Nicaragua boasts many of the attractions characteristic of Central America but with fewer visitors than its more popular neighbours like Costa Rica and Guatemala. The Spanish colonial influence is still strongly felt in the atmospheric and charismatic cities of Granada and León. These towns are located amidst Nicaragua's dominant natural features - the active and spectacular volcanoes that dot the country and the vast Lake Nicaragua. Getting up close and personal with a bubbling volcano crater is a must-do in Nicaragua, whilst Ometepe Island on the lake has some fascinating scenery and wildlife. The east of the country is less visited but a journey to the Caribbean coast is rewarded with some downtime on the laid back and unspoilt paradise of the Corn Islands. Explore in depth highlights of Nicaragua.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
|---|---|---|
| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT -6 (Central America time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Spanish |
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| Other languages: | Creole, English, Garifuna, Miskito, Rama, Sumo |
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| Currency: |
cordobas (NIO) €1 = C$33.00, $1 = C$29.58, £1 = C$39.34 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .ni | International Dialling Code: 505 |
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For help planning your trip to Nicaragua including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Nicaragua trip planning page.
Further information on Nicaragua
Discover more about Nicaragua - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 129,494 sq km (9,240 sq km under water)
Coastline: 910 km (Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean)
Neighbours (border lengths): Costa Rica (309km), Honduras (922km)
Climate: Tropical climate in lowlands and cooler in the highlands with a rainy season between May and October. Very susceptible to hurricanes with occasional earthquake and volcano damage.
Highest mountain: Mogoton (2,438m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Nicaragua from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Partly Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 94/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 108/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Noticeable problems | 73/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Some rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | High corruption | 133/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 94/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Republic of Nicaragua Status: Independent Country
Population: 5,848,641 (rank: 109/196) Density: 45.1 people/sq km (rank: 137/196)
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)
GDP (PPP): $27.86 billion GDP per capita: $4,500 (rank: 137/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.