{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "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 a civic-military coalition, spearheaded by the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra to power in 1979. 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, former Sandinista President Daniel 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 weakened under the ORTEGA regime as the president has garnered full control over all branches of government, especially after cracking down on a nationwide pro-democracy protest movement in 2018. In the lead-up to the 2021 presidential election, authorities arrested over 40 individuals linked to the political opposition, including presidential candidates, private sector leaders, NGO workers, human rights defenders, and journalists. Only five lesser-known presidential candidates of mostly small parties allied to ORTEGA's Sandinistas were allowed to run against ORTEGA in the November 2021 election."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "13 00 N, 85 00 W"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Central America and the Caribbean"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "130,370 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "119,990 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "10,380 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1,253 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Costa Rica 313 km; Honduras 940 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "910 km"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "territorial sea": {
        "text": "12 nm"
      },
      "contiguous zone": {
        "text": "24 nm"
      },
      "continental shelf": {
        "text": "natural prolongation"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Mogoton 2,085 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "Pacific Ocean 0 m"
      },
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "298 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "42.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 12.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 27.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "25.3% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "32.5% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "1,990 sq km (2012)"
    },
    "Major lakes (area sq km)": {
      "fresh water lake(s)": {
        "text": "Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "<p>destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes</p><p><strong>volcanism:</strong> significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m), which last erupted in 1999, 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</p>"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "6,359,689 (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Nicaraguan(s)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Nicaraguan"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and White) 69%, White 17%, Black 9%, Amerindian 5%"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "Languages": {
        "text": "Spanish (official) 95.3%, Miskito 2.2%, Mestizo of the Caribbean coast 2%, other 0.5%; note - English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast (2005 est.)"
      },
      "major-language sample(s)": {
        "text": "<br>La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information."
      }
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Roman Catholic 50%, Evangelical 33.2%, other 2.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 13.2% (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Demographic profile": {
      "text": "<p>Despite being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Nicaragua has improved its access to potable water and sanitation and has ameliorated its life expectancy, infant and child mortality, and immunization rates. However, income distribution is very uneven, and the poor, agriculturalists, and indigenous people continue to have less access to healthcare services. Nicaragua's total fertility rate has fallen from around 6 children per woman in 1980 to below replacement level today, but the high birth rate among adolescents perpetuates a cycle of poverty and low educational attainment.</p><p>Nicaraguans emigrate primarily to Costa Rica and to a lesser extent the United States. Nicaraguan men have been migrating seasonally to Costa Rica to harvest bananas and coffee since the early 20th century. Political turmoil, civil war, and natural disasters from the 1970s through the 1990s dramatically increased the flow of refugees and permanent migrants seeking jobs, higher wages, and better social and healthcare benefits. Since 2000, Nicaraguan emigration to Costa Rica has slowed and stabilized. Today roughly 300,000 Nicaraguans are permanent residents of Costa Rica - about 75% of the foreign population - and thousands more migrate seasonally for work, many illegally.</p>"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "24.16% (male 784,847/female 751,616)"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "69.36% (male 2,134,871/female 2,276,522)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "6.48% (2023 est.) (male 180,441/female 231,392)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "54.4"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "46.4"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "8"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "12.6 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "27.3 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "26.4 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "28.2 years (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "0.91% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "16.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "5.19 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-2.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "59.8% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "1.095 million MANAGUA (capital) (2023)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.05 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.04 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "0.94 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.78 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.95 male(s)/female (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "19.2 years (2011/12 est.)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29"
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "78 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "18.63 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "21.7 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "75.05 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "72.84 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "77.36 years (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "1.78 children born/woman (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Gross reproduction rate": {
      "text": "0.87 (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "80.4% (2011/12)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 97.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 62.6% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 83.2% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 2.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 37.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 16.8% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current health expenditure": {
      "text": "8.6% of GDP (2020)"
    },
    "Physicians density": {
      "text": "1.67 physicians/1,000 population (2018)"
    },
    "Hospital bed density": {
      "text": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 89.9% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 66.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 80.3% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 10.1% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 33.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 19.7% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "degree of risk": {
        "text": "high (2023)"
      },
