|
Country
|
Israel | 
Nicaragua |
|
Leader
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
President: Daniel Ortega
|
|
Population
|
7,590,758
| 5,727,707
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
81.070 years
| 72.180 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Jerusalem
| Managua
|
|
Largest city
|
| Jerusalem (population: 714,000) | Managua (population: 973,087) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.93
| 0.699
|
| GDP per capita |
$31,400 US
| $3,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
97.1%
| 67.5%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
6
| 2.5
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
14.2%
| 18.5%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.600%
| 7.300%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
| 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
|
| Religions |
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
| Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)
|
| Languages |
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
| Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
| coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
|
| External Debt |
$102,300,000,000 $
| $4,073,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
| gold cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 19.374 (2008 est.), 18.457 (2007), 17.582 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
7.300%
| 0.600%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
1
| 0
|
| Location |
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
| Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
|
| Area |
20,770 km sq
| 130,370 km sq
|
| Coastline |
273 km
| 910 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
| tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
|
|
|
|
