1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; Nicaraguan interruption of transit in the Rio San Juan (the international boundary) is an occasional source of friction

Climate

tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

1,290 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Continental shelf

200 nm

Environment

subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of Jowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

670 km total

Land use

6% arable land; 7% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 32% forest and woodland; 12% other; includes 1% irrigated

Special notes

none

Terrain

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

—100 km Cabo Gracias 2 Dios, Caribbean Sea North Pacific Ocaan tsla dat Coco ta not shown,

50,700 km?; land area: 50,660 km?

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

18.8/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

868,300 (1985 est.); 34% industry and commerce, 27% agriculture, 21% government and services, 8% other; 10% unemployment (1985 est.)

Language

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

Life expectancy

men 67.5, women 71.9

Literacy

93%

Nationality

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

Organized labor

about 15.1% of labor force

Population

2,811,652 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.78%

Religion

95% Roman Catholic

Administrative divisions

7 provinces

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)

Capital

San José

Communists

7,500 members and sympathizers

Elections

every four years; last held in February 1986 Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Party (PLN), José (Fepe) Figueres, Luis Alberto Monge, Daniel Oduber, Oscar Arias Sanchez; the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) comprises the four Unity Coalition (UNIDAD) parties—Republican Calderonista Party (PRC), Rafael Angel Calderon Fournier; Democratic Renovation Party (PRD), leader unknown; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Rafael Grillo Rivera; Popular Unity Party (PUP), Christian Tattenbach Iglesias; the Popular Alliance (PA) is a coalition comprising two parties—Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto Vargas Carbonell, and Leftist Broad Democratic Front (FAD), Rodrigo Gutiérrez; the United People (PU) is a leftist coalition comprising four parties—New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick Ardén; Socialist Party (PS), Alvaro Montero Mejia; People’s Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Manuel Mora Valverde; and Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan José Echeverria Brealey

Government leader

Oscar ARIAS Sanchez, President (since May 1986)

Legal system

based on Spanish civil law system; constitution adopted in 1949; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Member of

CACM, Central American Democratic Community, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, [DB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, 1WC—International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September

Official name

Republic of Costa Rica

Other political or pressure groups

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

Suffrage

universal and compulsory age 18 and over

Type

democratic republic

Voting strength

(1986 election) PLN, 29 seats; UNIDAD, 25 seats; PVP, 1 seat; PPC, 1 seat; other, I seat

Agriculture

main products—coffee, bananas, sugarcane, rice, corn, cocoa, livestock products; an illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Aid

bilateral commitments—US authorized (FY70-85), including Ex-Im, $823 million, other Western countries ODA and OOF (1970-85), $401 million, Communist countries (1971-85), $27 million

Budget

consolidated public sector—total revenues, $1,009 million; total expenditures, including debt amortization, $1,058 million (1983)

Electric power

820,000 kW capacity; 2,770 million kWh produced, 1,020 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$994 million (f.0.b., 1985); coffee, bananas, beef, sugar, cocoa

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 10,902 metric tons (1982)

GDP

$3.7 billion (1985 est.), $1,427 per capita; 62% private consumption, 16% public consumption, 23% gross domestic investment, —1% net foreign balance; 2% real growth rate (1986)

Imports

$1,126 million (c.i.f., 1985); manufactured products, machinery, transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, fertilizer

Major industries

food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer

Major trade partners

exports—47% US, 18% CACM, 9% FRG; imports—40% US, 12% Japan, 11% CACM, 4% FRG (1983)

Military transfers

US (FY70-85), $32 million

Monetary conversion rate

58 colones=US$1 (November 1986)

Natural resources

hydroelectric power

Airfields

199 total, 188 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,489 m

Civil air

9 major transport aircraft

Highways

15,400 km total; 7,030 km paved, 7,010 km gravel, 1,360 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

about 730 km, seasonally navigable

Pipelines

refined products, 95 km

Ports

1 major (Puerto Limon), 4 secondary (Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas)

Railroads

800 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 243 km electrified

Telecommunications

very good domestic telephone service; 292,000 telephones (11.8 per 100 popl.); connection into Central American microwave net; 62 AM, 17 TV stations; 1] Atlantic Ocean satellite station

Branches

Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $19.6 million for Ministry of Public Security, including the Civil Guard; about 2.8% of total central government budget; $8.0 million for Rural Guard; 1.1% of total central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 741,000; 502,000 fit for military service; 29,000 reach military age (18) annually