OVERVIEW

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, 130,000 km2. It's bordered to the north by Honduras, to the south by Costa Rica, to the east by the Caribbean Sea and to the west by the Pacific Ocean.

Capital: Managua, estimated population is just above one million.

Working Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and from 2:00 p.m. until 5 or 6 p.m. Saturday most business are open from 8 a.m. until noon.

Population: Nicaragua has 4.5 million inhabitants, most of which live in the Pacific basin.

Languages: The official language is Spanish.  Others are Nahuat, Miskito, Creole English and Rama. English is not widely spoken.

Currency: The official currency is the Cordoba which is equivalent to approximately 6 US cents (as of March 2005). US dollars and credit cards are welcome in most places.

Time: Nicaragua does not turn its clock back or forward. So during Standard Time in the USA, Nicaragua's time corresponds to US. Central Time. During the summer Daylight Savings period, the local time corresponds to US. Mountain Time.