1984 Edition

Agriculture

main products — coffee, bananas, sugarcane, rice, corn, cocoa, livestock products

main crops — sugar, tobacco, rice, potatoes, tubers, citrus fruits, coffee

Aid

economic bilateral commitments — US authorized (FY70-82), including Ex-Im, $217 million, other Western countries ODA and OOF (1970-81) $160 million, Communist countries (1971-74) $17 million; military commitments negligible

from US (FY46-61), $41.5 million (loans $37.5 million, grants $4.0 million); economic aid (1960-78) from USSR, $5.7 billion in economic credit and $11.0 billion in subsidies; military assistance from the USSR (1959-78), $1.6 billion

Airfields

208 total, 203 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,2202,439 m

203 total, 194 usable; 58 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Defense Forces

Area

51,022 km2; 60% forest; 30% agricultural (22% meadow and pasture, 8% cultivated); 10% waste, urban, and other

Branches

executive — President (head of government and chief of state), elected for a single four-year term; two vice presidents; legislative — 57-delegate unicameral Legislative Assembly elected at four-year intervals; judiciary — Supreme Court of Justice (17 magistrates elected by Legislative Assembly at eight-year intervals)

Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard

executive; legislature (National Assembly of the People's Power); controlled judiciary

Revolutionary Armed Forces, Ground Forces, Revolutionary Navy, Air and Air Defense Force; Ministry of Interior — Special Troops, Border Guard Troops

Budget

(1983) $321 million total revenues, $544 million total expenditures including debt amortization

$12.1 billion (1983)

Capital

San Jose

Havana

Civil air

9 major transport aircraft

47 major transport aircraft

Coastline

1,290 km People

3,735 km People

Communists

10,000 members and sympathizers

approx. 400,000 party members

Crude steel

301,200 metric tons produced (1982); 31 kg per capita

Elections

every four years; last, February Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Party (PLN), Luis Alberto Monge, Daniel Oduber, Jose "Pepe" Figueres; National Movement (MN), Mario Echandi; new Social Christian Union (USC) comprised of the four Unity Coalition (UNIDAD) parties— Democratic Renovation Party (PRO), Oscar Aguilar Bulgarelli; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Rafael Grille Rivera; Republican Calderonista Party (PRC), Rafael Angel Calderon Fournier; Popular Union Party (PUP), Cristian Tallenbach Iglesias; United People's Coalition (PU) comprised of the three Marxist parties — Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto Vargas Carbonell; Popular Revolutionary Movement (MRP), Sergio Erick Ardon; Socialist Party (PS), Alvaro Montero Mejia; National Defense Party, J. Francisco Herrera Romero; National Republican Party, Ronaldo Rodriguez Varela; Democratic Radical Party, Juan Jose Echeverria Brealey

National People's Assembly (indirect election) every five years; election held November 1981 Political parties and leaders: Cuban Communist Party (PCC), First Secretary Fidel Castro Ruz, Second Secretary Raul Castro Ruz

Electric power

820,000 kW capacity (1983); 2.2 billion kWh produced (1983), 845 kWh per capita

4,100,000 kW capacity (1983); 10.5 billion kWh produced (1983), 1,065 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

96% white (including mestizo), 3% black, 1% Indian

51% mulatto, 37% white, 11% black, 1% Chinese

Exports

$870.8 million (f.o.b., 1983); coffee, bananas, beef, sugar, cacao

$5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1982); sugar, nickel, shellfish, tobacco

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 14,854 metric tons (1980)

catch 195,000 metric tons (1982); exports $125 million (1980)

GDP

$3.3 billion (1983 est., in current prices), $1,390 per capita; 65% private consumption, 15% public consumption, 23% gross domestic investment, —4% net foreign balance (1981); 0% real growth rate (1983 est.)

GNP

$14.9 billion in 1974 dollars (1982 est); $1,534 per capita in 1974 dollars (1982 est.); real growth rate 1.4% (1982 est.)

Government leader

Luis Alberto MONGE Alvarez, President

Fidel CASTRO Ruz, President

Highways

28,525 km total; 2,570 km paved, 9,360 km gravel, 16,595 km unimproved earth

21,000 km total; 9,000 km paved, 12,000 km gravel and earth surfaced

Imports

$870 million (c.i.f., 1983); manufactured products, machinery, transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, fertilizer

$6.6 billion (c.i.f., 1982); capital goods, industrial raw materials, food, petroleum

Inland waterways

about 730 km, seasonally navigable

240 km

Labor force

891,000(1982 est); 40.4% industry and commerce, 32.6% agriculture, 25% government and services, 2% other; 12% unemployment (1983 est.)

