Facts about Nicaragua
Capital: Managua
Size of country: 46,430 square miles--slightly smaller than New York state.
Location: Nicaragua is bordered by: Honduras to the north; Costa Rica to the south; the Caribbean to the east; and the Pacific to the west.
Climate: Nicaragua is hot with an average temperature of 82º F year round. Humidity averages around 75% and there are two seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season is from May to mid-November and dry in the months in between. Almost all days year round begin sunny on the Pacific with rains coming in the afternoon and night which are of short duration. The hottest time of year is from February to May, when temperature often reach towards 100°F and days can be windy. The Pacific region experiences the longest dry season and the dry season becomes progressively shorter as you head east towards the Caribbean.
Yahoo weather forecast for cities in Nicaragua is located at http://weather.yahoo.com/regional/NUXX.html
Coordinates: 13 00 N, 85 00 W
Currency: The official currency is the Cordoba. For the exchange rates go to http://www.fms.treas.gov/intn.html
Economy: Nicaragua's economy is one of the most dynamic aspects about the nation. In the last ten years, inflation has gone from more than 10,000% to 7% and foreign investment is now in the billions of dollars. Based on agriculture, principal export items being coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, beef, tobacco, sesame seed, rice, corn, beans, and sorghum.
Primary trade partners: United States, Central America, Canada, Germany.
Electricity: 110V/60cycles.
Official Language: Spanish, however you will encounter English and indigenous languages on the Atlantic or Carribean coast.
Political Status: Democratic constitutional republic.
Population: 5 million
Time: Standard Time is 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-6). Nicaragua does not observe Daylight-Saving Time.
National holidays: New Year's Day (January 1), Holy Thursday (variable), Good Friday (variable), Labor Day (May 1), Sandinista Revolution Day (July 19), Festival of Santo Domingo (August 1), Battle of San Jacinto (September 14), Independence Day (September 15), Immaculate Conception Day (December 8), Christmas Day (December 25)
Religion: primarily Roman Catholic
Currency: Nicaraguan Gold Córdoba (C$) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of C$100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1, and 50, 25, 10 and 5 centavos. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at the airport, at banks and at official bureaux de change in major cities. The exchange rate will vary so check before visiting Nicaragua at
http://www.fms.treas.gov/intn.html .
Credit & debit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club are accepted in fine dining establishments, and traveler’s checks are accepted in a number of restaurants and banks. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
National Banking hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm.
