st.)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and
occasionally severe hurricanes

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Nicaragua People

Population: 4,918,393 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.98% (male 976,087; female 941,141)

15-64 years: 58.08% (male 1,418,555; female 1,438,096)

65 years and over: 2.94% (male 62,963; female 81,551) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.15% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 27.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 33.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.05 years

male: 67.1 years

female: 71.11 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,900 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 360 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Nicaraguan(s)

adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%,
black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant

Languages: Spanish (official)

note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 65.7%

male: 64.6%

female: 66.6% (1995 est.)

Nicaragua Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form: Nicaragua

local long form: Republica de Nicaragua

local short form: Nicaragua

Government type: republic

Capital: Managua

Administrative divisions: 15 departments (departamentos, singular -
departamento), 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas,
singular - region autonomista); Boaco,