      "food or waterborne diseases": {
        "text": "bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
      },
      "vectorborne diseases": {
        "text": "dengue fever and malaria"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "23.7% (2016)"
    },
    "Alcohol consumption per capita": {
      "total": {
        "text": "3.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "beer": {
        "text": "1.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "wine": {
        "text": "0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "spirits": {
        "text": "2.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "other alcohols": {
        "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "4.6% (2011/12)"
    },
    "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": {
      "text": "56% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "82.6%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "82.4%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "82.8% (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "11.6%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "10.2%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "15.5% (2021 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "none of the selected agreements"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "42.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 12.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 27.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "25.3% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "32.5% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "59.8% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from forest resources": {
      "text": "1.26% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Revenue from coal": {
      "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "16.87 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "5.59 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "6.46 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "1,528,816 tons (2010 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major lakes (area sq km)": {
      "fresh water lake(s)": {
        "text": "Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "286 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "1.08 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "164.52 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "Republic of Nicaragua"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Nicaragua"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "Rep&uacute;blica de Nicaragua"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Nicaragua"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "Nicarao was the name of the largest indigenous settlement at the time of Spanish arrival; conquistador Gil GONZALEZ Davila, who explored the area (1622-23), combined the name of the community with the Spanish word \"agua\" (water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua)"
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "presidential republic"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Managua"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "12 08 N, 86 15 W"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "may derive from the indigenous Nahuatl term \"mana-ahuac,\" which translates as \"adjacent to the water\" or a site \"surrounded by water\"; the city is situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua"
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or assent of at least half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires approval by 60% of the membership of the next elected Assembly and promulgation by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2021"
      }
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts"
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "no, except in cases where bilateral agreements exist"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "4 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "16 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits as of 2014); election last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "<br><em>2021:</em> Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a fourth consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 75.9%, Walter ESPINOZA (PLC) 14.3%, Guillermo OSORNO (CCN) 3.3%, Marcelo MONTIEL (ALN) 3.1%, other 3.4%<br><em><br>2016:</em> Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a third consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7%"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "description": {
        "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 statutory seats, current 91; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies, representing the country's 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions, and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; up to 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms)"
      },
      "elections": {
        "text": "last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 75, PLC 10, ALN 2, APRE 1, PLI 2, YATAMA 1; composition - men 45, women 46, percent of women 50.6%"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court"
      }
    },
    "Political parties and leaders": {
      "text": "Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Carlos CANALES]<br>Alternative for Change or AC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Orlando Jose TARDENCILLA]<br>Autonomous Liberal Party or PAL [Rene Margarito BELLO ROMERO]<strong><br></strong>Caribbean Unity Movement or PAMUC [Armando Francisco ARISTA FLORES]<br>Christian Unity Party or PUC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Guillermo Daniel ORTEGA REYES]<strong><br></strong>Citizens for Liberty or CxL [Carmella ROGERS AUMBURN]; note - barred from participating in the presidential election by the Supreme Electoral Council on 6 August 2021<br>Conservative Party or PC [Alfredo CESAR Aguirre]<br>Democratic Restoration Party or PRD [Saturnino CERRATO]; note - canceled by the Supreme Electoral Council on 18 May 2021<br>Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Mario ASENSIO]<br>Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Maria Haydee OSUNA]<br>Moskitia Indigenous Progressive Movement or MOSKITIA PAWANKA (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Wycliff Diego BLANDON]<br>Multiethnic Indigenous Party or PIM (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Carla Elvis WHITE HODGSON]<br>Nationalist Liberal Party or PLN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Constantino Raul VELASQUEZ]<br>Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti]<br>Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or CCN [Guillermo OSORNO]<br>Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Julio Cesar BLANDON SANCHEZ]<strong><br></strong>Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]<br>Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Suyen BARAHONA Cuan]; note - canceled by the Supreme Electoral Council on 21 June 2008; in January 2021, they rebranded and now call themselves Democratic Renovation Union or UNAMOS<br>Sons of Mother Earth or YATAMA [Brooklyn RIVERA]<br>The New Sons of Mother Earth Movement or MYATAMARAN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Osorno Salomon COLEMAN]"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker (since 28 June 2010)"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 939-6570"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 939-6545"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni"
      },
      "consulate(s) general": {
        "text": "Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Kevin K. SULLIVAN (since 14 November 2018)"
      },
      "embassy": {
