The People

About 69 per cent of the people of Nicaragua are of mixed Spanish and Indian descent. Those of European descent account for about 17 per cent, and Indians for only 5 per cent. About 9 per cent are descendants of blacks brought from Jamaica in the 19th century. Nicaragua's population density is about 87 persons per square mile (34 per km 2). Some three-fourths of the people live in the Pacific coast area. About half of the people live in urban areas.

Spanish is the official language. Indian dialects and English are spoken in part of the Caribbean plain.

Nearly 90 per cent of the people of Nicaragua are Roman Catholics. There are various Protestant denominations, mainly on the eastern coast.

Primary education begins at age seven and lasts six years. Secondary education lasts up to five years, consisting of a two-year cycle followed by a three-year cycle. Institutions of higher learning include the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, with campuses at León and Managua; the Central American University, a Roman Catholic institution in Managua; the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua, in Managua; and the National University of Engineering, in Managua. The literacy rate is about 70 per cent.