Map of Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a country in North America with its capital at Managua, home to about 7.01 million people across 120,340 km². The interactive map below plots 19 cities and towns, 4 rivers, 2 lakes, 1 mountain summits and 4 ports recorded for Nicaragua in YearMaps.
- Population
- 7.01 million
- Area
- 120,340 km²
- Capital
- Managua
- Continent
- North America
Interactive Map of Nicaragua
Centred on Managua at 12.1550° N, 86.2704° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is a country in Central America, comprising 130,370 square kilometers (50,340 sq mi). With a population of 7,097,329 as of 2026, it is the third-most populous country in Central America after Guatemala and Honduras, and the largest by area in all of Central America.
Nicaragua is bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea of the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country also shares maritime borders with El Salvador to the west and Colombia to the east. Nicaragua's largest city and national capital is Managua, which is also the fourth-largest city in Central America, with a population of 1,055,247 as of December 2020. Nicaragua is known as "the breadbasket of Central America" due to having the most fertile soil and arable land in all of Central America. The official language is Spanish, though different groups on the Caribbean coast (Mosquitia) speak their own languages and English. The mixture of cultural traditions has generated substantial diversity in folklore, cuisine, music, and literature, including contributions by Nicaraguan poets and writers such as Rubén Darío.
Originally inhabited by various indigenous cultures since ancient times, the region was conquered by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Caribbean region (Mosquitia) followed a different historical path, being an independent kingdom under British protection from the 17th century until 1860 with the signing of the Treaty of Managua, which brought it into a union with Nicaragua, while its northernmost part was placed under Honduras by the Wyke-Cruz Treaty of 1859. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest, dictatorship, American occupation and fiscal crisis, as well as the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and the Contra War of the 1980s.
Though nominally a unitary presidential republic, Nicaragua has experienced significant democratic backsliding since 2007 under the presidency of Daniel Ortega, resulting in large protests in 2018 and a subsequent crackdown. Following the 2021 election, it has been widely described as an authoritarian dictatorship, and the next national elections were effectively canceled in 2026. It is a developing country and has the second lowest GDP per capita (nominal) and fourth lowest GDP per capita (PPP) among Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Nicaragua (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Nicaragua
The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony 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. By 1978, violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought a civil-military coalition to power in 1979, spearheaded by Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista Contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, ORTEGA was elected president in 2006, 2011, 2016, and most recently in 2021. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Democratic institutions have lost their independence under the ORTEGA regime as the president has assumed full control over all branches of government, as well as cracking down on a nationwide pro-democracy protest movement in 2018 and shuttering over 3,300 civil society organizations between 2018 and 2024. In the lead-up to the 2021 presidential election, authorities arrested over 40 individuals linked to the opposition, including presidential candidates, private sector leaders, NGO workers, human rights defenders, and journalists. Only five lesser-known presidential candidates from mostly small parties allied to ORTEGA's Sandinistas were allowed to run against ORTEGA. He then awarded the Sandinistas control of all 153 of Nicaraguan municipalities in the 2022 municipal elections, consolidating one-party rule.
- Location
- Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras.
- Climate
- Tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands.
- Terrain
- Extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes.
- Highest point
- Mogoton 2,085 m.
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 910 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 1,253 km; border countries: Costa Rica 313 km; Honduras 940 km.
- Major lakes
- Fresh water lake(s): Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km.
- Natural resources
- Gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 42.3% (2023 est.); arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 2.5% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.); forest: 40.1% (2023 est.); other: 17.6% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m) is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes include Concepcion, Cosiguina, Las Pilas, Masaya, Momotombo, San Cristobal, and Telica.
- Geographic note
- Largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua.
- Languages
- Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 44.9%, Protestant 38.7% (Evangelical 38.2, Adventist 0.5%), other 1.2%, (includes Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ), believer but not belonging to a church 1%, agnostic or atheist 0.4%, none 13.7%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 69%, White 17%, Black 9%, Indigenous 5%.
- Economy
- Low-income Central American economy; until 2018, nearly 20 years of sustained GDP growth; recent struggles due to COVID-19, political instability, and hurricanes; significant remittances; increasing poverty and food scarcity since 2005; sanctions limit investment.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Nicaragua in Numbers
- Population
- 7.01 million
- GDP
- US$22.2 billion
- GDP per person
- US$3,173
- Life expectancy
- 75.1 years
- Population growth
- 1.31% a year
- Population density
- 57 per km²
- Urban population
- 59.4%
- Surface area
- 130,370 km²
- Forest cover
- 25.8%
- Arable land
- 12.5%
- Access to electricity
- 88.7%
- Internet users
- 61.4%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Nicaragua in Depth
History
Paleo-Indians first inhabited what is now known as Nicaragua as far back as 12,000 BCE. In later pre-Columbian times, Nicaragua's indigenous people were part of the Intermediate Area, between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions, and within the influence of the Isthmo-Colombian Area. Nicaragua's central region and its Caribbean coast were inhabited by Macro-Chibchan language ethnic groups such as the Miskito, Rama, Mayangna, and Matagalpas. They had coalesced in Central America and migrated both to and from present-day northern Colombia and nearby areas. Their food came primarily from hunting and gathering, but also fishing and slash-and-burn agriculture.
