Which country lies to the northwest of Nicaragua?

• A. Guatemala
• B. Honduras
• C. El Salvador
• D. Costa Rica

Answer: (B)

Understanding how neighboring countries sit in relation to each other on a map is being tested here. Nicaragua sits on the Central American isthmus with Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. Because of that arrangement, the country that lies to the northwest of Nicaragua, in the direction you reach first when looking toward the northwest on a map, is Honduras, since it shares Nicaragua’s northern border and sits just to the west of that northern area. Guatemala is farther north beyond Honduras and does not touch Nicaragua directly, while Costa Rica lies to the south. El Salvador is farther north but not the immediate northwest neighbor. So Honduras is the best answer.