1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
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
Disputes
none
Environment
subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
50,660 km2; includes Isla del Coco
Land boundaries
639 km; Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Land use
arable land 6%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 45%; forest and woodland 34%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
Natural resources
hydropower potential
Terrain
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
51,100 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
Infant mortality rate
12 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
868,300; industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)
Languages
Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon
Life expectancy at birth
75 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Literacy
93% (male 93%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Costa Rican(s); adjective - Costa Rican
Net migration rate
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
15.1% of labor force
Population
3,187,085 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
3.2 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Capital
San Jose
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier (since 8 May 1990); First Vice President German SERRANO Pinto (since 8 May 1990); Second Vice President Arnoldo LOPEZ Echandi (since 8 May 1990)
Communists
7,500 members and sympathizers
Constitution
9 November 1949
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda; Chancery at Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-2945 through 2947; there are Costa Rican Consulates General at Albuquerque, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and a Consulate in Buffalo US: Ambassador Luis GUINOT, Jr.; Embassy at Pavas Road, San Jose (mailing address is APO AA 34020); telephone [506] 20-39-39 FAX (506) 20-2305
Executive branch
president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Legal system
based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative Assembly
last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (57 total) PUSC 29, PLN 25, PVP/PPC 1, regional parties 2
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Long-form name
Republic of Costa Rica
Member of
AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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)
Political parties and leaders
National Liberation Party (PLN), Carlos Manuel CASTILLO Morales; Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier; Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto VARGAS Carbonell; New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick ARDON Ramirez; Progressive Party (PP), Isaac Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin CHACON Vargas; Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey
President
last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results - Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel CASTILLO 47%
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 18
Type
democratic republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 20-25% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash commodities - coffee, beef, bananas, sugar; other food crops include corn, rice, beans, potatoes; normally self-sufficient in food except for grain; depletion of forest resources resulting in lower timber output
Budget
revenues $831 million; expenditures $1.08 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Currency
Costa Rican colon (plural - colones); 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $935 million; Communist countries (1971-89), $27 million
Electricity
927,000 kW capacity; 3,408 million kWh produced, 1,095 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 136.35 (January 1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988), 62.776 (1987)
Exports
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar partners: US 75%, Germany, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan
External debt
$4.5 billion (1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $5.9 billion, per capita $1,900; real growth rate 2.5% (1991 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment country for cocaine from South America
Imports
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: petroleum, machinery, consumer durables, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs partners: US 40%, Japan, Guatemala, Germany
Industrial production
growth rate 2.3% (1990 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP
Industries
food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
27% (1991 est.)
Overview
In 1991 the economy grew at an estimated 2.5%, down somewhat from the 3.6% gain of 1990 and below the strong 5.5% gain of 1989. Increases in agricultural production (on the strength of good coffee and banana crops) and in construction have been offset by lower rates of growth for industry. In 1991 consumer prices rose by 27%, about the same as in 1990. The trade deficit of $270 million was substantially below the 1990 deficit of $677 million. Unemployment is officially reported at 4.6%, but much underemployment remains. External debt, on a per capita basis, is among the world's highest.
Unemployment rate
4.6% (1991)
Communications
Airports
164 total, 149 usable; 28 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
11 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
Merchant marine
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,878 GRT/4,506 DWT
Pipelines
petroleum products 176 km
Ports
Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas
Railroads
950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified
Telecommunications
very good domestic telephone service; 292,000 telephones; connection into Central American Microwave System; broadcast stations - 71 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard; note - Constitution prohibits armed forces
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 829,576; 559,575 fit for military service; 31,828 reach military age (18) annually