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| GEOGRAPHY | PEOPLE
| GOVERNMENT | ECONOMY | COMMUNICATIONS | TRANSPORTATION |
Geography
 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
Coastline: 1,290 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)
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; active volcanoes
Environment—current issues: deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of
land for cattle ranching; soil erosion
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
People
Population: 4,075,261
(July 2006 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate: 1.89% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.16 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.89 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.04 years
male: 73.6 years
female: 78.61 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.76 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican
Ethnic groups: white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
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.)
Government
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
Data code: CS
Government 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:
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.
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
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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20018
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chicago, Durham, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San
Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa
consulate(s): Austin
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
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.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$24 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5.5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$6,700 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 24%
services: 61% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 34.7% (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 868,300
Labor force—by occupation: industry and commerce 23.3%, government and
services 55.1%, agriculture 21.6% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.6% (1998 est.); much underemployment
Budget:
revenues: $1.1 billion
expenditures: $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1991
est.)
Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials,
fertilizer, plastic products
Industrial production growth rate: 10.5% (1992)
Electricity—production: 4.785 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 14.11%
hydro: 75.44%
nuclear: 0%
other: 10.45% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 4.931 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 44 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 190 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: coffee, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes;
beef; timber
Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: manufactured products, coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar
(1997)
Exports—partners: US, Benelux, Germany, Italy, Guatemala, El Salvador,
Netherlands, UK, France (1997)
Imports: $4.5 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports—commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment,
petroleum (1997)
Imports—partners: US, Japan, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Germany (1997)
Debt—external: $3.2 billion (October 1996 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $107.1 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1— 294.58 (1999), 257.23
(1998), 232.60 (1997), 207.69 (1996), 179.73 (1995), 157.07 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1,343,200 (2004)
Mobile phones: 923,100 (2004)
Telephone system: very good domestic telephone service
domestic: NA
international: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth
station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 71, FM 0, shortwave 13
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 6 (in addition, there are 11 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 340,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 950 km
narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified)
Highways:
total: 35,597 km
paved: 6,051 km
unpaved: 29,546 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: about 730 km, seasonally navigable
Pipelines: petroleum products 176 km
Ports and harbors: Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 165 (2005 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 28
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 7 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 128
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 99 (1998 est.)
| GEOGRAPHY | PEOPLE | GOVERNMENT
| ECONOMY | COMMUNICATIONS | TRANSPORTATION | |
