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.
Geography
Costa Rica
Location:
Central 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
total: 2.68 cu km/yr
(29%/17%/53%) per capita: 619 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional earthquakes,
hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of
rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
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
Environment - 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 signed,
but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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
total: 27.1 years
male: 26.7 years female: 27.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.388% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.71 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.31 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.48 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 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 total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.01 deaths/1,000
live births male: 9.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.4
years male: 74.79 years female: 80.14 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.17 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
900 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk:
intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican
Ethnic groups:
white (including mestizo) 94%,
black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.3%,
Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other
4.8%, none 3.2%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 96% male:
95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
Government
Costa Rica
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 (vacant); 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 (vacant) 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 in February 2010) election
results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote -
Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA
Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly
or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular
vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5 February
2006 (next to be held in February 2010) election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6,
PUSC 5, PASE 1, PFA 1, PRN 1, PUN 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema
(22 justices are elected for renewable eight-year terms by the Legislative
Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Authentic Member from Heredia
[Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Epsy CAMPBELL Barr]; Costa
Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic
Force Party or PFD [Marco NUNEZ Gonzalez]; 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 Fernandez]; National Patriotic Party or PPN
[Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Restoration Party or PRN [Fabio
Enrique DELGADO Hernandez]; National Union Party or PUN [Arturo ACOSTA
Mora]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS
Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Jose Miguel CORRALES Bolanos]; Social
Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis FISHMAN Zonzinski]; Union for Change
Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU
[Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Authentic Confederation of
Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee
Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate);
Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party
affiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican
Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or
UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP;
National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National
Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and
Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN
affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN
Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Tomas DUENAS chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington,
DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1]
(202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa
(temporarily closed), Washington, DC consulate(s): San
Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mark LANGDALE embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas,
San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone:
[506] 519-2000 FAX: [506] 519-2305
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
Costa Rica
Economy - overview:
Costa Rica's basically stable
economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty
has remained around 20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety
net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to
increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Immigration
from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The
estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica
legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled) labor,
but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Foreign
investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high
education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the
free-trade zones. Exports have become more diversified in the past 10
years due to the growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is
dominated by the microprocessor industry. Tourism continues to bring in
foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key
destination for ecotourism. The government continues to grapple with its
large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing
inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising import prices,
labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. Tax and public expenditure
reforms will be necessary to close the budget gap. In October 2007, a
national referendum voted in favor of the US-Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA).
US 27.5%, Netherlands 12.2%,
China 11.7%, UK 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2006)
Imports:
$11.84 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods,
capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 41.2%, Venezuela 5.4%,
Mexico 5.2%, Ireland 5%, Japan 4.9%, Brazil 4.3%, China 4.1% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$29.51 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.915 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.163 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$6.897 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$261.3 million (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.478 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
Costa Rican colon (CRC)
Currency code:
CRC
Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones per US
dollar - 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66
(2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Costa Rica
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.351 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.444 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: good
domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted
cellular telephone service; state-run monopoly provider is struggling with
the demand for new lines, resulting in long waiting times
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; landing point for
the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable that
provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and
the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19
(2002)
Radios:
980,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
Televisions:
525,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.cr
Internet hosts:
13,792 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (of which only one is legal)
(2000)
Internet users:
1.214 million (2006)
Transportation
Costa Rica
Airports:
151 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36 2,438
to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523
m: 21 under 914 m: 11 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 115 914 to
1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 96 (2007)
Pipelines:
refined products 242 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 278 km
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge note: none of the
railway network is in use (2007)
Roadways:
total: 35,330 km
paved: 8,621 km unpaved: 26,709 km (2004)
Waterways:
730 km (seasonally navigable by
small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT
or over) 1,058 GRT/255 DWT by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Caldera, Puerto Limon
Military
Costa Rica
Military branches:
no regular military forces;
Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,134,205 females age 16-49: 1,095,763 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 958,013
females age 16-49: 925,727 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 40,767
females age 16-49: 38,899 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.4% (2006)
Transnational Issues
Costa Rica
Disputes - international:
in September 2005, Costa Rica
took its case before the ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and
commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which
Nicaragua retains sovereignty
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of
origin): 9,470 (Colombia) (2006)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment country for
cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in
remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is
rising; significant consumption of amphetamines