        "text": "Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "3240 Managua Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-3240"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[505] 2252-7100,"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[505] 2252-7250"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>ACS.Managua@state.gov<br><br>https://ni.usembassy.gov/"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "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; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> 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"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"Salve a ti, Nicaragua\" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua)"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> although only officially adopted in 1971, the music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939; the tune, originally from Spain, was used as an anthem for Nicaragua from the 1830s until 1876"
    },
    "National heritage": {
      "total World Heritage Sites": {
        "text": "2 (both cultural)"
      },
      "selected World Heritage Site locales": {
        "text": "Ruins of Le&oacute;n Viejo; Le&oacute;n Cathedral"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": {
        "text": "$38.628 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": {
        "text": "$35.007 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": {
        "text": "$35.645 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2021": {
        "text": "10.34% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2020": {
        "text": "-1.79% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2019": {
        "text": "-3.78% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2021": {
        "text": "$5,600 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2020": {
        "text": "$5,200 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2019": {
        "text": "$5,300 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$12.57 billion (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": {
        "text": "4.93% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020": {
        "text": "3.68% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": {
        "text": "5.38% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Credit ratings": {
      "Fitch rating": {
        "text": "B- (2018)"
      },
      "Moody's rating": {
        "text": "B3 (2020)"
      },
      "Standard & Poors rating": {
        "text": "B- (2018)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained."
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "15.5% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "24.4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "60% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "69.9% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "15.3% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "28.1% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "1.7% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "41.2% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-55.4% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "sugar cane, milk, rice, maize, plantains, groundnuts, cassava, beans, coffee, poultry"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "21.28% (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "3.042 million (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force - by occupation": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "31%"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "18%"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "50% (2011 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2021": {
        "text": "5.96% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2020": {
        "text": "6.08% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2019": {
        "text": "5.21% (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> underemployment was 46.5% in 2008"
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "11.6%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "10.2%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "15.5% (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "24.9% (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": {
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014": {
        "text": "46.2 (2014 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "1.8%"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "47.1% (2014)"
      }
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$3.452 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$3.511 billion (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": {
      "text": "-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2017": {
        "text": "33.3% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Public debt 2016": {
        "text": "31.2% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> official data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; Nicaragua rebased its GDP figures in 2012, which reduced the figures for debt as a percentage of GDP"
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "17.2% (of GDP) (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Fiscal year": {
      "text": "calendar year"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2021": {
        "text": "-$316.6 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2020": {
        "text": "$496.7 million (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2019": {
        "text": "$754.1 million (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2021": {
        "text": "$6.617 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Exports 2020": {
        "text": "$5.342 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Exports 2019": {
        "text": "$5.714 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      }
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "United States 60%, El Salvador 5%, Mexico 5% (2019)"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "clothing and apparel, gold, insulated wiring, coffee, beef, cigars (2021)"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2021": {
        "text": "$8.306 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Imports 2020": {
        "text": "$5.939 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Imports 2019": {
        "text": "$6.252 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      }
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "United States 27%, Mexico 12%, China 11%, Guatemala 9%, Costa Rica 7%, El Salvador 6%, Honduras 6% (2019)"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, crude petroleum, packaged medicines, insulated wiring (2019)"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": {
        "text": "$4.047 billion (31 December 2021 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020": {
        "text": "$3.212 billion (31 December 2020 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019": {
        "text": "$2.397 billion (31 December 2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 2019": {
        "text": "$11.674 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Debt - external 2018": {
        "text": "$11.771 billion (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "Currency": {
        "text": "cordobas (NIO) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2021": {
        "text": "35.171 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2020": {
        "text": "34.342 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2019": {
        "text": "33.122 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2018": {
        "text": "31.553 (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2017": {
        "text": "30.051 (2017 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "population without electricity": {
        "text": "(2020) less than 1 million"
      },
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "86.2% (2021)"
      },
      "electrification - urban areas": {
        "text": "100% (2021)"
      },
      "electrification - rural areas": {
        "text": "66.3% (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity": {
      "installed generating capacity": {
        "text": "1.837 million kW (2020 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "3,182,620,000 kWh (2019 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "0 kWh (2019 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "434 million kWh (2019 est.)"
