Nicaragua is a sovereign country in Central America, in the wider region of the Americas. In formal use it is Republic of Nicaragua. Managua is the capital.
Around 6.9 million people live there, placing it 109th of 250 by population — between Paraguay above it and Serbia below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 1st of 7 in size and 3rd in population.
By land area it covers 130,373 km², which ranks it 99th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Greece and just ahead of North Korea. For scale, it is almost exactly the same size as Greece.
How Nicaragua sits on the globe
Its reference point sits at 13.0° north and 85.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,447 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Sudan, Chad and Yemen.
2 countries share a land border with it: Costa Rica and Honduras. The largest of them by area is Honduras, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 16.0 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
People, population and language
Spread across 130,373 km², that works out at about 53 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
People from Nicaragua are called Nicaraguans.
Spanish is the only official language. Spanish is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 23 other entries including Argentina, Belize, Bolivia and Chile.
Inside the Americas it places 18th of 56 by population, and it accounts for 13% of everyone living in Central America.
Currency, domain and dialling code
It uses the Nicaraguan córdoba (C$, NIO). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Nicaragua.
The top-level domain is .ni. Calls from overseas start with +505. Its ISO codes are ni and NIC, which is what most databases and flag files use.
Managua is the city to remember for this country.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Nicaragua shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Nicaragua
- Websites based there use the .ni domain.
- Spanish is official here and in 23 other entries worldwide.
- It lies about 1,447 km from the equator, in tropical latitudes.
- Population density works out at roughly 53 people per square kilometre.
- People from Nicaragua are known as Nicaraguans.
- The Nicaraguan córdoba is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- It is 109th of 250 by population, with about 6.9 million residents.
- Sudan and Chad sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
Nicaragua — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Nicaragua?
- The capital of Nicaragua is Managua.
- What is the population of Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua has a population of about 6.9 million, which makes it the 109th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Paraguay sits just above it and Serbia just below.
- What language is spoken in Nicaragua?
- The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish. It is also official in 23 other entries on this list.
- Where is Nicaragua located?
- Nicaragua is in Central America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 13.0° north and 85.0° west, roughly 1,447 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- What currency does Nicaragua use?
- Nicaragua uses the Nicaraguan córdoba, written C$ (currency code NIO). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- How big is Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua covers 130,373 km², ranking 99th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Greece.
- Is Nicaragua a country?
- Yes. Nicaragua is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua borders 2 countries: Costa Rica and Honduras. Honduras is the largest of them by area.