Geography
Nicaragua occupies a landmass of 130,967 km2 (50,567 sq mi), which makes it slightly larger than England. Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific lowlands – fertile valleys which the Spanish colonists settled, the Amerrisque Mountains (North-central highlands), and the Mosquito Coast (Caribbean lowlands).
The low plains of the Caribbean Coast are 97 km (60 mi) wide in areas. They have long been exploited for their natural resources.
On the Pacific side of Nicaragua are the two largest freshwater lakes in Central America—Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Surrounding these lakes and extending to their northwest along the rift valley of the Gulf of Fonseca are fertile lowland plains, with soil highly enriched by ash from nearby volcanoes of the central highlands.
Economy
Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Americas, only ahead of Haiti in terms of nominal per capita GDP. Its gross domestic product (GDP) in purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2023 was estimated at US$56.7 billion. In 2020, agriculture represented 15.5% of GDP, the highest percentage in Central America. Remittances account for over 15% of its GDP. Almost one billion dollars are sent annually to the country by Nicaraguans living abroad. The economy grew at a rate of about 4% in 2011. By 2019, given restrictive taxes and a civil conflict, it recorded a negative annual growth rate of −3.9%.
Demographics
According to a 2014 research published in the journal Genetics and Molecular Biology, European ancestry predominates in 69% of Nicaraguans, followed by African ancestry in 20%, and lastly indigenous ancestry in 11%. A Japanese research of "Genomic Components in America's demography" demonstrated that, on average, the ancestry of Nicaraguans is 58–62% European, 28% Native Nicaraguan, and 14% African, with a very small Near Eastern contribution.
Non-genetic data from the CIA World Factbook establish that from Nicaragua's 2016 population of 5,966,798, around 69% are mestizo, 17% white, 5% Native Nicaraguan, and 9% black and other races. This fluctuates with changes in migration patterns. The population is 58% urban as of 2013.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Nicaragua (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nicaragua: Key Facts
| Currency | Nicaraguan córdoba |
|---|---|
| Official language | Spanish |
| Head of state | Daniel Ortega |
| Head of government | Daniel Ortega |
| Form of government | republic |
| Calling code | +505 |
| Internet domain | .ni |
| Highest point | Cerro Mogotón |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea |
| Established | 1821 |
Facts from Wikidata Q811 (CC0).
History of Nicaragua: Empires and States
The atlas records 6 polities whose mapped territory included part of Nicaragua, from The Spanish Empire in 1526 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| The Spanish Empire | 1526–1821 CE | Nearly all |
| British Colonial Empire | 1744–1852 CE | A small part |
| The British Empire | 1744–1852 CE | A small part |
| United Provinces of Central America | 1824–1839 CE | Nearly all |
| Republic of Nicaragua | 1840–2024 CE | Nearly all |
| Mosquito Kingdom | 1853–1859 CE | A small part |
Historical Maps of Nicaragua
Nicaragua on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America by area and the least densely populated. Nicaraguans (or "Nicas" as they are often called) like to refer to their country as the "país de lagos y volcanes"; the country of lakes and volcanoes. And those are indeed striking features as Nicaragua contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca. Inside Lake Nicaragua the famed Volcano Concepcion on Ometepe rises to about a mile in altitude, but other volcanoes such as Momotombo or Mombacho are also impressive.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Nicaragua (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Nicaragua
19 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Managua | 920,000 | Managua | National capital |
| 2 | León | 164,441 | León | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Chinandega | 139,023 | Chinandega | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Masaya | 130,113 | Masaya | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Matagalpa | 109,089 | Matagalpa | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Estelí | 107,839 | Estelí | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Granada | 105,219 | Granada | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Juigalpa | 54,731 | Chontales | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Jinotega | 51,073 | Jinotega | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Bluefields | 44,373 | Atlántico Sur | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | Puerto Cabezas | 43,001 | Atlántico Norte | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Ocotal | 33,928 | Nueva Segovia | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Rivas | 31,941 | Nicaragua | Admin-1 capital |
| 14 | Jinotepe | 29,507 | Carazo | Admin-1 capital |
| 15 | Boaco | 29,046 | Boaco | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Somoto | 20,316 | Madriz | Admin-1 capital |
| 17 | San Carlos | 13,451 | Nicaragua | Admin-1 capital |
| 18 | San Juan del Sur | 7,790 | Nicaragua | Populated place |
| 19 | San Juan de Nicaragua | 1,000 | Nicaragua | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Nicaragua
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pico Mogotón | 2,106 m | 6,909 ft | North America |
Pico Mogotón
Mountain · 2,106 m
Pico Mogotón is a mountain rising to 2,106 metres (6,909 ft) in Nicaragua and Honduras, in the North America region. The summit stands on the border between them.
