Page last updated on February 23,

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:
total: 130,370 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 98
land: 119,990 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 10,380 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New York state

Land boundaries:
total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
910 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation

Climate:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
More Climate Details

Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Land use:
arable land: 14.81%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 1.82%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 83.37% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
610 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
196.7 cu km (2000)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.3 cu km/yr (15%/2%/83%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
volcanism: Nicaragua experiences 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

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
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

Geography - note:
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua