section_path: Government/Administrative divisions
section_name: Administrative divisions
paragraph_text: Administrative divisions
  
  Nicaragua is a unitary republic. For administrative purposes it is divided into 15 departments (departamentos) and two self-governing regions (autonomous communities) based on the Spanish model. The departments are then subdivided into 153 municipios (municipalities). The two autonomous regions are the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regionand South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, often referred to as RACCN and RACCS, respectively.