Mogotón is a mountain in the Reserva Nacional Cordillera Dipilto y Jalapa on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras; It rises 6,841 feet (2,085 m) above sea level and is the highest point in Nicaragua.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mogotón (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 2,106 m (6,909 ft)
- Global rank
- #398 of 641 indexed
- Region
- North America (#80)
- Subregion
- Central America
- Countries
- Nicaragua, Honduras
- Coordinates
- 13.7638°, -86.3914°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Pico Mogotón ranks #398 by elevation, below Hvannadalshnkur (2,110 m) and above Gora Tardoki-Yani (2,090 m).
- Ranges:
- Sierra Madre Oriental (North America), Blue Ridge (North America)
More about Pico Mogotón
Pico Mogotón: Key Facts
| Mountain range | Cordillera dariense |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q2092378 (CC0).
Largest Lakes in Nicaragua
2 lakes recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lago de Nicaragua | 8,172 km² | Lake |
| 2 | Lago de Managua | 1,042 km² | Lake |
Lago de Nicaragua
Lake · 8,172 km²
Lago de Nicaragua is a lake in Nicaragua, with a mapped surface area of about 8,172 km².
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada (Spanish: Lago de Nicaragua, Lago Cocibolca, Mar Dulce, Gran Lago, Gran Lago Dulce, or Lago de Granada) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. Of tectonic origin and with an area of 8,264 km2 (3,191 sq mi), it is the largest fresh water lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world (by area) and the tenth largest in the Americas, slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca. With an elevation of 32.7 metres (107 ft) above sea level, the lake reaches a depth of 26 metres (85 ft). The intermittent Tipitapa River feeds Lake Nicaragua when Lake Managua has high water. Lake Cocibolca is between two other bodies of water, on top is Lake Xolotlán and below is the San Juan River. These bodies of water complete the largest international drainage basin in Central America.
The lake drains via the San Juan River flowing east to the Caribbean Sea, historically making the city Granada on the northwest shore an Atlantic port, although Granada (as well as the entire lake) is closer to the Pacific Ocean geographically. The Pacific is near enough to be seen from the mountains of the largest island in the lake, Ometepe.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Nicaragua (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 8,172 km²
- Area rank
- #23 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Lake
- Country
- Nicaragua
- Coordinates
- 11.3718°, -85.2033°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Lago de Nicaragua ranks #23 by surface area, after Lake Volta (8,175 km²) and ahead of Lake Eyre North (8,144 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Other water nearby:
- Lago de Managua (1,042 km²), Lago de Izabal (733 km²)
More about Lago de Nicaragua
Lake ecology
Lake Nicaragua, despite being a freshwater lake, has sawfish, tarpon, and sharks. Initially, scientists thought the sharks in the lake were an endemic species, the Lake Nicaragua shark (Carcharhinus nicaraguensis). In 1961, following comparisons of specimens, it was synonymized with the widespread bull shark (C. leucas), a species also known for entering freshwater elsewhere around the world. It had been presumed that the sharks were trapped within the lake, but this was found to be incorrect in the late 1960s, when it was discovered that they were able to jump along the rapids of the San Juan River — which connects Lake Nicaragua with the Caribbean Sea — almost like salmon.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Nicaragua (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lago de Nicaragua: Key Facts
| Surface area | 8,264 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 60 m |
| Volume | 108 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 32 m |
| Inflows | Río Tipitapa, Celeste River, Río Limón, Río Ostayo, Río Sábalo |
| Outflows | Río San Juan |
| Drainage system | San Juan River basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q173862 (CC0).
Lago de Managua
Lake · 1,042 km²
Lago de Managua is a lake in Nicaragua, with a mapped surface area of about 1,042 km².
Lake Managua (Spanish: Lago de Managua, [maˈnaɣwa]), also known as Lake Xolotlán (Lago Xolotlán), is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. At 1,042 km², it is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) long and 25 kilometres (16 mi) wide. Similarly to the name of Lake Nicaragua, its other name comes from the Nahuatl language, possibly from the Spanish Tlaxcaltec and Mexica allies but most likely from the Nicarao tribes that had already settled in the region. The city of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, lies on its southwestern shore.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Managua (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 1,042 km²
- Area rank
- #192 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Lake
- Country
- Nicaragua
- Coordinates
- 12.3799°, -86.3636°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Lago de Managua ranks #192 by surface area, after Ozero Khantayskoye (1,045 km²) and ahead of Fort Peck Lake (1,040 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Other water nearby:
- Lago de Nicaragua (8,172 km²), Lago de Izabal (733 km²)
More about Lago de Managua
Lago de Managua: Key Facts
| Surface area | 1,042 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 80 m |
| Volume | 8 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 39 m |
Facts from Wikidata Q272380 (CC0).