      },
      "transmission/distribution losses": {
        "text": "1.89 billion kWh (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity generation sources": {
      "fossil fuels": {
        "text": "37.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "nuclear": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "solar": {
        "text": "0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "wind": {
        "text": "15.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "hydroelectricity": {
        "text": "12.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "tide and wave": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "geothermal": {
        "text": "16.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "biomass and waste": {
        "text": "17.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Coal": {
      "production": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Petroleum": {
      "total petroleum production": {
        "text": "200 bbl/day (2021 est.)"
      },
      "refined petroleum consumption": {
        "text": "35,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil and lease condensate exports": {
        "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil and lease condensate imports": {
        "text": "13,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil estimated reserves": {
        "text": "0 barrels (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - production": {
      "text": "14,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - exports": {
      "text": "460 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - imports": {
      "text": "20,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas": {
      "production": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions": {
      "total emissions": {
        "text": "4.851 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "from coal and metallurgical coke": {
        "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "from petroleum and other liquids": {
        "text": "4.851 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "from consumed natural gas": {
        "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Energy consumption per capita": {
      "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": {
        "text": "14.916 million Btu/person (2019 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "207,577 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "3 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "6,233,864 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "91 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "Nicaragua&rsquo;s telecoms market has mirrored the country&rsquo;s poor economic achievements, with fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration also being the lowest in Central America; the fixed line broadband market remains nascent, with population penetration below 4%; most internet users are concentrated in the largest cities, given that rural and marginal areas lack access to the most basic telecom infrastructure; internet caf&eacute;s provide public access to internet and email services, but these also tend to be restricted to the larger population centers; to address poor infrastructure, the World Bank has funded a project aimed at improving connectivity via a national fiber broadband network; there are separate schemes to improve broadband in eastern regions and provide links to Caribbean submarine cables; the number of mobile subscribers overtook the number of fixed lines in early 2002, and the mobile sector now accounts for most lines in service (2021)"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "fixed-line teledensity is 3 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 91 per 100 persons (2021)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "multiple terrestrial TV stations, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; nearly all are government-owned or affiliated; more than 300 radio stations, both government-affiliated and privately owned (2019)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".ni"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "total": {
        "text": "3.933 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "57% (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": {
      "total": {
        "text": "290,351 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "4 (2020 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "number of registered air carriers": {
        "text": "1 (2020)"
      },
      "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": {
        "text": "7"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "YN"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "147 (2021)"
    },
    "Airports - with paved runways": {
      "text": "12",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)"
    },
    "Airports - with unpaved runways": {
      "text": "135",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control"
    },
    "Pipelines": {
      "text": "54 km oil (2013)"
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "23,897 km (2014)"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "3,346 km (2014)"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "20,551 km (2014)"
      }
    },
    "Waterways": {
      "text": "2,220 km (2011) (navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country)"
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3 (2022)"
      }
    },
    "Ports and terminals": {
      "major seaport(s)": {
        "text": "Bluefields, Corinto"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Forces (Fuerza Terrestre); Naval Forces (Fuerza Naval); Air Forces (Fuerza Aérea) (2023)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> both the military and the Nicaraguan National Police (Policía Nacional de Nicaragua or PNN) report directly to the president; Parapolice, which are nonuniformed, armed, and masked units with marginal tactical training and loose hierarchical organization, act in coordination with government security forces and report directly to the National Police; they have been used to suppress anti-government protesters"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2022": {
