Map of Costa Rica | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries

Coastline: 1290 km

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources: hydropower

Land use

Irrigated land: 1200 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional earthquakes hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes

Geography


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Population: 3,710,558 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.69% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: white (including mestizo) 94% black 3% Amerindian 1% Chinese 1% other 1%

Languages: Spanish (official) English spoken around Puerto Limon

Religions: Roman Catholic 85% Evangelical Protestant approximately 14% other less than 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.69% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 20.69 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.31 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.54 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); fisheries protection; solid waste management

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 11.49 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.52 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: democratic republic

Capital: San Jose

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias singular - provincia); Alajuela Cartago Guanacaste Heredia Limon Puntarenas San Jose

Dependent areas

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 not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Agriculture Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Carlos AVENDANO Calvo]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Jose NUNEZ]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL Benavides]; 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]

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 UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNU UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. Economic growth has rebounded from -0.9% in 1996 to 4% in 1997 6% in 1998 and 7% in 1999. Inflation rose to 22.5% in 1995 dropped to 11.1% in 1997 12% in 1998 and 11% in 1999. Large government deficits - fueled by interest payments on the massive internal debt - have undermined efforts to maintain the quality of social services. Curbing inflation reducing the deficit and improving public sector efficiency remain key challenges to the government. Political resistance to privatization has stalled liberalization efforts.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 7% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,100 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coffee bananas sugar corn rice beans potatoes; beef; timber

Industries: microprocessors food processing textiles and clothing construction materials fertilizer plastic products

Industrial production growth rate: 24.5% (1999)

Labor force: 1.377 million (1998)
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation services: 58% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (1998 est.); 7.5% underemployment

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 10.8% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $6.4 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: coffee bananas sugar; textiles electronic components electricity
Partners: US 49% EU 22% Central America 10% (1999)

Imports: $6.5 billion (c.i.f. 1999 est.)
Commodities: raw materials consumer goods capital equipment petroleum electricity
Partners: US 41% Japan 8.1% Mexico 7.3% Venezuela 4% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.9 billion (1998 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 299.63 (February 2000) 285.68 (1999) 257.23 (1998) 232.60 (1997) 207.69 (1996) 179.73 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 5.742 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 5.267 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 77 million kWh (1998)
Imports: 4 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 451,000 (525,700 main lines installed) (yearend 1996)
Mobile cellular: 46,500 (December 1996)

Telephone system: very good domestic telephone service

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 2 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $55 million (FY95)
Percent of gdp: 2% (FY95)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 155 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: petroleum products 176 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: about 730 km seasonally navigable

Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption has risen