Nicaragua

Nicaragua (pronounced /ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə/) officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa] ( listen)), is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,000 km², and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of the country, the Caribbean Sea to the east. Falling within the tropics, Nicaragua sits between 11 degrees and 14 degrees north of the Equator, in the Northern Hemisphere. Nicaragua's capital city is Managua, with approximately one-fifth of Nicaraguans living there.

The origin of the name "Nicaragua" is unclear; one theory is that it was coined by Spanish colonists based upon the name of the local chief at that time, Nicarao; another is that it may have meant "surrounded by water" in an indigenous language (this could either be a reference to its two large freshwater lakes, Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua, or to the fact that it is bounded on the east and the west by oceans).

Contents

• 1 History
  • 1.1 Pre-Columbian history
  • 1.2 The Spanish conquest
  • 1.3 From colony to nation
  • 1.4 United States involvement (1909 - 1933)
  • 1.5 The Somoza Dynasty (1936 - 1979)
  • 1.6 Nicaraguan Revolution
  • 1.7 Sandinistas and the Contras
  • 1.8 1990s and the post-Sandinista era
• 2 Politics
• 3 Departments and municipalities
• 4 Geography
  • 4.1 Pacific lowlands
  • 4.2 North-Central Highlands
  • 4.3 Atlantic lowlands
  • 4.4 Wildlife and Biodiversity
• 5 Economy
  • 5.1 Exports
  • 5.2 Components of the economy
  • 5.3 Poverty
  • 5.4 Infrastructure
  • 5.5 Coinage
  • 5.6 Tourism
• 6 Demographics
  • 6.1 Population
  • 6.2 Ethnic groups
  • 6.3 Immigration
  • 6.4 Diaspora
• 7 Culture
  • 7.1 Language
  • 7.2 Religion
  • 7.3 Cuisine
  • 7.4 Sports
• 8 Education
• 9 See also
• 10 References
• 11 Bibliography
• 12 External links

Republic of Nicaragua República de Nicaragua
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: En Dios Confiamos (Spanish) "In God We Trust"[1]
Anthem: Salve a ti, Nicaragua (Spanish) Hail to thee, Nicaragua
Capital (and largest city)		Managua 12°9′N 86°16′W / 12.15°N 86.267°W / 12.15; -86.267
Official languages		Spanish1
Recognised regional languages		no one
Ethnic groups		69% Mestizo 17% White (majority being of Spanish, German, Italian, or French ancestry) 9% Black 5% Amerindian
Demonym		Nicaraguan
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Daniel Ortega (FSLN)
-	Vice President	Jaime Morales Carazo
Independence		from Spain
-	Declared	15 September 1821
-	Recognized	25 July 1850
-	Revolution	19 July 1979
Area
-	Total	129,495 km2 (97th) 50,193 sq mi
-	Water (%)	7.14
Population
-	July 2009 estimate	5,891,199 (110th)
-	2005 census	5,148,098
-	Density	42/km2 (133nd) 114/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2009 estimate
-	Total	$15.890 billion[2]
-	Per capita	$2,688[2]
GDP (nominal)		2009 estimate
-	Total	$6.554 billion[2]
-	Per capita	$1,053[2]
Gini (2007)		40.1 (medium)
HDI (2009)		▼ 0.699 (medium) (120th)
Currency		Córdoba (NIO)
Time zone		(UTC-6)
Drives on the		right
Internet TLD		.ni
Calling code		505