Nicaragua is located in the middle of the Central American Isthmus, which joins the two great continental masses of North and South America, and in turn separates the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. It is at 440 meters above sea level and has a geographical area of 130,000 sq km, which is divided into 17 departments. Nicaragua is one of the least developed countries in Latin America and access to basic services is a constant challenge. Due to the social and political unrest that the country has experienced since April 2018, the economy contracted to -4.0 and -3.9% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. According to the latest forecasts, for 2020 growth is expected to fall to -5.9%, and it will slowly recover to 1.1% by 2021. For sectors such as construction, commerce and tourism this has had a high social and economic cost, putting an end to the progress made to reduce poverty since 2005.
