Nicaragua

Republic of Nicaragua
República de Nicaragua (Spanish)
Coat of arms of Nicaragua
Coat of arms
Motto: En Dios confiamos  (Spanish)
"In God We Trust"
Anthem: Salve a ti, Nicaragua
"Hail to Thee, Nicaragua"
Dual flag: Rojinegra
Location of Nicaragua
Capital
and largest city
Managua
12°6′N 86°14′W / 12.100°N 86.233°W / 12.100; -86.233
Official languagesSpanish
Recognised regional languages
Ethnic groups
(2023)
Religion
(2015)
  • 14.7% no religion
  • 0.9% other
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary diarchic presidential socialist republic under an authoritarian dictatorship
Gustavo Porras Cortés
Alba Luz Ramos
LegislatureNational 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
30 April 1838
• Recognized
25 July 1850
19 July 1979
9 January 1987
Area
• Total
130,375 km2 (50,338 sq mi) (96th)
• Water (%)
7.14
Population
• 2024 estimate
Neutral increase 6,676,948 (106th)
• Density
51/km2 (132.1/sq mi) (155th)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $56.697 billion (115th)
• Per capita
Increase $8,492 (129th)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $17.843 billion (127th)
• Per capita
Increase $2,673 (134th)
Gini (2014)46.2
high
HDI (2023)Increase 0.706
high · 123rd
CurrencyCórdoba (NIO)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
Date formatdd-mm-yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+505
ISO 3166 codeNI
Internet TLD.ni

Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, 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.

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. 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.

The biological diversity, warm tropical climate, and active volcanoes make Nicaragua an increasingly popular tourist destination.

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.

In July 2026 Ortega announced that there would be no more national elections.

Notes

  1. ↑ As shown on the Córdoba (bank notes and coins).
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Nicaragua's government has been described as totalitarian or authoritarian by multiple sources.
  5. ↑ Spanish: República de Nicaragua

References

  1. ↑ "Billetes y Monedas en Circulación". Banco Central de Nicaragua. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  2. ↑ "IZAMOS LA BANDERA ROJINEGRA CON LA QUE EL GENERAL SANDINO DEFENDIÓ NUESTRA AZUL Y BLANCO". Asamblea Nacional de Nicaragua. 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  3. ↑ "Nicaragua". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 19 June 2023. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. ↑ 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
  5. ↑ "CENSO DE POBLACIÓN 2005" (PDF). 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.[permanent dead link]
  6. 1 2 Lira, Elvira Cuadra (4 December 2024). "Arquitecturas autocráticas: del Estado policial al Estado totalitario en Nicaragua". Diálogo Político (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  7. ↑ swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (14 January 2025). "Parlamento de Nicaragua comienza a reformar la Constitución que da un poder total a Ortega". SWI swissinfo.ch (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 February 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Awadalla, Cristina (23 March 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.
  9. ↑ Córdoba, José de (25 October 2022). "U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nicaragua's Authoritarian Regime". WSJ. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Nicaragua: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nicaragua". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
  12. ↑ "Nicaragua". The World Factbook (2026 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Nicaragua)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  14. ↑ "GINI index (World Bank estimate)". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  15. ↑ "Human Development Report 2025" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 6 May 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "Nicaragua, Eternal Land of Poets". Elcomercio.pe. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  17. ↑ "Culture Of Nicaragua - centralamerica.com". centralamerica. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  18. ↑ Dicum, G (2006-12-17). "The Rediscovery of Nicaragua". Travel Section. New York: TraveThe New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  19. ↑ Davis, LS (2009-04-22). "Nicaragua: The next Costa Rica?". Mother Nature Network. MNN Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  20. ↑ Nicaragua's Ortega expands power as reforms win final approval
  21. ↑ T; h; e; A; s; s; o; c; i (2026-07-21). "Nicaragua's President Ortega says no more elections, extending his 20-year rule". NPR. Retrieved 2026-07-22.