Nicaragua | U.S. Agency for International Development (2024)

FAQs

What does the Agency for international development do? ›

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.

The United States Government (USG) has provided approximately $2.5 billion in development assistance to Nicaragua, mainly through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Nicaragua is one of the least developed countries in Central America and the second poorest country in the Americas by nominal GDP. The small country's economy is focused primarily on the agricultural sector.

The economy of Nicaragua is focused primarily on the agricultural sector. Nicaragua itself is the least developed country in Central America, and the second poorest in the Americas by nominal GDP.

IDA focuses on providing development financing and cross-sector support that responds to complex global challenges and helps countries improve their development outcomes, making it a valued partner in the global community.

They aim to reduce interregional and intra-regional development differences and create a regional development momentum. Development Agencies are not investment enterprises. Their main duty is to discover regional potential and develop cooperation between the public sector, private sector and civil society.

The United States remains Nicaragua's top economic partner, buying 50 percent of Nicaraguan exports and supplying 27 percent of its imports, and sending 67 percent of its remittances. Total (two-way) goods trade between the two countries was $6.8 billion in 2021.

The country has great potential for development, but it remains one of the region's poorest countries. While trade openness has increased, Nicaragua's exports consist mainly of low-complexity products. The country is highly vulnerable to external shocks and natural hazards.

What is the most developed city in Nicaragua? ›

Managua had become Central America's most developed city.

Nicaragua's main exports include T-shirts, singlets, and other vests (12.9%), gold (12.6%), coffee (9.7%), insulated wires (9.7%), cigars, cheroots, cigarillos, and cigarettes (5.5%), whereas imports are led by petroleum oils (15.1%), T-shirts, singlets, and other vests (5.1%), fabrics (4.2%), and medicaments (3.8% - ...

Carlos Pellas Chamorro is a Nicaraguan businessman. The controlling shareholder of Grupo Pellas, Pellas is Nicaragua's first billionaire.

Nicaragua is a country with a strong history in agriculture, and farming is still very much the center of its economy.

Thompson says, “…. in 2001, Cuba was the third poorest country in Latin America as measured by per capita GDP. Only Nicaragua and the poorest-of-the poor Haiti ranked lower.”

Ultimately, international development organisations sustainably improve living conditions in needy countries by providing resources to ensure progress is achieved in the long term. IDOs play a critical role in fostering global development by providing resources, infrastructure and expertise to countries in need.

Assistance to Foreign Countries

USAID carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad.

International development is focused on engaging with economically disadvantaged regions in the world to empower people to improve their well-being and address causes and effects of poverty.

UN entities work on different issues and develop programmes across the world within the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), which exist in 131 countries. The UNCT includes all the UN entities working on sustainable development, emergency, recovery, and transition in programme countries.