Background: Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps brutal heat resistance by natives and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821 Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America but this federation disintegrated in 1838 at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N 84 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 51,100 km²
Land: 50,660 km²
Water: 440 km²
Note: includes Isla del Coco
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 639 km
Border countries: (2) Nicaragua 309 km; , Panama 330 km

Coastline: 1290 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 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 including over 100 volcanic cones of which several are major volcanoes

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

Natural resources: hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 4.4%
Permanent crops: 5.87%
Other: 89.73% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1080 km² (2003)

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

Geography
Note: four volcanoes two of them active rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes Irazu erupted destructively in 1963-65

Population: 4,075,261 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 1.45% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 18% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Costa Rican
Adjective: Costa Rican

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

Languages: Spanish (official) English

Religions: Roman Catholic 76.3% Evangelical 13.7% Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3% other Protestant 0.7% other 4.8% none 3.2%

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.3% (male 590,261/female 563,196)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,359,750/female 1,329,346)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 108,041/female 124,667) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 26.4 years
Male: 26 years
Female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 18.32 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 4.36 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.49 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation and land use change largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.58 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8.77 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.02 years
Male: 74.43 years
Female: 79.74 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 12,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 900 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96%
Male: 95.9%
Female: 96.1% (2003 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

Capital
Name: San Jose
Geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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 Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
Elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
Election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otto SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%; note - official results pending the resolution of election challenges

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 18, PML 6, PUSC 4, other 4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]

International organization participation: BCIE CACM FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITU LAES LAIA (observer) MIGA NAM (observer) OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS
In the us chancery: 2,114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-2,945
In the us fax: [1] (202) 265-4,795
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Chicago, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC
In the us consulates: San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE
From the us embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,020
From the us telephone: [506] 519-2000
From the us fax: [506] 519-2,305

Flag description: five horizontal bands of blue (top) white red (double width) white and blue with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words AMERICA CENTRAL and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words REPUBLICA COSTA RICA

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. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports labor market rigidities and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $45.67 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 5.9% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $11,400 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.8%
Industry: 29.9%
Services: 61.4% (2005 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 1.82 million (2005 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation services: 58% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.6% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 18% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.1%
Highest 10: 36.8% (2002)

Distribution of family income gini index: 46.5 (2000)

Budget
Revenues: $2.722 billion
Expenditures: $3.195 billion; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2005 est.)

Public debt: 56.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 13.8% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-955 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $7.005 billion (2005 est.)
Commodities: coffee bananas sugar pineapples; textiles electronic components medical equipment
Partners: US 42.6% Hong Kong 6.9% Netherlands 6.4% Guatemala 4.2% (2005)

Imports: $9.69 billion (2005 est.)
Commodities: raw materials consumer goods capital equipment petroleum
Partners: US 41.3% Japan 5.6% Venezuela 4.8% Mexico 4.8% Ireland 4.3% Brazil 4.2% China 4.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.313 billion (2005 est.)

Debt external: $5.049 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 477.79 (2005) 437.91 (2004) 398.66 (2003) 359.82 (2002) 328.87 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 7.726 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 7.12 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 115 million kWh (2003)
Imports: 50 million kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1,388,500 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 1.101 million (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular 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: country code - 506; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)

Internet
Country code: .cr
Hosts: 12,751 (2006)
Users: 1 million (2005)

Airports: 157 (2006)
With paved runways total: 32
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 19
With paved runways under 914 m: 9 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 125
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 24
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 101 (2006)

Pipelines: refined products 242 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 278 km
Narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways
Total: 35,889 km
Paved: 8,075 km
Unpaved: 27,814 km (2003)

Waterways: 730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2005)