Nicaragua: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026

News •

UN experts allege Nicaragua's leaders may have committed crimes against humanity • Oct. 28, 2026, 7:34 PM ET (CTV News)

Senior Latter-day Saint leaders dedicate church’s 225th, 226th temples in Idaho, Nicaragua • Oct. 20, 2026, 6:36 AM ET (Deseret News)

Something strange is happening beneath a volcano near 2 million people • Oct. 19, 2026, 8:36 AM ET (Science Daily)

Facts

Also Known As	República de Nicaragua • Republic of Nicaragua
Head Of State And Government	President: Daniel Ortega
Capital	Managua
Population	(2026 est.) 7,019,000
Form Of Government	unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [92¹])
Official Language	Spanish
Official Religion	none
Official Name	República de Nicaragua (Republic of Nicaragua)
Total Area (Sq Km)	130,373
Total Area (Sq Mi)	50,337
Monetary Unit	córdoba (C$)
Population Rank	(2026) 108
Population Projection 2030	7,232,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 139.4
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 53.8
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2022) 58.6% • Rural: (2022) 41.4%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2020–2025) 73.7 years • Female: (2020–2025) 79.8 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 17,375
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 2,510
¹Includes the runner-up in the presidential election and the immediate past president or the vice president.

Photos

Political map of Nicaragua and surrounding countries in Central America, showing international boundaries, major cities such as Managua, Leon, Granada, and Bluefields, and neighboring countries Honduras and Costa Rica. The map includes major bodies of water like the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, as well as a small inset locator map in the top left corner.

monument to Rubén Darío, Managua, Nicaragua

Map of Central America highlighting Nicaragua in bold, with surrounding countries labeled, including Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. Major bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean are shown, along with nearby countries in the region. The capital, Managua, is marked within Nicaragua.

Map of Nicaragua highlighting physical features such as mountain ranges, volcanoes, lakes, and national parks. Neighboring countries Honduras and Costa Rica are shown, as well as the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Major features include Lake Nicaragua, Lake Managua, the Cordillera Isabelia, Masaya Volcano National Park, and the Corn Islands. An inset locator map in the top left shows Nicaragua's position in Central America.

Momotombo Volcano and Momotombito Island, Nicaragua

Cerro Negro volcano

National anthem of Nicaragua

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Topics

Somoza family League of Nations nation-state Allied powers Central American Common Market Central America–Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America Montevideo Convention Bryan-Chamorro Treaty list of countries in Latin America Canada United States India United Kingdom China Russia Germany Australia Japan France

Daniel Ortega

Daniel Ortega

president of Nicaragua

Central America's first woman president

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro

president of Nicaragua

Somoza Debayle, Anastasio

Anastasio Somoza Debayle

president of Nicaragua

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Edén Pastora

Nicaraguan revolutionary

William Walker

William Walker

American adventurer

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Anastasio Somoza

president of Nicaragua

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Pedro Arias Dávila

Spanish colonial administrator

Zelaya

José Santos Zelaya

president of Nicaragua

Emiliano Chamorro Vargas

Emiliano Chamorro Vargas

president of Nicaragua

Sacasa

Juan Bautista Sacasa

president of Nicaragua

Benalcázar, Sebastián de

Sebastián de Benalcázar

Spanish conqueror

Luis Somoza Debayle

Luis Somoza Debayle

president of Nicaragua

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Román y Reyes, Víctor Manuel

president of Nicaragua

Map of Latin America showing countries, major cities, and key physical features such as mountain ranges, highlands, and rivers. The map includes Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, with labeled regions like the Andes, Brazilian Highlands, and Gran Chaco, as well as an inset highlighting the West Indies. Surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, are also labeled.

history of Latin America

Map of North America showing international boundaries, country names, and capital cities. The map includes Canada, the United States, Mexico, Greenland, Central American countries, and Caribbean nations, with a locator inset at the bottom left for global context. Major bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea are labeled.

North America

continent

Map of Central America showing country borders, capital cities, major lakes, and the Panama Canal, with shaded relief indicating elevation changes across the region.

Central America

Managua, Nicaragua

Managua

national capital, Nicaragua

Granada

Granada

Nicaragua

León: cathedral

León

Nicaragua

Bluefields, Nicaragua

Bluefields

Nicaragua

Rivas: cathedral

Rivas

Nicaragua

Chinandega: El Calvario church

Chinandega

Nicaragua

Matagalpa

Matagalpa

Nicaragua

Corinto: port

Corinto

Nicaragua

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Jinotepe

Nicaragua

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Estelí

Nicaragua

San Carlos

San Carlos

Nicaragua

Masaya Volcano

Masaya

Nicaragua

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Countries of the World

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Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

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Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz