|
Home
World
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Ashmore Cartier Isle
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Baker Island
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bassas da India
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Rep
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo Republic
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Europa Island
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Antarctic Lands
Gabon
Gambia
Gaza Strip
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard McDonald Isle
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jarvis Island
Jersey
Johnston Atoll
Jordan
Juan de Nova Island
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingman Reef
Kiribati
Jan Mayen
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Midway Islands
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
N Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palau
Palmyra Atoll
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
St Helena
St Kitts Nevis
St Lucia
St Pierre Miquelon
St Vincent Grenadines
Samoa
Sandwich Islands
San Marino
Sao Tome Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
S Ocean
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad Tobago
Tromelin Island
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Bank
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
Costa Rica is a Central
American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief
periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although
still a largely agricultural country, it has achieved a relatively high
standard of living. Land ownership is widespread. Tourism is a rapidly
expanding industry. |
| Location: |
Middle America, bordering
both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua
and Panama |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
10 00 N, 84 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America and the
Caribbean |
| Area: |
total: 51,100 sq
km
land: 50,660 sq km
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than West
Virginia |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical and subtropical; dry
season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in
highlands |
| Terrain: |
coastal plains separated by
rugged mountains |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
| Natural
resources: |
hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 31%
other: 12% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,200 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
occasional earthquakes,
hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset
of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation and land use
change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and
agriculture; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); coastal marine
pollution; wetlands degradation; fisheries protection; solid waste
management; air pollution |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Marine Life Conservation |
| Population: |
3,773,057 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
31.38% (male 605,728; female 578,128)
15-64 years: 63.37% (male 1,209,084; female 1,181,754)
65 years and over: 5.25% (male 92,314; female 106,049)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.65% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
20.27 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.3 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.53 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
11.18 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
76.02 years
male: 73.49 years
female: 78.68 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.47 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.54% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
12,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
750 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Costa
Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican |
| Ethnic
groups: |
white (including mestizo)
94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 76.3%,
Evangelical 13.7%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%,
other 4.8%, none 3.2% |
| Languages: |
Spanish (official), English
spoken around Puerto Limon |
| Literacy: |
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.8%
male: 94.7%
female: 95% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica |
| Government
type: |
democratic republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
7 provinces (provincias,
singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon,
Puntarenas, San Jose |
| Independence: |
15 September 1821 (from
Spain) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 15
September (1821) |
| Constitution: |
7 November 1949 |
| Legal
system: |
based on Spanish civil law
system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
and compulsory |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998); First Vice
President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May 1998), Second Vice President
Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998); note - president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since
8 May 1998); First Vice President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May
1998), Second Vice President Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998);
note - president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 1
February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002)
election results: Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ elected president;
percent of vote - Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC) 46.6%, Jose Miguel
CORRALES (PLN) 44.6% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Legislative
Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by
direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3
February 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party - PUSC 41%, PLN
35%, minority parties 24%; seats by party - PUSC 27, PLN 23, minority
parties 7 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or Corte
Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative
Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Agricultural Labor Action or
PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC
[Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Jose M. NUNEZ];
Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National
Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL]; National
Independent Party or PNI [Jorge GONZALEZ Marten]; National Integration
Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN
[Sonia PICADO]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis Manuel
CHACON]
note: mainly a two-party system - PUSC and PLN; numerous
small parties share less than 25% of population's support |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Authentic Confederation of
Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of
Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party
affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD
(Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or
FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National
Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate)
[Gilbert Brown] |
| International
organization participation: |
BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jaime DAREMBLUM Rosenstein
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San
Antonio, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa
consulate(s): Austin |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Thomas J. DODD
embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
mailing address: APO AA 34020
telephone: [506] 220-3939
FAX: [506] 220-2305 |
| Flag
description: |
five horizontal bands of blue
(top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms
in a white disk on the hoist side of the red band |
| Economy
- overview: |
Costa Rica's basically stable
economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports.
Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a
strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors
remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education
levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. However,
traditional export sectors have not kept pace. Low coffee prices and an
overabundance of bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The
government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive
internal ......debt
and with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and
telecommunications sector. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $25
billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$6,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
12.5%
industry: 30.7%
services: 56.8% (1999) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
20.6% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 34.7% (1996) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
11% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.9 million (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 20%, industry
22%, services 58% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
5.2% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $1.95
billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
microprocessors, food
processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer,
plastic products |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4.3% (2000) |
| Electricity
- production: |
5.805 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
2.41%
hydro: 83.32%
nuclear: 0%
other: 14.27% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
5.303 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
165 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
69 million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, pineapples, bananas,
sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber |
| Exports: |
$6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
coffee, bananas, sugar;
pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 54.1%, EU 21.3%, Central
America 8.6% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
raw materials, consumer
goods, capital equipment, petroleum |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 56.4%, EU 9%, Mexico 5.4%,
Japan 4.7%, (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$4.2 billion (2000 est.) |
| Currency: |
Costa Rican colon (CRC) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Costa Rican colones per US
dollar - 318.95 (2001), 308.19 (2000), 285.68 (1999), 257.23 (1998),
232.60 (1997), 207.69 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
450,000 (1998)
note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000
were in use 1998 |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
143,000 (2000) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
very good domestic telephone service
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point
microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet
service is available
international: connected to Central American Microwave
System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two
submarine cables (1999) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
525,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cr |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (of which only one is
legal) (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
150,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 950 km
narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified)
(2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 37,273 km
paved: 7,827 km
unpaved: 29,446 km (1998 est.) |
| Waterways: |
730 km (seasonally navigable) |
| Pipelines: |
petroleum products 176 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Caldera, Golfito, Moin,
Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 1 ship
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,716 GRT/NA DWT
ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
152 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 29
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 123
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 95 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Coast Guard, Air Section,
Ministry of Public Security Force (Fuerza Publica)
note: Costa Rica has no military, only domestic police
forces, including the Coast Guard and Air Section |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
1,035,090 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
692,973 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 39,411
(2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$69 million (FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.6% (FY99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
legal dispute over
navigational rights of Rio San Juan on border with Nicaragua |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment country for
cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on
small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption is rising,
particularly crack cocaine; those who previously only trafficked are now
becoming users |
......
|
