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Physical geography
Extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes.
Local timeManagua ·
North America / Central America · Card 026
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a country in Central America. Its capital is Managua.
Find Nicaragua
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Managua
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO)
- Population
- 7.0 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 130,373 km²50,337.28 square miles
- Independence
- 1821from Spain
Nicaragua in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Managua; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Spanish.
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Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras.
Flag
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 has a triangle with the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA in an arc over it and AMERICA CENTRAL in an arc underneath
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Library of Congress · 2025 constitutional reforms
History & independence
Nicaragua declared independence from Spain in 1821 and became a separate republic in 1838. The Sandinista revolution ended the Somoza regime in 1979, followed by conflict with Contra forces during the 1980s. A 1990 election brought a change of government. Constitutional reforms in 2025 established a co-presidency and strengthened executive control.
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Independence from Spain
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The Sandinista revolution ends the Somoza regime
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An election brings a change of government
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Constitutional reforms establish a co-presidency
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Library of Congress · 2025 constitutional reforms
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, food processing, clothing manufacture, mining and services support the economy. Coffee, beef and gold are notable exports. Remittances are important to household income, and political uncertainty affects investment.
Industry and production
food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Library of Congress · 2025 constitutional reforms
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people7.02025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,423,065 | 2.423 |
| 1980 | 3,252,403 | 3.252 |
| 1990 | 4,162,559 | 4.163 |
| 2000 | 5,022,633 | 5.023 |
| 2010 | 5,737,450 | 5.737 |
| 2020 | 6,565,267 | 6.565 |
| 2025 | 7,007,502 | 7.008 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars16.62025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5,248,461,701 | 5.248 |
| 1991 | 5,238,527,334 | 5.239 |
| 1992 | 5,258,766,205 | 5.259 |
| 1993 | 5,238,102,617 | 5.238 |
| 1994 | 5,412,936,136 | 5.413 |
| 1995 | 5,732,943,937 | 5.733 |
| 1996 | 6,096,657,285 | 6.097 |
| 1997 | 6,338,490,398 | 6.338 |
| 1998 | 6,573,754,971 | 6.574 |
| 1999 | 7,036,282,429 | 7.036 |
| 2000 | 7,324,881,903 | 7.325 |
| 2001 | 7,541,760,192 | 7.542 |
| 2002 | 7,598,620,454 | 7.599 |
| 2003 | 7,790,161,380 | 7.790 |
| 2004 | 8,203,988,040 | 8.204 |
| 2005 | 8,555,315,487 | 8.555 |
| 2006 | 8,910,613,085 | 8.911 |
| 2007 | 9,362,947,173 | 9.363 |
| 2008 | 9,684,631,534 | 9.685 |
| 2009 | 9,365,749,046 | 9.366 |
| 2010 | 9,778,787,862 | 9.779 |
| 2011 | 10,396,483,140 | 10.396 |
| 2012 | 11,071,852,873 | 11.072 |
| 2013 | 11,617,373,487 | 11.617 |
| 2014 | 12,173,318,264 | 12.173 |
| 2015 | 12,756,696,261 | 12.757 |
| 2016 | 13,338,803,114 | 13.339 |
| 2017 | 13,956,550,775 | 13.957 |
| 2018 | 13,487,142,195 | 13.487 |
| 2019 | 13,096,437,236 | 13.096 |
| 2020 | 12,803,529,948 | 12.804 |
| 2021 | 14,142,060,747 | 14.142 |
| 2022 | 14,644,142,762 | 14.644 |
| 2023 | 15,292,555,226 | 15.293 |
| 2024 | 15,840,173,211 | 15.840 |
| 2025 | 16,620,068,189 | 16.620 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.706High human developmentRank 123 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.515
20000.593
20100.651
20200.676
20230.706
74.9 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A republic with a co-presidency introduced by constitutional reforms in 2025. The presidency has broad authority over state institutions. The National Assembly is a single-chamber legislature; the reforms substantially weakened the separation of powers.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Library of Congress · 2025 constitutional reforms
Knowledge check
Three questions about Nicaragua.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
What arrangement did Nicaragua’s 2025 constitutional reforms introduce?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Library of Congress · 2025 constitutional reforms
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.