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 ]
land: 119,990 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 10,380 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 99

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state
Area comparison map: slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state

Land boundaries:
total: 1,253 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (2): Costa Rica 313 km, Honduras 940 km

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: natural prolongation
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

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:
mean elevation: 298 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mogoton 2,085 m

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

Land use:
agricultural land: 42.2% arable land 12.5%; permanent crops 2.5%; permanent pasture 27.2%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 25.3%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 32.5% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
1,990 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (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