Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 268,680 sq km land: 268,021 sq km water: NA note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
15,134 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain:
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 5.54% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 87.54% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,850 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
397 cu km (1995)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.11 cu km/yr (48%/9%/42%) per capita: 524 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world
PeopleNew Zealand
Population:
4,173,460 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.9% (male 446,883/female 424,240) 15-64 years: 66.5% (male 1,390,669/female 1,385,686) 65 years and over: 12.6% (male 238,560/female 287,422) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.3 years male: 35.6 years female: 37.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.971% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
14.09 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.24 years male: 78.33 years female: 82.25 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.11 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic groups:
European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 19 years male: 19 years female: 20 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.2% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentNew Zealand
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Wellington geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in March note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham Island
Administrative divisions:
16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury,Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui,Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman,Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Dependent areas:
Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence:
26 September 1907 (from UK)
National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
Constitution:
consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987
Legal system:
based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006) head of government: Prime Minister John KEY (since 19 November 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Bill ENGLISH (since 19 November 2008) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (usually 120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists; to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 8 November 2008 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NP 45.5%, NZLP 33.8%, Green Party 6.4%, ACT New Zealand 3.7%, Maori 2.2%, Progressive 0.9%, UF 0.9%, other 6.6%; seats by party - NP 59, NZLP 43, Green Party 8, ACT New Zealand 5, Maori 5, Progressive 1, UF 1 note: results of 2008 election saw the total number of seats increase to 122
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - judges appointed by the Governor-General
Political parties and leaders:
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Women's Electoral Lobby or WEL other: apartheid groups; civil rights groups; farmers groups; Maori; nuclear weapons groups; women's rights groups
International organization participation:
ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C,CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF,Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNMIT,UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 consulate(s) general: Auckland
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
Government - note:
while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand
EconomyNew Zealand
Economy - overview:
Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes - but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and reached $27,300 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about 22% of GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. Inflationary pressures have built in recent years and the central bank raised its key rate 13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%. A large balance of payments deficit poses another challenge in managing the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$112.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$128.1 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$27,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.5% industry: 26.2% services: 69.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.236 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7% industry: 19% services: 74% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: %NA highest 10%: %NA
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.2 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $58.31 billion expenditures: $53.5 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes
Public debt:
20.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
8.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.83% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$24.2 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$117.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$200.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish
Industries:
food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Industrial production growth rate:
1.5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
42.41 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
38.93 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 31.6% hydro: 57.8% nuclear: 0% other: 10.7% (2001)
Oil - production:
47,850 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
158,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
14,570 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
137,300 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
55 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
4.573 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
4.572 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
29.67 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$10.23 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$27.35 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery
Exports - partners:
Australia 22%, US 11.5%, Japan 9.2%, China 5.3%, UK 4.6% (2007)
Imports:
$29.06 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics
Imports - partners:
Australia 20.7%, China 13.4%, US 9.7%, Japan 9.5%, Singapore 4.9%,Germany 4.7% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $259 million (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$17.25 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$51.44 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$71.31 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$40.62 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003)
CommunicationsNew Zealand
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.706 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.245 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems domestic: NA international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satellite earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
3.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
41 (plus about 700 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
1.926 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.nz
Internet hosts:
1.72 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
36 (2000)
Internet users:
3.36 million (2007)
TransportationNew Zealand
Airports:
121 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 41 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 46 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 331 km; gas 1,896 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 260 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 4,128 km narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 93,576 km paved: 61,564 km (includes 172 km of expressways) unpaved: 32,012 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 13 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 3 (Australia 1, Germany 1, South Africa 1) registered in other countries: 5 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 1, France 1, UK 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Auckland, Lyttelton, Marsden Point, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei
MilitaryNew Zealand
Military branches:
New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal NewZealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,009,298 females age 16-49: 997,134 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 833,073 females age 16-49: 822,807 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 31,834 female: 30,243 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesNew Zealand
Disputes - international:
asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Illicit drugs:
significant consumer of amphetamines
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Nicaragua
IntroductionNicaragua
Background:
The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt.
