Costa Rica

§1. Costa Rica Introduction

Background:
  Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th
    century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its 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.

§2. Costa Rica Geography

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 km²
  land: 50,660 km²
  water: 440 km²
  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:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

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

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

Natural resources:
  hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 4.4%
  permanent crops: 5.87%
  other: 89.73% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  1,260 km² (1998 est.)

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

§3. Costa Rica 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.)

Median age:
  total: 26.4 years
  male: 26 years
  female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.45% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  18.32 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  4.36 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.02 years
  male: 74.43 years
  female: 79.74 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.24 children born/woman (2006 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.)

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.)

§4. Costa Rica 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

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:
  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 Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice
    President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002); Second Vice President
    (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
    government
  head of government: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice
    President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002); Second Vice President
    (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
    government
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
  elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by
    popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 February 2006
    (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote -
    Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otto SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA
    Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%; note - official results pending
    the resolution of election challenges; ARIAS is scheduled to assume the
    presidency on 8 May 2006

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 February 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25,
    PAC 18, PML 6, PUSC 4, other 4

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year
  terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC
  [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO
  Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; 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]; National Patriotic
  Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Restoration Party
  or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose
  Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas];
  Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]; 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); Federation of Public Service
  Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE;
  National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN
  affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES,
  LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, 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, Hammond (temporary location in
    Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, 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

§5. Costa Rica 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):
  $40.44 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $19.34 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $10,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 8.6%
  industry: 28.3%
  services: 63.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  1.82 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  6.6% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  18% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 1.1%
  highest 10%: 36.8% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  46.5 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  13.8% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  18% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.722 billion
  expenditures: $3.195 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  56.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef;
  timber

Industries:
  microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction
  materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Industrial production growth rate:
  2.6% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  7.726 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  7.12 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  115 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  50 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  40,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-1.179 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $7.005 billion (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  coffee, bananas, sugar, pineapples; textiles, electronic components,
  medical equipment

Exports - partners:
  US 46.9%, Netherlands 5.3%, Guatemala 4.4% (2004)

Imports:
  $9.69 billion (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum

Imports - partners:
  US 46.1%, Japan 5.9%, Mexico 5.1%, Brazil 4.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $2.208 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $3.633 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

Currency (code):
  Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Exchange rates:
  Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66
  (2003), 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Costa Rica Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1,343,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  923,100 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of
    coverage; restricted cellular telephone service
  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; connected to Central American Microwave
    System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two
    submarine cables (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
  20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)

Internet country code:
  .cr

Internet hosts:
  12,578 (2005)

Internet users:
  1 million (2005)

§7. Costa Rica Transportation

Airports:
  156 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 31
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 18
  under 914 m: 9 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 125
  914 to 1,523 m: 25
  under 914 m: 100 (2005)

Pipelines:
  refined products 242 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 278 km
  narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 35,889 km
  paved: 8,075 km
  unpaved: 27,814 km (2003)

Waterways:
  730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,308 GRT/743 DWT
  by type: passenger/cargo 2 (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Caldera, Puerto Limon

§8. Costa Rica Military

Military branches:
  no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and
  Police

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 997,690 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 829,874 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 41,097 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $83.46 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.4% (2005 est.)

§9. Costa Rica Transnational Issues

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): 8,266 (Colombia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit
  production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine
  consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising


<Factbook 2006>
