Nicaragua (continued)
nist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli Altimirano; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis Humberto; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto Urroz; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo Potoy; Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro Perez;
Opposition parties: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel Ortega; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca Rojas; Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PGDN), Jose Brenes; Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo Coronado; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco Samper; Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick Ramirez; Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio Miranda; Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando Aguerro; Popular Action Movement Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro Tellez; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio Diaz.
Suffrage: universal at age 16
Elections: President—last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results—Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel Ortega Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, others 4.5%;
National Constituent Assembly—last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results—UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats—(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
Communists: FSLN 35,000; other Communists 15,000-20,000
Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers (CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CST); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute (INDE)
Member of: CACM, CEMA (observer), FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Chargé d'Affaires Leonor Arguello de HUPER; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 387-4371 or 4372; US—Chargé d'Affaires John P. LEONARD; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); telephone [505](2) 66010 or 66013, 66015 through 66018, 66026, 66027, 66032 through 66034; note—Nicaragua expelled the US Ambassador on 11 July 1988, and the US expelled the Nicaraguan Ambassador on 12 July 1988
Flag: 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
Economy
Overview: Government control of the economy
historically has been extensive,
although the new government has pledged
to reduce it. The financial system is
directly controlled by the state, which also
regulates wholesale purchasing, production,
sales, foreign trade, and distribution
of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural
and industrial firms are state owned.
Sandinista economic policies and the war
have produced a severe economic crisis.
The foundation of the economy continues
to be the export of agricultural commodities,
largely coffee and cotton. Farm
production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the
fifth successive year of decline. The
agricultural sector employs 44% of the work
force and accounts for 23% of GDP and
86% of export earnings. Industry, which
employs 13% of the work force and
contributes 26% to GDP, showed a sharp
drop of −23% in 1988 and remains below
pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of
the highest in the world on a per capita
basis. In 1989 the annual inflation rate
was 1,700%, down from a record 16,000%
in 1988. Shortages of basic consumer
goods are widespread.
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), $3.3 billion
Currency: córdoba (plural—córdobas); 1 córdoba (C$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: córdobas (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
