errupted by volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m

Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Land use:
arable land: 15.94%
permanent crops: 1.94%
other: 82.12% (2001)

Irrigated land:
880 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely
susceptible to hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater
body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

People Nicaragua

Population:
5,359,759 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,038,887; female 1,001,518)
15-64 years: 58.9% (male 1,570,494; female 1,586,706)
65 years and over: 3% (male 71,125; female 91,029) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.2 years
male: 19.8 years
female: 20.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.97% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
25.5 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.54 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
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 (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 33.73 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.02 years
male: 67.99 years
female: 72.16 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,400 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%,
Amerindian 5%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant

Language