ing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum
refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
Agriculture:
accounts for 15% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops - coffee, bananas,
sugarcane, cotton; food crops - rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans;
variety of animal products - beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; normally
self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
minor transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US

*Nicaragua, Economy

Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,381 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion
Currency:
1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
cordobas (C$) per US$1 - 6 (10 January 1993), 25,000,000 (March 1992),
21,354,000 (1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987); note - new gold
cordoba issued in 1992
Fiscal year:
calendar year

*Nicaragua, Communications

Railroads:
373 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge, government owned; majority of system not
operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect
with mainline)
Highways:
25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km
earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km
Inland waterways:
2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
Pipelines:
crude oil 56 km
Ports:
Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
Merchant marine:
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT
Airports:
total:
226
usable:
151
with permanent-surface runways:
11
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
12
Telecommunications:
low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into
Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; broadcast stations -
45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

*Nicaragua, Defense Forces

Branches:
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 911,397; fit for military service 561,448; reach military
age (18) annually 44,226 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 2.7% of GDP (1992 budget)

*Niger, Geography

Location:
Western Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones