COSTA RICA
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
COSTA RICA
@Costa Rica:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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COSTA RICA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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SAN JOS 279,000 9.59N, 84.04W 506- GMT-6
Alajuela 147,000 10.00N, 84.12W 506- GMT-6
Cartago 101,000 10.00N, 83.52W 506- GMT-6
Puntarenas 86,000 10.00N, 84.50W 506- GMT-6
Limon 63,000 10.00N, 83.01W 506- GMT-6
Heredia 63,000 10.00N, 84.08W 506- GMT-6
Liberia 33,000 10.39N, 85.28W 506- GMT-6
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Area:
total area: 51,100 sq km
land area: 50,660 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
note: includes Isla del Coco
Land boundaries: total 639 km, Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Coastline: 1,290 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May
to November)
Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Natural resources: hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 7%
meadows and pastures: 45%
forest and woodland: 34%
other: 8%
Irrigated land: 1,180 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of
land for cattle ranching; soil erosion
natural hazards: occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic
coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active
volcanoes
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Marine Life Conservation
@Costa Rica:People
Population: 3,419,114 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 585,976; male 617,456)
15-64 years: 60% (female 1,013,491; male 1,036,195)
65 years and over: 5% (female 88,050; male 77,946) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.24% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.88 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 3.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.11 years
male: 76.21 years
female: 80.1 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican
Ethnic divisions: white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%,
Chinese 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish (official), English; spoken around Puerto Limon
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1984)
total population: 93%
male: 93%
female: 93%
Labor force: 868,300
by occupation: industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services
33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)
@Costa Rica:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica
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:
chief of state and head of government: President Jose Maria FIGUERES
Olsen (since 8 May 1994); First Vice President Rodrigo OREAMUNO Blanco
(since 8 May 1994); Second Vice President Rebeca GRYNSPAN Mayufis
(since 8 May 1994); election last held 6 February 1994 (next to be
held February 1998); results - President FIGUERES (PLN party) 49.7%,
Miquel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC party) 47.5%
cabinet: Cabinet; selected by the president
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), Manuel
AGUILAR Bonilla; 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; Progressive Party (PP), Isaac Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos;
People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin CHACON Vargas; Radical
Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey
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)
Member of: AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, 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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia PICADO
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
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, Orlando, Philadelphia, San
Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Austin
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: US Ambassador to Costa Rica Peter DE VOS
embassy: Pavas Road, San Jose
mailing address: APO AA 34020
telephone: [506] 220-3939
FAX: [506] 220-2305
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 export of bananas, coffee, and other
agricultural products. In 1994 the economy grew at an estimated 4.3%,
compared with 6.5% in 1993, 7.7% in 1992, and 2.1% in 1991. Inflation
in 1993 dropped to 9% from 17% in 1992 and 25% in 1991, an indication
of basic financial stability. Unemployment is officially reported at
only 4.0%, but there is much underemployment. Costa Rica signed a free
trade agreement with Mexico in 1994.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $16.9 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,050 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 4% (1993); much underemployment
Budget:
revenues: $1.1 billion
expenditures: $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110
million (1991 est.)
Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar
partners: US, Germany, Italy, Guatemala, El Salvador, Netherlands, UK,
France
Imports: $2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment,
petroleum
partners: US, Japan, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Germany
External debt: $3.2 billion (1991)
Industrial production: growth rate 10.5% (1992); accounts for 22% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 1,040,000 kW
production: 4.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,164 kWh (1993)
Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, construction
materials, fertilizer, plastic products
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:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $935 million; Communist countries (1971-89), $27 million
Currency: 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 164.39 (December
1994), 157.07 (1994), 142.17 (1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991),
91.58 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Costa Rica:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 950 km (260 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total: 35,560 km
paved: 5,600 km
unpaved: gravel and earth 29,960 km (1992)
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:
total: 174
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 17
with paved runways under 914 m: 117
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 36
@Costa Rica:Communications
Telephone system: 292,000 telephones; very good domestic telephone
service
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: connection into Central American Microwave System; 1
INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 71, FM 0, shortwave 13
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 18
televisions: NA
@Costa Rica:Defense Forces
Branches: Civil Guard, Coast Guard, Air Section, Rural Assistance
Guard; note - the Constitution prohibits armed forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 896,516; males fit for military
service 602,785; males reach military age (18) annually 32,815 (1995
est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of
GDP (1989)
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