1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Agriculture

accounts for 19% 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

Airports

total: 184 usable: 165 with permanent-surface runways: 27 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 9

Area

total area: 51,100 sq km land area: 50,660 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia note: includes Isla del Coco

Birth rate

25.48 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard note: constitution prohibits armed forces

Budget

revenues: $1.1 billion expenditures: $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1991 est.)

Capital

San Jose

Climate

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

Coastline

1,290 km

Constitution

9 November 1949

Currency

1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos

Death rate

3.52 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)

Digraph

CS

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 234-2945

Economic aid

recipient: 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

capacity: 927,000 kW production: 3.612 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,130 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: deforestation, largely a result of land clearing for cattle ranching; soil erosion natural hazards: subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic divisions

white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%

Exchange rates

Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 150.67 (December 1993), 142.17 (1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989)

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Jose Maria FIGUERES Olsen (since 8 May 1994); First Vice President Rodrigo OREAMUNO Blanco (since 8 May 1994); Second Vice President Rebeca GRYNSPAN Mayufis (since 8 May 1994); election last held 6 February 1994 (next to be held February 1998); results - President FIGUERES (PLN party) 49.7%, Miquel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC party) 47.5% cabinet: Cabinet; selected by the president

Exports

$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar partners: US, Germany, Italy, Guatemala, El Salvador, Netherlands, UK, France

External debt

$3.2 billion (1991)

FAX

(202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Austin and Raleigh

(506) 20-2305

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Highways

total: 35,536 km paved: 5,600 km unpaved: gravel and earth 29,936 km (1991)

Illicit drugs

transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots

Imports

$2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum partners: US, Japan, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Germany

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Industrial production

growth rate 10.5% (1992); accounts for 22% of GDP

Industries

food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Infant mortality rate

11 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9% (1993 est.)

Inland waterways

about 730 km, seasonally navigable

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

1,180 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Labor force

868,300 by occupation: industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 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%

Languages

Spanish (official), English; spoken around Puerto Limon

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 (Asamblea Legislativa)

elections last held 6 February 1994 (next to be held February 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (61 total) PLN 28, PUSC 29, minority parties 4

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.8 years male: 75.88 years female: 79.81 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 93% male: 93% female: 93%

Location

Middle America, between Nicaragua and Panama

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 873,987; fit for military service 588,223; reach military age (18) annually 32,308 (1994 est.)

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Merchant marine

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,878 GRT/4,506 DWT

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$5,900 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

6.5% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican

Natural resources

hydropower potential

Net migration rate

1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

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)

Overview

In 1993 the economy grew at an estimated 6.5%, compared with 7.7% in 1992 and 2.1% in 1991. Increases in agricultural production (coffee and bananas), nontraditional exports, and tourism are responsible for much of the growth. Inflation in 1993 dropped to 9% from 17% in 1992 and 25% in 1991, an indication of basic financial stability. Unemployment is officially reported at 4.0%, but much underemployment remains.

Pipelines

petroleum products 176 km

Political parties and leaders

National Liberation Party (PLN), Manuel AGUILAR Bonilla; 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

Population

3,342,154 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.31% (1994 est.)

Ports

Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas

Railroads

950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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

Terrain

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Total fertility rate

3.06 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

democratic republic

Unemployment rate

4% (1993); much underemployment

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Joseph BECELIA embassy: Pavas Road, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 20-39-39