Nicaragua's Geography | Nicaragua Geography

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: 200 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: 15.94% permanent crops: 1.94% other: 82.12% (2001)

Irrigated land: 880 sq km (1998 est.)

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 signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

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

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