Contry Profile

LOCATION

Nicaragua is located in the heart of Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Pacific coast is 352 Kilometres in length and the Atlantic coast541 km. Nicaragua has two larges lakes, which cover an area of 10,333 km² in the Pacific zone of the country.
Nicaragua covers an area of 130,682 Km² (49,759 miles), making it the largest country in Central America.

Nicaragua has a diverse climate, due to the mountain range which runs diagonally through Central America from northwest to southeast. The climate is tropical and dry along the Pacific coast, in the mountain area, and humid in the Caribbean area. The average annual temperature and rainfall is 27ºC and 1,300 mm., respectively.

Two seasons exists: the rainy season (winter), from May to November, and the dry season (summer), from December to May.

POPULATION STATISTICS (2003)
Population:
5.16 millions Urban
2.97 millions Rural
2.19 millions Economically active population
1.5 millions Average growth rate 3.4%

Population density per Km. 35.9%
Ethnic composition: Mestizos 69.0%

Caucasians 17.0%
Blacks 9.0%
Indigenous 5.0%

POPULATION
Approximately 5.16 million (July 2003 est.) .