Match 61 DB Rec# - 7,513 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Costa Rica
Text :
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
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
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.)
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
Government
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
Economy
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
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
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
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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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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