and active volcanoes make Nicaragua an increasingly popular tourist destination.[23][24] Nicaragua co-founded the United Nations[25] and is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement,[26] Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America,[27] and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.[28]

  1. ^ Banco Central de Nicaragua Archived 24 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Nicaragua". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 19 June 2023. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. ^ The Latin American Socio-Religious Studies Program / Programa Latinoamericano de Estudios Sociorreligiosos (PROLADES) Archived 12 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine PROLADES Religion in America by country
  4. ^ "CENSO DE POBLACIÓN 2005" (PDF). 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ Awadalla, Cristina (23 March 2023). "Authoritarian Populism and Patriarchal Logics: Nicaragua's Engendered Politics". Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society. 30 (2). Oxford University Press (OUP): 701–723. doi:10.1093/sp/jxad006. ISSN 1072-4745.
  6. ^ Córdoba, José de (25 October 2022). "U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nicaragua's Authoritarian Regime". WSJ. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Nicaragua: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference cia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Nicaragua". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Nicaragua)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  11. ^ "GINI index (World Bank estimate)". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/2024" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Nicaragua Population 1950-2024".
  14. ^ "Yara expands presence in Central America". 23 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Nicaragua's Great Leap Forward". 8 May 2008.
  16. ^ "The Environment: Saving Nicaragua's Soils".
  17. ^ "The New Face of Global Missions". 15 March 2016.
  18. ^ "The week in focus" (PDF).
  19. ^ "Belts tightening in Nicaragua". Los Angeles Times. 6 May 2008.
  20. ^ Brierley, Jan (15 October 2017). "Sense of wonder: Discover the turbulent past of Central America". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  21. ^ Wallace, Will; Wallace, Camilla (10 April 2010). "Traveller's Guide: Nicaragua". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  22. ^ Peter (16 February 2019). "12 largest rainforests in the world and where to find them". Atlas & Boots. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  23. ^ Dicum, G (17 December 2006). "The Rediscovery of Nicaragua". Travel Section. New York: TraveThe New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
  24. ^ Davis, LS (22 April 2009). "Nicaragua: The next Costa Rica?". Mother Nature Network. MNN Holdings, LLC. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
  25. ^ Kurtas, Susan. "Research Guides: UN Membership: Founding Members". research.un.org. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  26. ^ Vanden, Harry E.; Morales, Waltraud Queiser (1985). "Nicaraguan Relations with the Nonaligned Movement". Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs. 27 (3): 141–161. doi:10.2307/165603. ISSN 0022-1937. JSTOR 165603. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  27. ^ "A Guide to ALBA". Americas Quarterly. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  28. ^ "CELAC | CELAC INTERNATIONAL". 16 February 2018. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.


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