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 still a largely agricultural country, it has
    achieved a relatively high standard of living. Land ownership is
    widespread. Tourism is a rapidly expanding industry.

§2. Costa Rica Geography

Location:
  Middle 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 kmē
  land: 50,660 kmē
  water: 440 kmē
  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:
  exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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

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

Natural resources:
  hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 6%
  permanent crops: 5%
  permanent pastures: 46%
  forests and woodland: 31%
  other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  1,200 kmē (1993 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; water pollution
  (rivers); coastal marine pollution; wetlands degradation; fisheries
  protection; solid waste management; air pollution

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
    Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands,
    Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
    Conservation

§3. Costa Rica People

Population:
  3,773,057 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 31.38% (male 605,728; female 578,128)
  15-64 years: 63.37% (male 1,209,084; female 1,181,754)
  65 years and over: 5.25% (male 92,314; female 106,049) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.65% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  20.27 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.02 years male: 73.49 years
  female: 78.68 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.47 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.54% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  12,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  750 (1999 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%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's
  Witnesses 1.3%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Languages:
  Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.8%
  male: 94.7%
  female: 95% (1995 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 Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998); First
    Vice President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May 1998), Second Vice
    President Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998); note - president is
    both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998);
    First Vice President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May 1998), Second Vice
    President Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998); note - 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 1 February 1998
    (next to be held 3 February 2002)
  election results: Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ elected president; percent of vote
    - Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC) 46.6%, Jose Miguel CORRALES (PLN) 44.6%

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 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PUSC 41%, PLN 35%, minority
    parties 24%; seats by party - PUSC 27, PLN 23, minority parties 7

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

Political parties and leaders:
  Agricultural Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Costa
  Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD
  [Jose M. NUNEZ]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth];
  National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL]; National
  Independent Party or PNI [Jorge GONZALEZ Marten]; National Integration
  Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN
  [Sonia PICADO]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis Manuel CHACON]
  note: mainly a two-party system - PUSC and PLN; numerous small parties
    share less than 25% of population's support

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, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime DAREMBLUM Rosenstein chancery: 2114 S
    Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los
    Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San
    Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa
  consulate(s): Austin

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. DODD embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O,
    Pavas, San Jose
  mailing address: APO AA 34020
  telephone: [506] 220-3939
  FAX: [506] 220-2305

Flag description:
  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

§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.
  However, traditional export sectors have not kept pace. Low coffee prices
  and an overabundance of bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The
  government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal
  debt and with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and
  telecommunications sector.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $25 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 12.5% industry: 30.7%
  services: 56.8% (1999)

Population below poverty line:
  20.6% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 34.7% (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  11% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  1.9 million (1999)

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

Unemployment rate:
  5.2% (2000 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.95 billion
  expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000
    est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  4.3% (2000)

Electricity - production:
  5.805 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 2.41% hydro: 83.32%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 14.27% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  5.303 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  165 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  69 million kWh (1999)

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

Exports:
  $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
  US 54.1%, EU 21.3%, Central America 8.6% (1999)

Imports:
  $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
  US 56.4%, EU 9%, Mexico 5.4%, Japan 4.7%, (1999)

Debt - external:
  $4.2 billion (2000 est.)

Currency:
  Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Currency code:
  CRC

Exchange rates:
  Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 318.95 (2001), 308.19 (2000), 285.68
  (1999), 257.23 (1998), 232.60 (1997), 207.69 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Costa Rica Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  450,000 (1998) note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were
    in use 1998

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  143,000 (2000)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: very good domestic 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: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite
    earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19 (1998)

Radios:
  980,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
  525,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .cr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  3 (of which only one is legal) (2000)

Internet users:
  150,000 (2000)

§7. Costa Rica Transportation

Railways:
  total: 950 km
  narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified) (2000)

Highways:
  total: 37,273 km
  paved: 7,827 km
  unpaved: 29,446 km (1998 est.)

Waterways:
  730 km (seasonally navigable)

Pipelines:
  petroleum products 176 km

Ports and harbors:
  Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,716 GRT/NA DWT
  ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  152 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 29 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 19
  under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 123 914 to 1,523 m: 28
  under 914 m: 95 (2000 est.)

§8. Costa Rica Military

Military branches:
  Coast Guard, Air Section, Ministry of Public Security Force (Fuerza
  Publica)
  note: Costa Rica has no military, only domestic police forces, including
    the Coast Guard and Air Section

Military manpower - military age:
  18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 1,035,090 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 692,973 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 39,411 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $69 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.6% (FY99)

§9. Costa Rica Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on border with
  Nicaragua

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit
  production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine
  consumption is rising, particularly crack cocaine; those who previously
  only trafficked are now becoming users
