f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: coffee, seafood, meat, sugar, gold, bananas
partners: US, Central America, Germany, Canada

Imports:
total value: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, petroleum
products
partners: Central America, US, Venezuela, Japan

Debt-external: $6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 gold cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: gold cordobas (C$) per US$1-9.76 (October 1997), 8.44
(1996), 7.55 (1995), 6.72 (1994), 5.62 (1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 66,810 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system
being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
domestic: wire and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations-1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 45, FM 0, shortwave 3

Radios: 1.037 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 7 (1994 est.)

Televisions: 260,000 (1992 est.)

@Nicaragua:Transportation

Railways:
total: 0 km
narrow gauge: 0 km 1.067-m gauge; note-part of the previous 376 km
system was closed and dismantled in 1993 and, in 1994, the remainder
was closed, the track and rolling stock being sold for scrap

Highways:
total: 18,000 km
paved: 1,818 km
unpaved: 16,182 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes

Pipelines: crude oil 56 km

Ports and harbors: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas,
Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan del Sur

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 185 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways:
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)

Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 172
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 144 (1997 est.)

@Nicaragua:Military

Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,067,336 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 656,672 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 51,576 (1998 est.)

Military expenditures-dollar figure: $27.48 million (1996)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.35% (1996)

@Nicaragua:Transnational Issues

Disputes-international: territorial disputes with Colo