Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua,[e] is a country in Central America. It borders, El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica. To the south is the Pacific Ocean and to the north is Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Managua.
Republic of Nicaragua República de Nicaragua (Spanish) | |
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| 'Motto: | |
| Anthem: | |
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| Capital and largest city | Managua 12°6′N 86°14′W / 12.100°N 86.233°W |
| Official languages | Spanish |
| Ethnic groups (2023[3]) |
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| Religion |
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| Demonym(s) |
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| Government | Unitary diarchic presidential socialist republic[c] under an authoritarian dictatorship[d] |
| Gustavo Porras Cortés | |
| Alba Luz Ramos | |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Independence from Spain, Mexico and the Federal Republic of Central America | |
• From New Spain | 15 September 1821 |
• From the First Mexican Empire | 1 July 1823 |
• From the Federal Republic of Central America | 30 April 1838 |
• Recognized | 25 July 1850 |
| 19 July 1979 | |
| 9 January 1987[11] | |
| Area | |
• Total | 130,375 km2 (50,338 sq mi) (96th) |
• Water (%) | 7.14 |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate |  6,676,948[12] (106th) |
• Density | 51/km2 (132.1/sq mi) (155th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $56.697 billion[13] (115th) |
• Per capita | $8,492[13] (129th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $17.843 billion[13] (127th) |
• Per capita | $2,673[13] (134th) |
| Gini (2014) | 46.2[14] high |
| HDI (2023) | 0.706[15] high · 123rd |
| Currency | Córdoba (NIO) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +505 |
| ISO 3166 code | NI |
| Internet TLD | .ni |
The population of Nicaragua is approximately 6 million. The population is multicultural. The population includes indigenous native tribes from the Miskito Coast, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. The main language is Spanish. Some native tribes on the eastern coast speak their native languages. Some of these languages are Miskito, Sumo, and Rama. Some people speak English Creole. Creole is a curious mix-match of English, Dutch, French, Portuguese and Spanish. It dates back to the days when pirates hid out among the islands and cays that make up the coastline. The mixture of cultures has created diversity in art and literature. Some famous Nicaraguan writers are Rubén Darío, Ernesto Cardenal, and Gioconda Belli.[16] The International Poetry Festival held each February in Granada attracts poets and fans from all over the world. Unlike the majority of Latin American countries, Nicaraguans do not see soccer as their main sport. Baseball is king here, an influence from the years of United States occupation in the early 20th century. Music in Nicaragua is the same as elsewhere in the region. The traditional Latin styles like salsa and meringue rule. The Caribbean side has its own Caribbean Island vibe, as well as the traditional Garifuna Punta style.[17]
The biological diversity, warm tropical climate, and active volcanoes make Nicaragua an increasingly popular tourist destination.[18][19]
On 30 January 2025, following the approval of a constitutional reform, the country became a diarchy with Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo becoming co-presidents.[20]
Nicaragua Media
A red and black flag
National Anthem of Nicaragua by US Navy Band
An ancient petroglyph on Ometepe Island
The Colonial city of León
The colonial city of Granada near Lake Nicaragua, one of the most visited sites in Central America
The Mosquito Coast in 1830
A portrait of the Battle of San Jacinto during the Filibuster War
President Anastasio Somoza García (left) with Dominican President Rafael Trujillo in 1952
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Notes
- ↑ As shown on the Córdoba (bank notes and coins).[1]
- ↑ lit. 'Red and black' in English, short for bandera rojinegra (i.e. 'red and black flag'). Used by Augusto César Sandino and later the Sandinistas, official since 2025.[2]
- ↑ Since 2025, Nicaragua is defined by the constitution as a revolutionary, socialist state based on Christian values, socialist ideals, and solidary practices. This has been attested by multiple sources.[6][7]
- ↑ Nicaragua's government has been described as totalitarian or authoritarian by multiple sources.[6][8][9][10]
- ↑ Spanish: República de Nicaragua
References
- ↑ Billetes y Monedas en Circulación. Banco Central de Nicaragua. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ↑ IZAMOS LA BANDERA ROJINEGRA CON LA QUE EL GENERAL SANDINO DEFENDIÓ NUESTRA AZUL Y BLANCO (2025-02-20)Asamblea Nacional de Nicaragua. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
- ↑ Nicaragua (in en). The World Factbook (19 June 2023)Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ↑ The Latin American Socio-Religious Studies Program / Programa Latinoamericano de Estudios Sociorreligiosos (PROLADES) Archived 12 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine PROLADES Religion in America by country
- ↑ CENSO DE POBLACIÓN 2005 (2015). Retrieved 4 April 2015.[dead link]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lira, Elvira Cuadra. Arquitecturas autocráticas: del Estado policial al Estado totalitario en Nicaragua (in es). Diálogo Político (4 December 2024). Retrieved 20 January 2025.
- ↑ swissinfo.ch, S. W. I.. Parlamento de Nicaragua comienza a reformar la Constitución que da un poder total a Ortega (in es-ES). SWI swissinfo.ch (14 January 2025). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ↑ Awadalla, Cristina. Authoritarian Populism and Patriarchal Logics: Nicaragua's Engendered Politics. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 30 (2) (23 March 2023)Oxford University Press (OUP). p. 701–723. doi:10.1093/sp/jxad006.
- ↑ Córdoba, José de. U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nicaragua's Authoritarian Regime. WSJ (25 October 2022). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ↑ Nicaragua: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report. Freedom House (30 May 2019). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ↑ Nicaragua. CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nicaragua/. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
- ↑ Template:Cite CIA World Factbook
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Nicaragua). IMF.org (10 October 2024)International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ↑ GINI index (World Bank estimate). data.worldbank.orgWorld Bank. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ↑ Human Development Report 2025 (in en) (6 May 2025)United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ Nicaragua, Eternal Land of PoetsElcomercio.pe. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
- ↑ Culture Of Nicaragua - centralamerica.com (in en). centralamerica. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ↑ Dicum, G. The Rediscovery of Nicaragua. Travel Section (2006-12-17). New York: TraveThe New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
- ↑ Davis, LS. Nicaragua: The next Costa Rica?. Mother Nature Network (2009-04-22)MNN Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
- ↑ Nicaragua's Ortega expands power as reforms win final approval