1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
51,000 km²; 30% agricultural land (8% cultivated, 22% meadows and pasture), 60% forested, 10% waste, urban, and other
Coastline
1,290 km
Land boundaries
670 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (fishing 200 nm; specialized competence over living resources to 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
98% white (including mestizo), 2% Negro
Labor force
770,000 (1980 est.); 26.9% agriculture; 16.2% manufacturing; 18.1% commerce; 7.9% construction; 6.4% transportation, utilities; 22.9% service (government, education, social); 0.2% other; 15% unemployment (1981 est.)
Language
Spanish
Literacy
about 90%
Nationality
noun—Costa Rican(s); adjective—Costa Rican
Organized labor
about 13.8% of labor force
Population
2,396,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.9%
Religion
95% Roman Catholic
Government
Capital
San José
Communists
10,000 members and sympathizers
Elections
every four years; last, February 1982 Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Party (PLN), Luis Alberto Monge, Daniel Oduber, Jose "Pepe" Figueres; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Mario Echandi; Unity Coalition (UNIDAD) comprised of: Democratic Renovation Party (PRD), Rodrigo Carazo; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Rafael Grillo Rivera; Republican Calderonista Party (PRC), Rafael Angel Calderón Fournier; Popular Union Party (PUP), Jos6 Joaquin Trejos Fernandez; United People's Coalition (PU) comprised of three Marxist parties: Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Manuel Mora Valverde; Popular Revolutionary Movement (MRP), Sergio Erick Ardon; Socialist Party (PS), Alvaro Montero Mejia Voting strength (1982 election): PLN 57.3%, 33 seats; UNIDAD 32.7%, 18 seats; PU 3.2%, 4 seats; MSN 3.7%, 1 seat; other, 1 seat
Government leader
President Rodrigo CARAZO Odio until the inauguration of Luis Alberto MONGE on 8 May 1982
Legal system
based on Spanish civil law system; constitution adopted 1949; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; legal education at University of Costa Rica; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
CACM, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, NAMUCAR (Caribbean Multinational Shipping Line—Naviera Multinacional del Caribe), OAS, ODECA, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September Branches: President, unicameral legislature, Supreme Court elected by legislature
Official name
Republic of Costa Rica
Other political or pressure groups
Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD; Liberation Party affiliate), General Confederation of Workers (CGT; Communist Party affiliate), Chamber of Coffee Growers, National Association for Economic Development (ANFE); Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL; rightwing militants)
Political subdivisions
seven provinces
Suffrage
universal and compulsory age 18 and over
Type
unitary republic
Economy
Agriculture
main products—bananas, coffee, sugarcane, rice, corn, cocoa, livestock products; caloric intake, 2,550 calories per day per capita (1977); protein intake 58 grams per day per capita (1974)
Aid
economic bilateral commitments—US authorized (FY70-80) including Ex-Im $142 million, other Western countries ODA and OOF (1970-79) $127 million, Communist (1971-74) $17 million; military commitments negligible
Budget
(1981) $825 million total revenues, $1,209 million total expenditures including debt amortization
Electric power
510,000 kW capacity (1980); 1.95 billion kWh produced (1980), 860 kWh per capita
Exports
$1,017 million (f.o.b., 1980); coffee, bananas, beef, sugar, cacao
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 14,491 metric tons (1978); exports, $5.1 million (1976), imports, $0.3 million (1976)
GDP
$4.8 billion (1980, in current prices), $2,109 per capita; 67.5% private consumption, 19.0% public consumption, 24.2% gross domestic investment, —10.7% net foreign balance (1980); 1.2% real growth rate (1980)
Imports
$1,529 million (c.i.f., 1980); manufactured products, machinery, transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, fertilizer
Major industries
food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer
Major trade partners
exports—35% US, 27% CACM, 10% West Germany; imports—36% US, 17% CACM, 4% West Germany, 12% Japan (1980)
Monetary conversion rate
2.0 colones=US$1
Communications
Airfields
217 total, 216 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
14 major transport aircraft, including 2 leased in
Highways
28,235 km total; 2,425 km paved, 9,360 km gravel, 16,450 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways
about 730 km perennially navigable
Pipelines
refined products, 318 km
Ports
3 major (Lim6n, Golfito, Puntarenas), 4 minor
Railroads
790 km total; 740 km 1.067-meter gauge, 50 km 0.914-meter gauge, all single track, 160 km electrified
Telecommunications
good domestic telephone service; 145,000 telephones (6.7 per 100 pop!.); connection into Central American microwave net; 55 AM, 10 FM, and 15 TV stations
Military and Security
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, $13.9 million for Ministry of Public Security, including the Civil Guard; about 2.6% of total central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 619,000; 422,000 fit for military service; about 28,000 reach military age (18) annually
Supply
dependent on imports from US