        "text": "0.5% of GDP (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2021": {
        "text": "0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2020": {
        "text": "0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "0.6% of GDP (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2018": {
        "text": "0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2022)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "the military's inventory includes mostly secondhand Russian/Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has been the leading arms supplier to Nicaragua (2023)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2022)"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "the military is responsible for defending Nicaragua’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, but also has some domestic security responsibilities; key tasks include border security, assisting the police, protecting natural resources, and providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance; it has ties with the militaries of Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia; Russia has provided training support and equipment <br><br>the military’s Land Forces have a mechanized brigade and approximately 8 regional commands or detachments, each with 1 or more light infantry battalions; there is also a small special operations command; the Naval Forces operate patrol boats and have a naval infantry battalion; the Air Forces do not possess any combat aircraft <br><br>the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984); prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s; the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA GARCIA, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956; his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979; the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas (2023)"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Disputes - international": {
      "text": "<p><em>Nicaragua-El Salvador-Honduras</em>: the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; the court ruled, rather, that the Gulf of Fonseca represents a condominium, with control being shared by El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua; the decision allowed for the possibility that the three nations could divide the waters at a later date if they wished to do so</p> <p><em>Nicaragua-Costa Rica</em><strong>: </strong>Nicaragua and Costa Rica regularly file border dispute cases with the ICJ over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island, virtually uninhabited areas claimed by both countries; there is an ongoing case in the ICJ to determine Pacific and Atlantic ocean maritime borders as well as land borders; in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region; in 2018, the ICJ ruled that Nicaragua must remove a military base from a contested coastal area near the San Juan River, and that Costa Rica had sovereignty over the northern part of Isla Portillos, including the coast, but excluding Harbour Head Lagoon; additionally, Honduras was required to pay reparations for environmental damage to part of the wetlands at the mouth of the San Juan River</p> <p><em>Nicaragua-Colombia</em><strong>: </strong>Nicaragua filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Colombia in 2013 over the delimitation of the Continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast, as well as over the alleged violation by Colombia of Nicaraguan maritime space in the Caribbean Sea, which contains rich oil and fish resources; as of September 2021, Colombia refuses to abide by the ICJ ruling</p> <p><em>Nicaragua-Honduras</em>: none identified</p>"
    },
    "Trafficking in persons": {
      "tier rating": {
        "text": "Tier 3 —<strong> </strong>Nicaragua does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government took some steps to address trafficking, prosecuting eight alleged traffickers and convicting four sex traffickers; however, the government continued to downplay the severity of the trafficking problem, denying that traffickers exploited Nicaraguans in foreign countries; officials did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees, despite endemic corruption and widespread official complicity; the government did not cooperate with NGOs and civil society in a national anti-trafficking coalition seeking to identify and provide services to victims (2022)"
      },
      "trafficking profile": {
        "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Nicaragua and Nicaraguans abroad; women, children, and migrants are most at risk; women and children are subject to sex trafficking within the country and its two Caribbean autonomous regions, as well as in other Central American countries, Mexico, Spain, and the United States; traffickers used social media to recruit victims with promises of higher-paying jobs in restaurants, hotels, domestic service, construction, and security outside of Nicaragua where they are subjected to sex or labor trafficking; traffickers force children to participate in illegal drug production and trafficking, while others are forced to work in artisanal mines and quarries; children and persons with disabilities are subjected to forced begging; Nicaragua is a destination for child sex tourists from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe (2022)"
      }
    },
    "Illicit drugs": {
      "text": "<br> <p>transit route for illicit drugs originating from South America destined for the United States</p> <p> </p>"
    }
  }
}