equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white,
and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band;
the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words
REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom;
similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem
encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA
CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of
Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern
centered in the white band

Nicaragua Economy

Economy - overview: Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest
countries, faces low per capita income, flagging socio-economic
indicators, and huge external debt. While the country has made
progress toward macro-economic stabilization over the past few
years, a banking crisis and scandal has shaken the economy. Managua
will continue to be dependent on international aid and debt relief
under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Donors
have made aid conditional on improving governability, the openness
of government financial operation, poverty alleviation, and human
rights. Nicaragua met the conditions for additional debt service
relief in December 2000. Growth should remain moderate to high in
2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $13.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 31.6%

industry: 22.8%

services: 45.6% (1999)

Population below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%:
1.6%

highest 10%: 39.8% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1.7 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: services 43%, agriculture 42%, industry
15% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% plus considerable underemployment (1999 est.)

Budget: revenues: $734 million

expenditures: $836 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999 est.)

Industries: food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal
products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution,
beverages, footwear, wood

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 2.349 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 67.26%

hydro: 17.71%

nuclear: 0%

other: 15.03% (1999)

Electricity - consumption