pread.

GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 5.0% (1989
est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,700% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)

Budget: revenues $0.9 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $0.15 billion (1987)

Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--coffee,
cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals; partners--CEMA 15%,
OECD 75%, others 10%

Imports: $550 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum,
food, chemicals, machinery, clothing; partners--CEMA 55%, EC 20%,
Latin America 10%, others 10%

External debt: $8 billion (year end 1988)

Industrial production: growth rate - 23% (1988 est.)

Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,340 million kWh produced,
380 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles,
clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear

Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash
crops--coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops--rice, corn,
cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products--beef, veal,
pork, poultry, dairy; while normally self-sufficient in food, war-induced
shortages now exist

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-82), $290 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $981 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $3.3 billion

Currency: cordoba (plural--cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per US$1--65,000 (February 1990)
is the free market rate; official rate is 46,000 (February 1990),
270 (1988), 0.103 (1987), 0.097 (1986), 0.039 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

- Communications
Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of system
not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect
with mainline)

Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved (includes all 2,170 km
gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km
unimproved, 368.5 km of the Pan-American highway)

Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes

Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km

Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama

Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161
GRT/2,500 DWT

Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft

Airports: 261 total, 169 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with run