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290 lines
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Plaintext
290 lines
23 KiB
Plaintext
NICARAGUA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
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Comparative area: slightly larger than New York State
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Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
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Coastline: 910 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
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Continental shelf: not specified;
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Territorial sea: 200 nm
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Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago
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de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime
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boundary in Golfo de Fonseca
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Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
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Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central
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interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
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Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc,
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timber, fish
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Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
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43%; forest and woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%
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Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes,
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landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil
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erosion; water pollution
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PEOPLE
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Population: 3,751,884 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)
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Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 65 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Nicaraguan(s); adjective--Nicaraguan
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Ethnic divisions: mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
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Language: Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking
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minorities on Atlantic coast
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Literacy: 57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1971)
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Labor force: 1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13%
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(1986)
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Organized labor: 35% of labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
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Type: republic
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Capital: Managua
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Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions encompassing 16
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departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Boaco, Carazo,
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Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz,
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Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas,
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Zelaya; note--Zelaya may have been replaced by 2 autonomous regions
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(regiones autonomistas, singular--region autonomista) named
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North Atlantic Coast and South Atlantic Coast
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Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
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Constitution: January 1987
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Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review
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administrative acts
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National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Violeta
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Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990);
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Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990)
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Political parties and leaders:
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ruling coalition--National Opposition Union (UNO) is a
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14-party alliance--National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS;
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Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO;
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National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA;
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National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin JARQUIN;
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Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO;
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Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA;
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Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA;
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National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS;
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Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA;
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Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO;
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Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis HUMBERTO;
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Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ;
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Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY;
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Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ;
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opposition parties--Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN),
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Daniel ORTEGA;
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Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS;
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Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES;
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Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo CORONADO;
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Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER;
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Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ;
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Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA;
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Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando AGUERRO;
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Popular Action Movement--Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
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Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ
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Suffrage: universal at age 16
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Elections:
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President--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February
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1996);
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results--Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra
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(FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%;
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National Assembly--last held on 25 February 1990
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(next to be held February 1996);
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results--UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%;
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seats--(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
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Communists: 15,000-20,000
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Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers
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(CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan
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Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers
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(CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan
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Workers' Central (CST); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is
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an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber
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of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development
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Institute (INDE)
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Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
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IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
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INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN,
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UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO;
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Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone
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(202) 387-4371 or 4372;
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US--Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5
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Carretera Sur., Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); telephone
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505 (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032
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through 34
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Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue
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with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
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arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE
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NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar
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to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the
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words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in
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the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue
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stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Government control of the economy historically has been
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extensive, although the Chamorro government has pledged to reduce it.
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The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also
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regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and
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distribution of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial
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firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war
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have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy
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continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee
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and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth
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successive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44%
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of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings.
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Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes about
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25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989 and remains below
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pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a
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per capita basis. In 1990 the annual inflation rate was 11,800%, sharply
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up from 1,800% in 1989.
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GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11,800% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 35% (1990)
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Budget: revenues $244 million; expenditures $550 million, including
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capital expenditures of $73 million (1988)
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Exports: $298 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat,
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chemicals;
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partners--OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, other 10%
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Imports: $710 million (c.i.f., 1989);
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commodities--petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing;
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partners--Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and
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Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)
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External debt: $9 billion (December 1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate - 7% (1989); accounts
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for about 25% of GDP
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Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced,
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360 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles,
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clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
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Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash
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crops--coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops--rice, corn,
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cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products--beef, veal,
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pork, poultry, dairy; normally self-sufficient in food
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $1,186 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion
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Currency: cordoba (plural--cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100
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centavos
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Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per US$1--13,300,000 (January
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1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987), 97.48 (1986), 38.90
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(1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of
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system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does
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not connect with mainline)
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Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km
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gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km
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unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km
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Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
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Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
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Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
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Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161
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GRT/2,500 DWT
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Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 251 total, 162 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being
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expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000
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telephones; stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth
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stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 845,961; 521,425 fit for
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military service; 44,222 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991)
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