Costa Rica

Costa Rica 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Area

Note: Includes Isla del Coco

Land Boundaries

Total 639 km, Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

Coastline

1,290 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

None

Climate

Tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)

Terrain

Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

1,180 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

PEOPLE

Population

3,463,083 (July 1996 est.)
3,419,114 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

35% (male 612,624; female 582,566) (July 1996 est.)
35% (male 617,456; female 585,976) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

61% (male 1,061,703; female 1,038,403) (July 1996 est.)
60% (male 1,036,195; female 1,013,491) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

4% (male 77,773; female 90,014) (July 1996 est.)
5% (male 77,946; female 88,050) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.06% (1996 est.)
2.24% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

23.84 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
24.88 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

4.14 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
3.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
1.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 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: 0.86 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

13.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

2.9 children born/woman (1996 est.)
3.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Spanish (official), English; spoken around Puerto Limon

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

868,300

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

CS

Type

Democratic republic

Capital

San Jose

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

9 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Elections last held 6 February 1994 (next to be held February 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (61 total) PLN 28, PUSC 29, minority parties 4

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Political Parties and Leaders

National Liberation Party (PLN), Rolando ARAYA; Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier; Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto VARGAS Carbonell; New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick ARDON Ramirez; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin CHACON Vargas; Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey; Democratic Force Party (FD), Isaac Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD), Liberation Party affiliate; Confederated Union of Workers (CUT), Communist Party affiliate; Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers (CATD), Communist Party affiliate; Chamber of Coffee Growers; National Association for Economic Development (ANFE); Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL), rightwing militants; National Association of Educators (ANDE); Federation of Public Service Workers (FTSP)

Member of

AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

National Anthem

Flag

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 and progressive economy depends especially on tourism and the export of bananas, coffee, and other agricultural products. Recent trends have been disappointing. Economic growth slipped from 4.3% in 1994 to 2.5% in 1995, the lowest rate of growth since 1991's 2.1%. Inflation rose dramatically to 22.5% from 13.5% in 1994, well above the government's own projection of 18%. Unemployment rose from 4.0% in 1994 to 5.2% in 1995, and substantial underemployment continues. These economic woes are likely to be exacerbated in 1996 by a standby arrangement reached with the IMF on 29 November 1995. To restore fiscal balance, the government agreed to curb inflation, reduce the fiscal deficit, increase domestic savings, and improve public sector efficiency while increasing the role of the private sector. Costa Rica signed a free trade agreement with Mexico in 1994.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $18.4 billion (1995 est.); $16.9 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.5% (1995 est.)
4.3% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$5,400 (1995 est.)
$5,050 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

22.5% (1995 est.)
9% (1993 est.)

Unemployment Rate

5.2% (1995 est.); much underemployment
4% (1993); much underemployment

Budget

Exports

$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$3 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
$2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$4 billion (1995 est.)
$3.2 billion (1991)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 10.5% (1992); accounts for 22% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 19% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash commodities - coffee, beef, bananas, sugar; other food crops include corn, rice, beans, potatoes; normally self-sufficient in food except for grain; depletion of forest resources resulting in lower timber output

Illicit Drugs

Transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots

Economic Aid

Currency

1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos

Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 193.93 (December 1995), 179.73 (1995), 157.07 (1994), 142.17 (1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

note: the entire system was scheduled to be shut down on 31 June 1995 because of insolvency

Highways

Inland Waterways

About 730 km, seasonally navigable

Pipelines

Petroleum products 176 km

Ports

Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas

Merchant Marine

None

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

281,042 telephones (1983 est.); very good domestic telephone service

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Civil Guard, Coast Guard, Air Section, Rural Assistance Guard; note - the Constitution prohibits armed forces

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 917,566; males fit for military service 616,420; males reach military age (18) annually 33,504 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 2.0% of GDP (1995); $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)

History
World Atlas