Rica 309 km,
Honduras 922 km

Coastline: 910 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: natural prolongation territorial sea:
200 NM

Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior
mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mogoton 2,438 m

Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber,
fish

Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 2% other: 78% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 880 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides;
extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution

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

Geography - note: largest country in Central America; contains the
largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

People Nicaragua

Population: 5,023,818 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.3% (male 980,621; female 945,386) 15-64
years: 58.7% (male 1,464,468; female 1,483,082) 65 years and over: 3%
(male 65,610; female 84,651) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.09% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 26.98 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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:
0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 32.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 71.44 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.09 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2000/01 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,800 (2000/01 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