1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 51,100 km2 land area: 50,660 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia note: includes Isla del Coco
Climate
tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)
Coastline
1,290 km
Environment
subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
1,180 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 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%
Location
Central America, between Nicaragua and Panama
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
hydropower potential
Terrain
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
People and Society
Birth rate
26.07 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
3.57 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
Infant mortality rate
11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
868,300 by occupation: 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
total population: 77.49 years male: 75.56 years female: 79.52 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 93% male: 93% female: 93%
Nationality
noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican
Net migration rate
1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
3,264,776 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.38% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
3.11 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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)
Constitution
9 November 1949
Costa Rica local long form
Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica
Digraph
CS
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda chancery: Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 234-2945 through 2947 consulates general: Albuquerque, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate: Buffalo
Executive branch
president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
FAX
(506) 20-2305
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)
Member of
AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form:
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
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Type
democratic republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis GUINOT, Jr. embassy: Pavas Road, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 20-39-39
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 17% 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 $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1991 est.)
Currency
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; 3,612 million kWh produced, 1,130 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 137.72 (January 1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988)
Exports
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar partners: US 75%, Germany, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan
External debt
$3.2 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment country for cocaine from South America
Imports
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum partners: US 45%, Japan, Guatemala, Germany
Industrial production
growth rate 1.0% (1991); accounts for 19% of GDP
Industries
food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
17% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.4 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$2,000 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
5.4% (1992 est.)
Overview
In 1992 the economy grew at an estimated 5.4%, up from the 2.5% gain of 1991 and the gain of 1990. Increases in agricultural production (on the strength of good coffee and banana crops) and in nontraditional exports are responsible for much of the growth. In 1992 consumer prices rose by 17%, below the 27% of 1991. The trade deficit of $100 million was substantially below the 1991 deficit of $270 million. Unemployment is officially reported at 4.0%, but much underemployment remains. External debt, on a per capita basis, is among the world's highest.
Unemployment rate
4% (1992)
Communications
Airports
total: 162 usable: 144 with permanent-surface runways: 28 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8
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 age 15-49 851,713; fit for military service 573,854; reach military age (18) annually 31,987 (1993 est.)