2.9 million in 1979; 26% agriculture, 26% services, 20% industry, 11% construction, 10% commerce, 7% transportation and communication; 2% unemployed Government

Land boundaries

670 km Water

Language

Spanish (official), with Jamaican dialect of English spoken around Puerto Limon

Spanish

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

based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; Fundamental Law of 1959 replaced constitution of 1940; a new constitution was approved at the Cuban Communist Party's First Party Congress in December 1975 and by a popular referendum, which took place on 15 February 1976; portions of the new constitution were put into effect on 24 February 1976, by means of a Constitutional Transition Law, and the entire constitution became effective on 2 December 1976; legal education at Universities of Havana, Oriente, and Las Villas; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (fishing 200 nm; specialized competence over living resources to 200 nm)

12 nm (fishing 200 nm; 200 nm exclusive economic zone)

Literacy

93%

96%

Major industries

food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer Costa Rica (continued) Cuba

sugar milling, petroleum refining, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals, cement

Major trade partners

exports — 35% US, 27% CACM, 10% FRG; imports— 36% US, 17% CACM, 12% Japan, 4% FRG (1980)

exports — 67% USSR, 18% other Communist countries; imports — 68% USSR, 21% other Communist countries (1982 prelim.)

Member of

CACM, Central American Democratic Community, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE— InterAmerican Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, NAMUCAR (Caribbean Multinational Shipping Line — Naviera Multinacional del Caribe), OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy

CEMA, ECLA, FAO, G-77, GATT, lADB(nonparticipant), IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IHO, ILO, IMO, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC — International Wheat Council, NAM, NAMUCAR (Caribbean Multinational Shipping Line — Naviera Multinacional del Caribe), OAS (nonparticipant), PAHO, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Postal Union of the Americas and Spain, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1982, $8.4 million for Ministry of Public Security, including the Civil Guard; about 2.1% of total central government budget N \ 1 UKiTED Land 114,471 km2; 35% cultivated; 30% meadow and pasture; 20% waste, urban, or other; 15% forest Water

Military manpower

males 15-49, 717,000; 487,000 fit for military service; about 31,000 reach military age (18) annually

eligible 15-49, 5,440,000; of the 2,751,000 males 15-49, 1,730,000 are fit for military service; of the 2,689,000 females 15-49, 1,689,000 are fit for military service; 117,000 males and 113,000 females reach military age (17) annually

Monetary conversion rate

43.15 colones=US$l (November 1983)

0.8547 peso=US$l (1 January 1984)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September

Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 January

Nationality

noun — Costa Rican(s); adjective — Costa Rican

noun — Cuban(s); adjective — Cuban

Official name

Republic of Costa Rica

Republic of Cuba

Organized labor

about 13.8% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD; Liberation Party affiliate), Confederated Union of Workers (CUT; 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)

Pipelines

refined products, 176 km

natural gas, 80 km

Political subdivisions

seven provinces divided into 80 cantons and districts

14 provinces and 169 municipalities

Population

2,693,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.6%

9,995,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.1%

Ports

4 major (Limon, Golfito, Puntarenas, Caldera), 3 minor

8 major (including US Naval Base at Guantanamo), 44 minor

Railroads

700 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 234 km electrified

14,725 km total, government owned; 5,070 km common carrier lines of which 4,990 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 80 km 0.914-meter gauge; about 9,655 km plantation/industrial lines, 6,455 km 1.435meter standard gauge, 3,200 km narrow gauge

Religion

95% Roman Catholic

at least 85% nominally Roman Catholic before Castro assumed power

Shortages

spare parts for transportation and industrial machinery, consumer goods

Suffrage

universal and compulsory age 18 and over

universal, but not compulsory, over age 16

Supply

dependent on imports from US

Telecommunications

very good domestic telephone service; 236,100 telephones (10.4 per 100 popl.); connection into Central American microwave net; 55 AM, 46 FM, and 14 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

Type

democratic republic

Communist state

Voting strength

(1982 election) PLN 57.3%, 33 seats; UNIDAD 32.7%, 18 seats; PU 3.2%, 4 seats; MN 3.7%, 1 seat; other, 1 seat