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Nicaragua - Geography (Facts)

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: 129,494 sq km land: 120,254 sq km water: 9,240 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the state of New York Land boundaries: total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km Coastline: 910 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural prolongation Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands 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 highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish Land use: arable land: 14.81% permanent crops: 1.82% other: 83.37% (2005) Irrigated land: 610 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification Geography - note: largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua