1988 Edition

Boundary disputes

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

none; Guantanamo (US Naval Base) leased to US

Climate

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

tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

1,290 km

3,735 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than West Virginia

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Continental shelf

200 nm

200 m

Environment

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

averages one hurricane every other year

Ethnic divisions

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

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

Extended economic zone

200 nm

200 nm

Infant mortality rate

18.8/1,000 (1983)

15/1,000 (1985)

Labor force

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

3.0 million; 47% industry and commerce, 28% services and government, 25% agriculture (1982)

Land boundaries

670 km total

Land boundary

29. 1 km with Guantanamo (US Naval Base)

Land use

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

23% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 17% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 10% irrigated

Language

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

Spanish

Life expectancy

men 67.5, women 71.9

74

Literacy

93%

96%

Nationality

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

noun— Cuban(s); adjectiveCuban Cuba (continued)

Organized labor

about 15.1% of labor force

Population

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

10,259,473 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.90%

Religion

95% Roman Catholic

at least 85% nominally Roman Catholic before Castro assumed power

Special notes

none

largest country in Caribbean; 145 km south of Florida

Terrain

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

mostly flat to rolling plains with some hills and mountains

Territorial sea

12 nm

12 nm

Total area

50,700 km2; land area: 50,660 km2

110,860 km2; land area: 110,860 km2

Administrative divisions

7 provinces

14 provinces and 169 municipalities

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)

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

Capital

San Jose

Havana

Communists

7,500 members and sympathizers

about 500,000 party members

Elections

every four years; last held in February 1986 Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Party (PLN), Jose (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 Grille 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 Gutierrez; the United People (PU) is a leftist coalition comprising four parties — New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick Ardon; Socialist Party (PS), Alvaro Montero Mejia; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Manuel Mora Valverde; and Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose Echeverria Brealey

National People's Assembly (indirect election) every five years; last election held December 1986 Political parties and leaders: Cuban Communist Party (PCC), First Secretary Fidel Castro Ruz, Second Secretary Raul Castro Ruz

Government leader

Oscar ARIAS Sanchez, President (since May 1986)

Fidel CASTRO Ruz, President (since January 1959)

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

based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; new constitution 2 December 1976; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Member of

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

CEMA, ECLA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB (nonparticipant), IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, ICO, IHO, ILO, IMO, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, NAM, 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September

Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 January

Official name

Republic of Costa Rica

Republic of Cuba

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

universal but not compulsory over age 16

Type

democratic republic

Communist state

Voting strength

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

Agriculture

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

sugar, tobacco, rice, potatoes, tubers, citrus, coffee

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)

$15.1 billion (1986 est.)

Crude steel

412,900 metric tons produced (1985); 40 kg per capita

Electric power

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

3,461,000 kW capacity; 14,030 million kWh produced, 1,370 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

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

$6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1985); sugar, nickel, shellfish, tobacco, coffee, citrus

Fiscal year

calendar year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 10,902 metric tons (1982)

catch 198,400 metric tons (1984); exports $102 million (1984 est.)

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) Cuba

GNP

$18.0 billion in 1974 dollars; $1,757 per capita in 1974 dollars; real growth rate 2.3% (1986 est.)

Imports

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

$8.6 billion (c.i.f., 1985); capital goods, industrial raw materials, food, petroleum

Major industries

food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer

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

Major trade partners

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

exports — 72% USSR, 17% other Communist countries; imports— 66% USSR, 18% other Communist countries (1984)

Military transfers

US (FY70-85), $32 million

Monetary conversion rate

58 colones=US$l (November 1986)

0.93 peso=US$l (December 1986 official)

Natural resources

hydroelectric power

cobalt, nickel, iron, copper, manganese, salt, forests

Shortages

spare parts for transportation and industrial machinery, consumer goods

Airfields

199 total, 188 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

202 total, 186 usable; 66 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard

Revolutionary Armed Forces, Ground Forces, Revolutionary Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, Ministry of Interior Special Troops, Border Guard Troops, Territorial Militia Troops, Youth Labor Army

Civil air

9 major transport aircraft

59 major transport aircraft

Highways

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

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

Inland waterways

about 730 km, seasonally navigable

240 km

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 300km North Atlantic Ocean Isla de la Juventud Caribbean Sea See regional mip III

Military manpower

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

eligible 15-49, 5,765,000; of the 2,893,000 males 15-49, 1,819,000 are fit for military service; of the 2,871,000 females 15-49, 1,802,000 are fit for military service; 112,000 males and 108,000 females reach military age (17) annually

Pipelines

refined products, 95 km

Ports

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

10 major, 26 secondary, 34 minor

Railroads

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

14,925 km total; Cuban National Railways operates 5,295 km of 1.435-meter gauge track; 199 km electrified; 9,630 km of sugar plantation lines of 0.914-1.435-meter gauge

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 Defense Forces

143 AM, 5 FM, 52 TV stations; 1,525,000 TV sets; 2,140,000 receiver sets; 1 satellite ground station Defense Forces