Republica de Nicaragua
local short form: Nicaragua

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Managua
geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)

Administrative divisions:

15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2
autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region
autonoma); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo,
Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz,
Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

9 January 1987; reforms in 1995, 2000, and 2005

Legal system:

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January
2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10
January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January
2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term so
long as it is not consecutive); election last held 5 November 2006
(next to be held by November 2011)
election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra elected president - 38.07%,
Eduardo MONTEALEGRE 29%, Jose RIZO 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN 6.44%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 90
members are elected by proportional representation and party lists
to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat
for the runner-up in previous presidential election)
elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November
2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate
Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election),
MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (16 judges elected for
five-year terms by the National Assembly)

Politi