Nicaragua - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Nicaragua, it was Nicarao was the name of the largest indigenous settlement at the time of Spanish arrival; conquistador Gil GONZALEZ Davila, who explored the area (1622-23), combined the name of the community with the Spanish word "agua" (water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua). The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
National symbols
Turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white.
The flag
The National flag of Nicaragua has three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water.
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note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
The National Anthem
| Title | "Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO |
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note: although only officially adopted in 1971, the music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939; the tune, originally from Spain, was used as an anthem for Nicaragua from the 1830s until 1876
More about the government of Nicaragua
| Date of Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Legal system | civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987 |
| Amendments | Proposed by the president of the republic or assent of at least half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires approval by 60% of the membership of the next elected Assembly and promulgation by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2021 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | yes |
| Citizenship by descent only | yes |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no, except in cases where bilateral agreements exist |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 4 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007) |
| Head of government | President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the president |
| Elections/appointments | president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026) |
| Election results | 2021: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a fourth consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 75.9%, Walter ESPINOZA (PLC) 14.3%, Guillermo OSORNO (CCN) 3.3%, Marcelo MONTIEL (ALN) 3.1%, other 3.4% 2016: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a third consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7% |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 statutory seats, current 91; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies, representing the country's 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions, and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; up to 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms) |
| Elections | Last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 75, PLC 9, ALN 2, APRE 1, CCN 1, PLI 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 42, women 49, percentage women 53.9% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms |
| Subordinate courts | Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires M. Lautaro SANDINO Montes (since 23 February 2024) |
| Chancery | 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 939-6570 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 939-6545 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] United States of America | ConsuladoDeNicaragua.com |
| Consulate(s) general | Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Kevin Michael O'REILLY (since 28 June 2023) |
| Embassy | Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua |
| Mailing address | 3240 Managua Place, Washington DC 20521-3240 |
| Telephone | [505] 2252-7100, |
| FAX | [505] 2252-7250 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://ni.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 2 (both cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Ruins of León Viejo; León Cathedral |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Nicaragua
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Nicaragua
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