Nicaragua

Republic of Nicaragua República de Nicaragua
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: En Dios Confiamos  (Spanish) "In God We Trust" [1]
Anthem: Hail to Thee, Nicaragua
Capital and largest city	Managua 12°9′N 86°16′W / 12.150°N 86.267°W / 12.150; -86.267
Official languages	Spanish
Recognised regional languages	English Miskito Rama Sumo Miskito Coastal Creole Garifuna Rama Cay Creole
Ethnic groups (2011[2])	69% Mestizo 17% White 9% Black 5% Indigenous
Demonym(s)	Nicaraguan Nica (informal) Pinolero (informal)
Government	Unitary presidential socialist republic[a] under an authoritarian dictatorship[b]
• Co-President	Daniel Ortega
• Co-President	Rosario Murillo
Legislature	National Assembly
Independence from Spain, Mexico and the Federal Republic of Central America
• Declared	15 September 1821
• Recognized	25 July 1850
• from the First Mexican Empire	1 July 1823
• from the Federal Republic of Central America	31 May 1838
• Revolution	19 July 1979
• Current constitution	9 January 1987
Area
• Total	130,375 km2 (50,338 sq mi) (97th)
• Water (%)	7.14
Population
• 2023 estimate	7,046,310 hab (85th)
• Density	51/km2 (132.1/sq mi) (155th)
GDP (PPP)	2012 estimate
• Total	$26.666 billion[9]
• Per capita	$4,458[9]
GDP (nominal)	2012 estimate
• Total	$10.506 billion[9]
• Per capita	$1,756[9]
Gini (2007)	40.1 medium
HDI (2012)	0.599[10] medium · 129th
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

Nicaragua is a country in Central America. It is officially called the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua). It has a size of 129,494 square kilometres. It is the largest country in Central America. It borders Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The capital of the country is Managua. Managua is the third-largest city in Central America. It is also the biggest city of Nicaragua. Almost a quarter of the population lives in the capital city.

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.^[11] 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.^[12]

The biological diversity, warm tropical climate, and active volcanoes make Nicaragua an increasingly popular tourist destination.^[13][14]

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.^[15]

1. ↑ As shown on the Córdoba (bank notes and coins); see, for example, Banco Central de Nicaragua.
2. ↑ "Nicaragua Demographics Profile 2011". Nicaragua. Index Mundi. 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
3. ↑ Lira, Elvira Cuadra (2024-12-04). "Arquitecturas autocráticas: del Estado policial al Estado totalitario en Nicaragua". Diálogo Político (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-20.
4. ↑ swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (2025-01-14). "Parlamento de Nicaragua comienza a reformar la Constitución que da un poder total a Ortega". SWI swissinfo.ch (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-21.
5. ↑ Lira, Elvira Cuadra (2024-12-04). "Arquitecturas autocráticas: del Estado policial al Estado totalitario en Nicaragua". Diálogo Político (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-20.
6. ↑ Awadalla, Cristina (March 23, 2023). "Authoritarian Populism and Patriarchal Logics: Nicaragua's Engendered Politics". Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society. 30 (2). Oxford University Press (OUP): 701–723. doi:10.1093/sp/jxad006. ISSN 1072-4745.
7. ↑ Córdoba, José de (October 25, 2022). "U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nicaragua's Authoritarian Regime". WSJ. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
8. ↑ "Nicaragua: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} "Nicaragua". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
10. ↑ United Nations Development Programme (2013). "Table 1: Human Development index and its components" (PDF). Human Development Report 2013 The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World. New York: United Nations. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
11. ↑ "Nicaragua, Eternal Land of Poets". Elcomercio.pe. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
12. ↑ "Culture Of Nicaragua - centralamerica.com". centralamerica. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
13. ↑ Dicum, G (2006-12-17). "The Rediscovery of Nicaragua". Travel Section. New York: TraveThe New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
14. ↑ Davis, LS (2009-04-22). "Nicaragua: The next Costa Rica?". Mother Nature Network. MNN Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
15. ↑ Nicaragua's Ortega expands power as reforms win final approval