Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1216

 1094 NICARAGUA.

(RePUBLICA DE NrCAllAGUA.)

Constitution and Government.

The CoustiUition of the Republic of Nicaragua is that which came into opeiation on March 1, 1912. Previous constitution was that of March 30, 1905. It vests the legislative pov/er in a Congress of one House consisting of 3(3 members elected for 6 years by universal suffrage. The executive power is with a President appointed for 6 years.

President. — Seuor Alolfo Diaz (Inaugurated May 11, 1911. Term of office expires December 31, 1916.)

The President exercises his functions through a council of responsible ministers, composed of the heads of. the departments of Foreign Affairs and Public Instruction ; Finance ; Interior, Justice, and Police ; War, and Marine ; Public Works.

The Republic is divided into 13 departments and 2 comarcas, each of which is under a political head, who has supervision of finance, instruction and other matters, and is also military commandant. The Mosquito Reserve now forms a department named Zelaya. The Indians in this region were loi.ig under the protection of Great Britain ; but under the treaty of April 19, 1905 (ratitied August 24, 1906), the treaty of 1860 was abrogated, and Great Britain agreed to recognise the absolute sovereignty of Nicaragua over the territory.

The judicia,l power is vested in a supreme Court of Justice, three chambers of second instance, and judges of inferior tribunals.

The active army consists of 4,000 men; in war it may rise to 40,000. Military service is ob4igatory between 17 and 55 years of age. The period of active service is a year. The marine consists of 10 small steamboats, of which 4 are on the lakeS; 3 on the Atlantic, and 3 on the Pacific coast.

For Central American Arbitration Treaty see under Costa Rica.

Area and Population.

Area estimated at 49,200 English square miles, and an estimated population (1910) 600, 000, giving about 12 "2 inhabitants per square mile. The movement of population during the year 1908 is given as follows : Births, 23,828 ; deaths, 9,598; marriages, 1907, 1,261 (that is, 2,522 persons were married). The great mass of the population consists of aboriginal ' Indians,' mulattoes, negroes, and mixed races, and the number of Europeans and their descendants is very small (about 1,200) but on the increase. There are with- in the Republic 105 municipios of which 28 have from 2,000 to 30,000 inhab- itants. The capital of the Republic and seat of government is the town of Managua, situated on the southern border of the great lake of the same name, with 34,872 inhabitants; Leon, formerly the capital, has a population of 62,569 ; Granada, 17,092 ; Matagalpa, 15,749, Masaya, 13,023 ; Jinotega, 13,899 ; Chinandega, 10,542 ; Esteli,8,281 ; Matapa, 8,279 ; Somoto, 8,182 ; Boaco, 10,581 ; Jinotepe, 9,317; Bluefields, 4,706. Other towns are Corinto, and San Juan del Sur on the Pacific.