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Compare Uruguay (2007) - Nicaragua (2008)

Compare Uruguay (2007) z Nicaragua (2008)

 Uruguay (2007)Nicaragua (2008)
 UruguayNicaragua
Administrative divisions 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
Age structure 0-14 years: 23% (male 403,745/female 390,623)


15-64 years: 63.8% (male 1,096,225/female 1,112,568)


65 years and over: 13.2% (male 184,303/female 273,143) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 35.5% (male 1,025,426/female 988,148)


15-64 years: 61.3% (male 1,734,153/female 1,746,574)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 79,589/female 101,466) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp, lobsters
Airports 60 (2007) 163 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 51


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 19


under 914 m: 29 (2007)
total: 152


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 16


under 914 m: 135 (2007)
Area total: 176,220 sq km


land: 173,620 sq km


water: 2,600 sq km
total: 129,494 sq km


land: 120,254 sq km


water: 9,240 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than the state of Washington slightly smaller than the state of New York
Background Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent. The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt.
Birth rate 14.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 24.12 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.56 billion


expenditures: $5.67 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $1.027 billion


expenditures: $1.336 billion (2007 est.)
Capital name: Montevideo


geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W


time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March
name: Managua


geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Coastline 660 km 910 km
Constitution 27 November 1966, effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 9 January 1987; reforms in 1995, 2000, and 2005
Country name conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay


conventional short form: Uruguay


local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay


local short form: Uruguay


former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua


conventional short form: Nicaragua


local long form: Republica de Nicaragua


local short form: Nicaragua
Death rate 9.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $11.74 billion (2006 est.) $3.702 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Frank BAXTER


embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200


mailing address: APO AA 34035


telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777


FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI


embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua


mailing address: P.O. Box 327


telephone: [505] 266-6010


FAX: [505] 266-3861
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois


chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006


telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316


FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York


consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)
chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo CRUZ Sequeira, Jr.


chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573


FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545


consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Disputes - international in Jan 2007, ICJ provisionally ruled Uruguay may begin construction of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina, while the court examines further whether Argentina has the legal right to stop such construction with potential environmental implications to both countries; uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina memorials and countermemorials were filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea, final public hearings are scheduled for 2007; the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica
Economic aid - recipient $NA (2005) $471 million (2006 est.)
Economy - overview Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in 2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. A debt swap with private-sector creditors in 2003 extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's then $11.3 billion of public debt and helped restore public confidence. The economy grew about 12% in 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a competitive peso, growth in the region, and low international interest rates, and it continued to grow nearly 7% annually in 2005 and 2006. Nicaragua has widespread underemployment, one of the highest degrees of income inequality in the world, and the third lowest per capita income in the Western Hemisphere. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, annual GDP growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. In early 2004, Nicaragua secured some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in October 2007, the IMF approved a new poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF) program that should create fiscal space for social spending and investment. The continuity of a relationship with the IMF reinforces donor confidence, despite private sector concerns surrounding Ortega, which has dampened investment. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods. Energy shortages fueled by high oil prices, however, are a serious bottleneck to growth.
Electricity - consumption 6.509 billion kWh (2005) 2.929 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - exports 841 million kWh (2005) 8 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 1.585 billion kWh (2005) 69.34 million kWh (2006)
Electricity - production 7.558 billion kWh (2005) 2.778 billion kWh (2006)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
Environment - current issues water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent) mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
Exchange rates Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002) gold cordobas per US dollar - 18.457 (2007), 17.582 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004), 15.105 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009)


election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%; other 4.1%
chief of state: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007)


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 (eligible for a second term so long as it is not consecutive); election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)


election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra elected president - 38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE 29%, Jose RIZO 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN 6.44%
Exports NA bbl/day 1,397 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
Exports - partners Brazil 15.1%, US 12.1%, Argentina 6.8%, Mexico 6.4%, China 6%, Germany 5%, Russia 4.9% (2006) US 65.2%, El Salvador 6.9%, Honduras 3.8% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy 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
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 9.3%


industry: 31.6%


services: 59.1% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 17.1%


industry: 25.9%


services: 56.9% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2006 est.) 2.9% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 S, 56 00 W 13 00 N, 85 00 W
Geography - note second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.9%


highest 10%: 34% (2003)
lowest 10%: 2.2%


highest 10%: 33.8% (2001)
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
Imports NA bbl/day 15,560 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products
Imports - partners Argentina 20.4%, Brazil 17.1%, US 8.2%, Paraguay 7.1%, China 6.9%, Venezuela 4.8%, Nigeria 4.4% (2006) US 20.1%, Mexico 13.9%, Venezuela 9.4%, Costa Rica 6.9%, Guatemala 5.4%, China 4.3% (2006)
Independence 25 August 1825 (from Brazil) 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 12.6% (2006 est.) 3% (2007 est.)
Industries food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood
Infant mortality rate total: 12.02 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 13.49 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 27.14 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 30.45 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 23.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.4% (2006 est.) 9.8% (2007 est.)
International organization participation CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 2,100 sq km (2003) 610 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly) Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)
Labor force 1.27 million (2006 est.) 2.262 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 14%


industry: 16%


services: 70% (2003)
agriculture: 29%


industry: 19%


services: 52% (2006 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,648 km


border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
total: 1,231 km


border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Land use arable land: 7.77%


permanent crops: 0.24%


other: 91.99% (2005)
arable land: 14.81%


permanent crops: 1.82%


other: 83.37% (2005)
Languages Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier) Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)


note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Legal system based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)


election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 90 members are elected by proportional representation and party lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election)


elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election), MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.93 years


male: 72.68 years


female: 79.3 years (2007 est.)
total population: 70.92 years


male: 68.82 years


female: 73.13 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 97.6%


female: 98.4% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 67.5%


male: 67.2%


female: 67.8% (2003 est.)
Location Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Map references South America Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


continental shelf: natural prolongation
Merchant marine total: 14 ships (1000 GRT or over) 36,041 GRT/22,274 DWT


by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)


registered in other countries: 7 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 1, Liberia 3, Spain 2) (2007)
-
Military branches Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006) National Army of Nicaragua (ENN; includes Navy, Air Force) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.6% (2006) 0.6% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 25 August (1825) Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality noun: Uruguayan(s)


adjective: Uruguayan
noun: Nicaraguan(s)


adjective: Nicaraguan
Natural hazards seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Natural resources arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Net migration rate -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2006) oil 54 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) [Jorge BROVETTO] (formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA); Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Uruguayan Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI] Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon]; Alternative for Change or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Central American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS]; Conservative Party or PC [Azalia AVILES Salmeron]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo]; Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Dora Maria TELLEZ]
Political pressure groups and leaders Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students; Uruguayan Construction League 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
Population 3,460,607 (July 2007 est.) 5,675,356 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 27.37% of households (2006) 48% (2005)
Population growth rate 0.504% (2007 est.) 1.855% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005) AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 2,073 km


standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge


note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2006)
total: 6 km


narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31% Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.675 male(s)/female


total population: 0.948 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.038 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.993 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.784 male(s)/female


total population: 1.001 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 16 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: fully digitalized


domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network


international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecoms company


domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; connected to Central American Microwave System


international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 987,000 (2006) 247,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.333 million (2006) 1.83 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 62 (2005) 3 (plus 7 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Total fertility rate 1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.) 2.69 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.8% (2006 est.) 5.6% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2007 est.)
Waterways 1,600 km (2005) 2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (2007)
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