Nicaragua is a country in Central America bordered by Honduras on the north and Costa Rica on the south. It is the largest country in Central America by land mass. Nicaragua has a population of 5.67 million people, 21% of which is illiterate. 54% of the population is urban and 51% of the population is female. Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, has a population of 1.8 million people and is the second most populous city in Central America, after Guatemala City.

Nicaragua is also the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere. 56% of people are unemployed or underemployed, and 79.9% live on less than $2/day. Nicaragua has a GDP of $6.375 billion with a purchasing power parity of $17.34 billion (ranked 132 in the world). The per capita income is $1,078 with a purchasing parity power of $2,900 and inflation is 13.6%. Agriculture comprises 17.6% of GDP, with industry composing 26.5% and services composing 56%. Textiles and apparel account for nearly 60% of exports.