Rivers in Nicaragua
4 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Coco | River | Honduras |
| Mico | River | — |
| Ro Grande de Matagalpa | River | — |
| San Juan | Lake reach | Costa Rica |
Ports in Nicaragua
4 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bluefields | 53 m | Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 2 | Puerto Sandino | 38.4 m | Very Small | Pacific Coast of North & Central America | large vessels |
| 3 | Puerto Cabezas | 38.4 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | medium vessels |
| 4 | Corinto | 31.1 m | Small | Pacific Coast of North & Central America | large vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nicaragua
1 World Heritage Site recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruínas de León Viejo | 2000 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Nicaragua
2 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central America | 787,235 km² | Isthmus | North America |
| 2 | Costa de los Mosquitos | 170 km² | Coast | North America |
Central America
Isthmus · 787,235 km²
Central America is an isthmus in North America (Central America), covering an estimated 787,235 km². It extends across Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Belize. It is the 20th-largest of the 231 landforms with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, and also, in specialized contexts, including Mexico. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, is high, which has caused death, injury, and property damage.
Central America includes portions of two recognized cultural areas: the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area, which encompasses modern Panama, Costa Rica, and the eastern portions of Nicaragua and Honduras, along with regions to the east; and the Mesoamerican cultural area, encompassing Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and the western portions of Honduras and Nicaragua, along with the southern part of Mexico.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Central America (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Isthmus
- Mapped extent
- 787,235 km²
- Size rank
- #20 of 231 landforms
- Region
- North America
- Subregion
- Central America
- Countries
- Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Belize
- Coordinates
- 13.8877°, -85.5972°
- Summits:
- Pico Mogotón (2,106 m)
- Ranges:
- Sierra Madre Oriental (North America), Blue Ridge (North America)
More about Central America
Geography
Central America is a part of North America consisting of a tapering isthmus running from the southern extent of Mexico to the northwestern portion of South America. Central America has the Gulf of Mexico, a body of water within the Atlantic Ocean, to the north; the Caribbean Sea, also part of the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast; and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Some physiographists define the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the northern geographic border of Central America, while others use the northwestern borders of Belize and Guatemala. From there, the Central American land mass extends southeastward to the Atrato River, where it connects to the Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America.
History
Central America was formed more than 3 million years ago, as part of the Isthmus of Panama, when its portion of land connected each side of water.
In the Pre-Columbian era, the northern areas of Central America were inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. Most notable among these were the Mayans, who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the Aztecs, who had created a vast empire. The pre-Columbian cultures of eastern Honduras, Caribbean Nicaragua, most of Costa Rica and Panama were predominantly speakers of the Chibchan languages at the time of European contact and are considered by some culturally different and grouped in the Isthmo-Colombian Area.
Economy
Signed in 2004, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is an agreement between the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The treaty is aimed at promoting free trade among its members.
Guatemala has the largest economy in the region. Its main exports are coffee, sugar, bananas, petroleum, clothing, and cardamom. Of its 10.29 billion dollar annual exports, 40.2% go to the United States, 11.1% to neighboring El Salvador, 8% to Honduras, 5.5% to Mexico, 4.7% to Nicaragua, and 4.3% to Costa Rica.
The region is particularly attractive for companies (especially clothing companies) because of its geographical proximity to the United States, very low wages and considerable tax advantages.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Central America (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Central America: Key Facts
| Area | 560,988 km² |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Volcán Tajumulco |
Facts from Wikidata Q27611 (CC0).
States and Provinces of Nicaragua
1 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Nicaragua
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in North America
Nicaragua: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Nicaragua?
- The capital of Nicaragua is Managua.
- What is the population of Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua has a population of about 7.01 million, the #109 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua covers 120,340 km², ranking #100 by area, with about 58 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Nicaragua in?
- Nicaragua is in North America.
- Which countries border Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua shares a land or maritime border with Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica.
- What is the largest city in Nicaragua?
- Managua is the largest city in Nicaragua, with a metropolitan population of about 920,000.
- What is the highest mountain in Nicaragua?
- The highest summit recorded for Nicaragua in YearMaps is Pico Mogotón at 2,106 m (6,909 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Nicaragua?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Nicaragua is Lago de Nicaragua, at roughly 8,172 km².