Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua
local short form: Nicaragua
local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Managua
Administrative divisions:
15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2
autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region
autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo,
Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz,
Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000
Legal system:
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January
2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10
January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January
2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 November
2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
election results: Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (PLC) elected president -
56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PC)
1.4%; Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice president
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (93 seats;
members are elected by proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Alliance
(ruling party - includes PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN
36.55%, PCCN 3.73%, PCN 2.12%, MRS 1.33%; seats by party - Liberal
Alliance 42, FSLN 36, PCCN 4, PCN 3, PRONAL 2, MRS 1, PRN 1, PC 1,
PLI 1, AU 1, UNO-96 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year
terms by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Dr. Fernando AGUERO Rocha];
Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Virgilio GODOY]; Liberal Alliance
(ruling alliance including Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC, New
Liberal Party or PALI, Independent Liberal Party for National Unity
or PLIUN, and Central American Unionist Party or PUCA) [leader NA];
National Conservative Party or PC [Pedro SOLARZANO, Noel VIDAURRE];
National Project or PRONAL [Benjamin LANZAS]; Nicaraguan Party of
the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO, Roberto RODRIGUEZ];
Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista
National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra];
Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Sergio RAMIREZ]; Unity
Alliance or AU [Alejandro SERRANO]; Union Nacional Opositora 96 or
UNO-96 [Alfredo CESAR Aguirre]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of
eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC,
Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs
Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National
Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of
Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG,
Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of
Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an
umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including -
Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of
Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor
or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan
Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior
Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of
business groups
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN (since 5 December
2003)
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
York
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6542
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570
chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Calandra MOORE
embassy: Apartado Postal 327, Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
mailing address: APO AA 34021
telephone: [505] 266-6010, 266-2298, 266-6013
FAX: [505] 266-9074
Flag description:
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 features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE
NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to
the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by
the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in
the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five
blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band