Nikaragua

Nikaragua

AREA	130,668 sq km (50,451 sq miles); 9240 sq km (3568 sq miles) of lakes.
POPULATION	4,663,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	35.7 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Managua.
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,000,000 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY	Nicaragua borders Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. To the east lies the Caribbean, and to the west the Pacific. In the north are the Isabella Mountains, while the country's main feature in the southwest is Lake Nicaragua, 148km (92 miles) long and about 55km (34 miles) at its widest. The island of Ometepe is the largest of the 310 islands on the lake. These islands have a reputation for great beauty and are one of the country's main tourist attractions. Lake Managua is situated to the northwest. Volcanoes, including the famous Momotombo, protrude from the surrounding lowlands northwest of the lakes. The country's main rivers are the San Juan, the lower reaches of which form the border with Costa Rica, and the Rio Grande. The Corn Islands (Islas del Maiz) in the Caribbean are two small beautiful islands fringed with white coral and palms. They are very popular as holiday resorts with both Nicaraguans and tourists. The majority of Nicaragua's population lives and works in the lowland between the Pacific and western shores of Lake Nicaragua, the southwestern shore of Lake Managua and the southwestern sides of the range of volcanoes. It is only in recent years that settlers have taken to coffee growing and cattle farming in the highlands around Matagalpa and Jinotega.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1987. Gained independence from Spain in 1821. Head of State and Government: President Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo since 1997.
LANGUAGE	Spanish. Along the Mosquito Coast (Costa de Mosquito) there are English-speaking communities in which African or mixed African and indigenous Indians predominate.
RELIGION	85% Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 6.
ELECTRICITY	110 volts AC, 60Hz.

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