GeographyNicaragua
Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the NorthPacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 129,494 sq km land: 120,254 sq km water: 9,240 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the state of New York
Land boundaries:
total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline:
910 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural prolongation
Climate:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land: 14.81% permanent crops: 1.82% other: 83.37% (2005)
Irrigated land:
610 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
196.7 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.3 cu km/yr (15%/2%/83%) per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
PeopleNicaragua
Population:
5,785,846 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,019,281/female 981,903) 15-64 years: 62.1% (male 1,792,398/female 1,803,133) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 82,840/female 106,291) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.7 years male: 21.3 years female: 22.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.825% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
23.7 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.33 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.91 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.21 years male: 69.08 years female: 73.44 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.63 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Nicaraguan(s) adjective: Nicaraguan
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah'sWitness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)
Languages:
Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.5% male: 67.2% female: 67.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2003)
GovernmentNicaragua
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Managua geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
9 January 1987; reforms in 1995, 2000, and 2005
Legal system:
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term so long as it is not consecutive); election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011) election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra elected president - 38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE 29%, Jose RIZO 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN 6.44%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 90 members are elected by proportional representation and party lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election) elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election), MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or PC [Azalia AVILES Salmeron]; LiberalConstitutionalist Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; NicaraguanLiberal Alliance or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; Sandinista NationalLiberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; SandinistaRenovation Movement or MRS [Enrique SAENZ Navarrete]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Workers Front or FNT (a Sandinista umbrella group of eightlabor unions including: Farm Workers Association or ATC, HealthWorkers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation ofProfessional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association ofEducators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE,National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista WorkersCentral or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN);Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT (an umbrella group of fournon-Sandinista labor unions including: Autonomous Nicaraguan WorkersCentral or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS,Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and LaborAction and Unity Central or CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central orCTN (an independent labor union); Superior Council of PrivateEnterprise or COSEP (a confederation of business groups)
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC,LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo CRUZ Sequeira, Jr. chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua mailing address: American Embassy Managua, APO AA 34021 telephone: [505] 252-7100, 252-7888; 252-7634 (after hours) FAX: [505] 252-7304
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
EconomyNicaragua
Economy - overview:
Nicaragua has widespread underemployment, one of the highest degrees of income inequality in the world, and the third lowest per capita income in the Western Hemisphere. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, annual GDP growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. In early 2004, Nicaragua secured some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in October 2007, the IMF approved a new poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF) program that should create fiscal space for social spending and investment. The continuity of a relationship with the IMF reinforces donor confidence, despite private sector concerns surrounding ORTEGA, which has dampened investment. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods. Energy shortages fueled by high oil prices, however, are a serious bottleneck to growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$16.17 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.723 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.9% industry: 25.8% services: 57.2% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.262 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 29% industry: 19% services: 52% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
48% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 33.8% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.1 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):
31.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.115 billion expenditures: $1.291 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
62.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.04% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$465.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.802 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$4.133 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp, lobsters
Industries:
food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood
Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
3.012 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
2.413 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
63.95 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 83.9% hydro: 7.7% nuclear: 0% other: 8.4% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
28,880 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
808.5 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
29,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$1.001 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.313 billion f.o.b.; note - includes free trade zones (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
Exports - partners:
US 31.7%, El Salvador 14%, Honduras 9.3%, Costa Rica 7.2%, Canada 5.8%, Guatemala 5.5%, Mexico 4.8% (2007)
Imports:
$4.078 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
US 22.5%, Mexico 13.5%, Costa Rica 8.4%, Venezuela 6.4%, Guatemala 6.2%, El Salvador 4.8% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$471 million (2006 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.103 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.341 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
gold cordoba (NIO)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
gold cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 18.457 (2007), 17.582 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004), 15.105 (2003)
CommunicationsNicaragua
Telephones - main lines in use:
247,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.123 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; connected to Central American Microwave System international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus 7 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
320,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ni
Internet hosts:
58,157 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
155,000 (2006)
TransportationNicaragua
Airports:
163 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 152 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 135 (2007)
Pipelines:
oil 54 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 6 km narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 19,036 km paved: 2,299 km unpaved: 16,737 km (2005)
Waterways:
2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff
MilitaryNicaragua
Military branches:
National Army of Nicaragua (ENN; includes Navy, Air Force) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour of duty 18-36 months (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,513,312 females age 16-49: 1,507,999 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,235,400 females age 16-49: 1,302,318 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 72,689 female: 70,452 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesNicaragua
Disputes - international:
memorials and countermemorials were filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea, final public hearings are scheduled for 2007; the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Niger
IntroductionNiger
Background:
Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. A predominately Tuareg ethnic group emerged in February 2007, the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ), and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007. Events have since evolved into a budding insurrection.
GeographyNiger
Location:
Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,697 km border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain:
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m
Natural resources:
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 11.43% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 88.56% (2005)
Irrigated land:
730 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
33.7 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.18 cu km/yr (4%/0%/95%) per capita: 156 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues:
overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture