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.)