Compare Venezuela (2005) - Nicaragua (2003)

Compare Venezuela (2005) z Nicaragua (2003)

	Venezuela (2005)	Nicaragua (2003)

Administrative divisions	23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands	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
Age structure	0-14 years: 29.9% (male 3,909,876/female 3,667,958) 15-64 years: 65% (male 8,287,255/female 8,209,599) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 590,236/female 710,357) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 37.7% (male 984,719; female 949,282) 15-64 years: 59.2% (male 1,510,352; female 1,527,991) 65 years and over: 3% (male 68,332; female 87,841) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish	coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products
Airports	369 (2004 est.)	176 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 127 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 31 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.)	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 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 242 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 88 under 914 m: 144 (2004 est.)	total: 165 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 141 (2002)
Area	total: 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km	total: 129,494 sq km land: 120,254 sq km water: 9,240 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of California	slightly smaller than the state of New York
Background	Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: a polarized political environment, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.	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 again in 2001 saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its economy during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.
Birth rate	18.91 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	26.29 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $26.91 billion expenditures: $30.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2004 est.)	revenues: $726 million expenditures: $908 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital	Caracas	Managua
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands	tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Coastline	2,800 km	910 km
Constitution	30 December 1999	9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000
Country name	conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela	conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua
Currency	-	gold cordoba (NIO)
Death rate	4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$33.29 billion (2004 est.)	$5.8 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080 mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411 FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991	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
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)	chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN (since 5 December 2003) chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6542 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York
Disputes - international	claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that the Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over Los Monjes islands and maritime boundary near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region resulting in several thousand residents migrating away from the border; US, France and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation and other states' recognition of it	territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank region; with respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required; legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica
Economic aid - recipient	$74 million (2000)	Substantial foreign support
Economy - overview	Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and over half of government operating revenues. A disastrous two-month national oil strike from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity. The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining by 9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. Despite continued domestic instability, output recovered strongly in 2004, aided by high oil prices. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental problems.	Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, flagging socio-economic indicators, and huge external debt. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has made progress toward macroeconomic stability over the past few years, a banking crisis and scandal has shaken the economy. Nicaragua will continue to be dependent on international aid and debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Donors have made aid conditional on the openness of government financial operation, poverty alleviation, and human rights. Nicaragua met the conditions for additional debt service relief in December 2000. Growth should move up moderately in 2003 because of increased private investment and exports.
Electricity - consumption	89.3 billion kWh (2003)	2.388 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	450 million kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	30 million kWh (2003)	17 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	89.7 billion kWh (2003)	2.549 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 83.9% hydro: 7.7% nuclear: 0% other: 8.4% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
Environment - current issues	sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations	deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Environment - international agreements	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people	mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
Exchange rates	bolivares per US dollar - 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001), 680 (2000)	gold cordobas per US dollar - 14.25 (2002), 13.37 (2001), 12.68 (2000), 11.81 (1999), 10.58 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - 60% note: a special presidential recall vote on 15 August 2004 resulted in a victory for CHAVEZ; percent of vote - 58% in favor of CHAVEZ fulfilling the remaining two years of his term, 42% in favor of terminating his presidency immediately	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
Exports	2.1 million bbl/day (2004 est.)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures	coffee, shrimp and lobster, cotton, tobacco, bananas, beef, sugar, gold
Exports - partners	US 55.6%, Netherlands Antilles 4.7%, Dominican Republic 2.8% (2004)	US 59.4%, El Salvador 7.5%, Honduras 4.8% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band	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	-	purchasing power parity - $11.16 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.1% industry: 46.5% services: 53.4% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 30% industry: 26% services: 44% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	16.8% (2004 est.)	1.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	8 00 N, 66 00 W	13 00 N, 85 00 W
Geography - note	on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall	largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
Highways	total: 96,155 km paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.)	total: 19,032 km paved: 2,094 km unpaved: 16,938 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)	lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 48.8% (1998)
Illicit drugs	small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border	transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
Imports	NA	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials	machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products, consumer goods
Imports - partners	US 28.8%, Colombia 9.9%, Brazil 7%, Mexico 4.1% (2004)	US 23.7%, Costa Rica 10.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Guatemala 7.8%, Mexico 6.7%, El Salvador 6%, South Korea 4.6% (2002)
Independence	5 July 1811 (from Spain)	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	12.3% (2004 est.)	4.4% (2000 est.)
Industries	petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly	food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood
Infant mortality rate	total: 22.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 31.39 deaths/1,000 live births male: 35.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	22.4% (2004 est.)	3.7% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	3 (2000)
Irrigated land	540 sq km (1998 est.)	880 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)	Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)
Labor force	12.25 million (2004 est.)	1.7 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 13%, industry 23%, services 64% (1997 est.)	services 43%, agriculture 42%, industry 15% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km	total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Land use	arable land: 2.95% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 96.13% (2001)	arable land: 20.24% permanent crops: 2.38% other: 77.38% (1998 est.)
Languages	Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects	Spanish (official) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Legal system	open, adversarial court system	civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela) elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held July 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - pro-government 108 (MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other 7), opposition 57 (AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other 13)	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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 74.31 years male: 71.27 years female: 77.58 years (2005 est.)	total population: 69.68 years male: 67.68 years female: 71.79 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.4% male: 93.8% female: 93.1% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.5% male: 67.2% female: 67.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana	Middle 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: 15 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation	continental shelf: natural prolongation territorial sea: 200 NM
Merchant marine	total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 740,919 GRT/1,191,483 DWT by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 16, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 5, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 2, Greece 1, Hong Kong 2, Mexico 1, Russia 2, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 20 (2005)	none (2002 est.)
Military branches	National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales, FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada - includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)	Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$1.687 billion (2004)	$26 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.5% (2004)	1.2% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 1,347,033 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 825,906 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 59,903 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 5 July (1811)	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality	noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan	noun: Nicaraguan(s) adjective: Nicaraguan
Natural hazards	subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts	destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds	gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,360 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2004)	oil 54 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Action or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELASQUEZ]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]	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	FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)	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	25,375,281 (July 2005 est.)	5,128,517 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	47% (1998 est.)	50% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	1.4% (2005 est.)	2.03% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon	Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan del Sur
Radio broadcast stations	AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)	AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 682 km standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)	total: 6 km narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)
Religions	nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%	Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	16 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern and expanding domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network	general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	2,841,800 (2002)	140,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular	6,463,600 (2002)	7,911 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)	3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast	extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Total fertility rate	2.26 children born/woman (2005 est.)	3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	17.1% (2004 est.)	24% plus considerable underemployment (2002 est.)
Waterways	7,100 km note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2004)	2,220 km (including 2 large lakes)

Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.