Railroads:
4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km
electrified; over 99% government owned
Highways:
92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways:
1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines:
natural gas 1,000 km; petroleum products 160 km; condensate (liquified
petroleum gas - LPG) 150 km
Ports:
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine:
18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 182,206 GRT/246,446 DWT; includes 2
cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 4 oil tanker, 1 liquefied gas,
5 bulk
Airports:
total:
120
usable:
120
with permanent-surface runways:
33
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
42
Telecommunications:
excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; submarine cables extend to
Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
*New Zealand, Defense Forces
Branches:
New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 878,028; fit for military service 741,104; reach military
age (20) annually 29,319 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY90/91)
*Nicaragua, Geography
Location:
Central America, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Area:
total area:
129,494 km2
land area:
120,254 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries:
total 1,231 km, Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline:
910 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain)
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
200 nm
International disputes:
territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y
Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; International Court of Justice (ICJ)
referred the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca to an
earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite
resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be
required
Climate:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains;
narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land:
9%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
43%
forest and woodland:
35%
other:
12%
Irrigated land:
850 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional
severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
*Nicaragua, People
Population:
3,987,240 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.74% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
35.61 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
54.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
63.5 years
male:
60.7 years
female:
66.41 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.48 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Nicaraguan(s)
adjective:
Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions:
mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Languages:
Spanish (official)
note:
English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
total population:
57%
male:
57%
female:
57%
Labor force:
1.086 million
by occupation:
service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
*Nicaragua, Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form:
Nicaragua
local long form:
Republica de Nicaragua
local short form:
Nicaragua
Digraph:
NU
Type:
republic
Capital:
Managua
Administrative divisions:
17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Boaco, Carazo,
Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua,
Masaya, Matagalpa, North Atlantic Coast Autonomous Zone (RAAN), Nueva
Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, South Atlantic Coast Autonomous Zone (RAAS)
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution:
January 1987
Legal system:
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling coalition:
National Opposition Union (UNO) is a 10-party alliance - moderate parties:
National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS Lacayo, president;
Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA, Arnold
ALEMAN; Christian Democratic Union (UDC), Luis Humberto GUZMAN, Agustin
JARQUIN, Azucena FERREY, Roger MIRANDA, Francisco MAYORGA; National
Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ; National Action Party (PAN),
Duilio BALTODANO; NOU - hardline parties: Independent Liberal Party (PLI),
Wilfredo NAVARRO,Virgilio GODOY Reyes; Social Democratic Party (PSD),
Guillermo POTOY, Alfredo CESAR Aguirre, secretary general; Conservative
Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO; Communist Party of Nicaragua
(PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO Perez; Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Adolfo GARCIA
Esquivel
opposition parties:
Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA; Central American
Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS; Democratic Conservative Party of
Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES; Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN),
Eduardo CORONADO; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER;
Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ; Revolutionary Workers' Party
(PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA; Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando
AGUERRO; Popular Action Movement - Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ
*Nicaragua, Government