Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 85 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
130,370 sq km
country comparison to the world: 98
land:
119,990 sq km
water:
10,380 sq km
Area comparison map:
total:
1,231 km
border countries:
Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
910 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
natural prolongation
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
More Climate Details
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mogoton 2,438 m
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
arable land:
14.57%
permanent crops:
1.76%
other:
83.66% (2011)
942.4 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
196.6 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
1.39 cu km/yr (23%/4%/73%)
per capita:
265.9 cu m/yr (2008)
destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
volcanism:
significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (elev. 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
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua