| 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 |
|
