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A Land Rich in Natural Resources

Quick Facts: The Geography of Nicaragua

Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras. Geographic coordinates: 13’00”N, 85’00”W Area: (slightly smaller than New York) total: 129,494 sq. km land: 120,254 sq. km water: 9,240 sq. km borders: Costa Rica, 309 km; Honduras, 922 km; coastline: 910 km. Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain

interrupted by volcanoes. Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in the highlands. Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mogotón 2,438 m Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish. Land use: arable land: 14.81 percent permanent crops: 1.82 percent other: 83.37 percent Irrigated land: 610 sq. km

Source: CIA World Factbook 2015

F; 10° C). Tierra fría , the “cold land,” is found only on and near the highest peaks of the central highlands, at elevations above 2,000 feet (610 meters). Daytime averages in this region are around 52° F (11° C), with nighttime lows below 45° F (7° C). Rainfall, however, does vary greatly in Nicaragua. First, rainfall is seasonal—May through October is the rainy season, and December through April is the driest period. Second, the Caribbean lowlands are the wettest section of Central America, receiving between 8 and 16 feet of rain annually. The western slopes of the central highlands and the Pacific lowlands receive considerably less annual rainfall, being protected from humid Caribbean trade winds by the peaks of the central highlands.