|
Country
|
Nicaragua | 
Dominican Republic |
|
Leader
|
President: Daniel Ortega
|
President: Danilo Medina
|
|
Population
|
5,727,707
| 10,088,598
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
72.180 years
| 77.440 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Managua
| Santo Domingo
|
|
Largest city
|
| Managua (population: 973,087) | Juan Dolio (population: 8,581,480) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.699
| 0.768
|
| GDP per capita |
$3,200 US
| $9,400 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
67.5%
| 87%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.5
| 3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
18.5%
| 17.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.300%
| 13.100%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| democratic republic
|
|
Independence date
|
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
| 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)
| Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
|
| Languages |
Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
| Spanish
|
| Exports |
coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
| ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods
|
| External Debt |
$4,073,000,000 $
| $14,420,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
gold cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 19.374 (2008 est.), 18.457 (2007), 17.582 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004)
| Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 34.775 (2008 est.), 33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.600%
| 0.700%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 2
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
| Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
|
| Area |
130,370 km sq
| 48,670 km sq
|
| Coastline |
910 km
| 1,288 km
|
| Climate |
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
| tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
|
|
|
|
