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. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. 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.

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

10 00 N, 84 00 W

Central America and the Caribbean

slightly smaller than West Virginia

1,290 km

tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes

hydropower

arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 6.7%; permanent pasture 25.5%

1,031 sq km (2003)

112.4 cu km (2011)

occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes

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

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

white or mestizo 83.6%, mulato 6.7%, indigenous 2.4%, black of African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)

Spanish (official), English

Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system set it apart from its Central American neighbors. Through the government's sustained social spending - almost 20% of GDP annually - Costa Rica has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goal of providing universal access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Since the 1970s, expansion of these services has led to a rapid decline in infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy at birth, and a sharp decrease in the birth rate. The average number of children born per women has fallen from about 7 in the 1960s to 3.5 in the early 1980s to below replacement level today. Costa Rica's poverty rate is lower than in most Latin American countries, but it has stalled at around 20% for almost two decades.

Costa Rica is a popular regional immigration destination because of its job opportunities and social programs. Almost 9% of the population is foreign-born, with Nicaraguans comprising nearly three-quarters of the foreign population. Many Nicaraguans who perform unskilled seasonal labor enter Costa Rica illegally or overstay their visas, which continues to be a source of tension. Less than 3% of Costa Rica's population lives abroad. The overwhelming majority of expatriates have settled in the United States after completing a university degree or in order to work in a highly skilled field.

4,814,144 (July 2015 est.)

1.22% (2015 est.)

15.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

4.55 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

0.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

SAN JOSE (capital) 1.17 million (2015)

1.9 children born/woman (2015 est.)

76.2% (2011)

9.9% of GDP (2013)

1.11 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

1.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 91.9% of population

total: 97.8% of population

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 8.1% of population

total: 2.2% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 95.2% of population

rural: 92.3% of population

total: 94.5% of population

urban: 4.8% of population

rural: 7.7% of population

total: 5.5% of population (2015 est.)

0.26% (2014 est.)

8,800 (2014 est.)

200 (2014 est.)

24% (2014)

1.1% (2009)

6.9% of GDP (2013)

democratic republic

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

previous 1825; latest adopted 7 November 1949; amended many times, last in 2005; note - amendment declaring Costa Rica a multicultural, multiethnic country pending final Legislative Assembly approval (2015)

civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias]

Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or PFA [Ana Patricia MORA]

Citizen Action Party or PAC [Olivier PEREZ Gonzalez]

Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]

Libertarian Movement Party or ML [Victor Danilo CUBERO Corrales]

National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]

National Liberation Party or PLN [Bernal JIMENEZ]

National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]

Patriotic Alliance [Jorge ARAYA Westover]

Popular Vanguard [Humberto VARGAS]

Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Gerardo VARGAS]

Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate)

Chamber of Coffee Growers

Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate)

Confederation of Workers Rerum Novarum or CTRN (National Libertion Party affiliate)

Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (National Libertion Party affiliate)

Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO

Costa Rican Solidarity Movement

Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP

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

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk placed toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people

yiguirro (clay-colored robin); national colors: blue, white, red

Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted 1.3% in 2009 but resumed growth at about 4% per year in 2010-14. While the traditional agricultural exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years. High value-added goods and services, including medical devices, have further bolstered exports. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the incentives offered in the free-trade zones; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, poor infrastructure, high energy costs, bureaucracy, weak investor protection, and legal uncertainty due to difficulty of enforcing contracts and overlapping and at times conflicting responsibilities between agencies, remain impediments to greater competitiveness. Costa Rica’s economy also faces challenges due to a rising fiscal deficit, rising public debt, and relatively low levels of domestic revenue. Poverty has remained around 20-25% 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. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not highly dependent on remittances, which in 2013 represented 1.1% of GDP. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government.

The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica, legally and illegally, are an important source of mostly unskilled labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1 January 2009 after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature. CAFTA-DR has increased foreign direct investment in key sectors of the economy, including the insurance and telecommunications sectors recently opened to private investors.

$70.97 billion (2014 est.)

$68.57 billion (2013 est.)

$66.29 billion (2012 est.)

$48.14 billion (2014 est.)

3.5% (2014 est.)

3.4% (2013 est.)

5.2% (2012 est.)

$14,900 (2014 est.)

$14,400 (2013 est.)

$13,900 (2012 est.)

14.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

15.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

16.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

(2014 est.)

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber

medical equipment, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

4.7% (2014 est.)

2.257 million

8.2% (2014 est.)

8.5% (2013 est.)

24.8% (2011 est.)

50.3 (2009)

45.9 (1997)

13.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

-5.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

59.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

54.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

calendar year

3.2% (2014 est.)

5.2% (2013 est.)

21.5% (31 December 2010)

23% (31 December 2009)

15.4% (31 December 2014 est.)

15.19% (31 December 2013 est.)

$4.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.599 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$17.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$17.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$26.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$24.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$2.015 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.443 billion (31 December 2011)

$1.445 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

-$2.151 billion (2014 est.)

-$2.529 billion (2013 est.)

$11.75 billion (2014 est.)

$11.53 billion (2013 est.)

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment

US 38.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Panama 5.3%, Nicaragua 4.4%, Guatemala 4.1% (2014)

$17.91 billion (2014 est.)

$17.15 billion (2013 est.)

raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials

US 44.4%, China 10%, Mexico 6.7% (2014)

$7.067 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.331 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$18.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$17.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$24.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$22.25 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$2.492 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.292 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar -

539.3 (2014 est.)

499.77 (2013 est.)

502.9 (2012 est.)

505.66 (2011 est.)

525.83 (2010 est.)

9.889 billion kWh (2011 est.)

8.792 billion kWh (2011 est.)

402 million kWh (2012 est.)

419 million kWh (2012 est.)

2.944 million kW (2011 est.)

29.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

57.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

13.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

400 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

10,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

10,630 bbl/day (2010 est.)

54,170 bbl/day (2013 est.)

1,898 bbl/day (2010 est.)

40,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

7.29 million Mt (2012 est.)

multiple privately owned TV stations and 1 publicly owned TV station; cable network services are widely available; more than 100 privately owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)

AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)

20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)

.cr

161 (2013)

96 (2013)

refined products 662 km (2013)

730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2011)

no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2011)

Costa Rica and Nicaragua regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island to the International Court of Justice (ICJ); in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region

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; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008)