1995 Edition

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

Climate

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

Coastline

1,290 km

Environment

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

1,180 sq km (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

Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

hydropower potential

Terrain

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 35% (female 585,976; male 617,456) 15-64 years: 60% (female 1,013,491; male 1,036,195) 65 years and over: 5% (female 88,050; male 77,946) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

24.88 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

3.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 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: 78.11 years male: 76.21 years female: 80.1 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1984) total population: 93% male: 93% female: 93%

Nationality

noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican

Net migration rate

1.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

3,419,114 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.24% (1995 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate

3.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

San Jose

Constitution

9 November 1949

Digraph

CS

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia PICADO chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945

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

FAX

[1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chicago, Durham, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Austin

[506] 220-2305

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 (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

Member of

AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

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)

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), 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type

democratic republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: US Ambassador to Costa Rica Peter DE VOS embassy: Pavas Road, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939

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

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

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: 1,040,000 kW production: 4.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,164 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 164.39 (December 1994), 157.07 (1994), 142.17 (1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990)

Exports

$2.1 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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Industrial production

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

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9% (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $16.9 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$5,050 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

4.3% (1994 est.)

Overview

Costa Rica's basically stable and progressive economy depends especially on tourism and export of bananas, coffee, and other agricultural products. In 1994 the economy grew at an estimated 4.3%, compared with 6.5% in 1993, 7.7% in 1992, and 2.1% in 1991. 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 only 4.0%, but there is much underemployment. Costa Rica signed a free trade agreement with Mexico in 1994.

Unemployment rate

4% (1993); much underemployment

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 71, FM 0, shortwave 13 radios: NA

Telephone system

292,000 telephones; very good domestic telephone service local: NA intercity: NA international: connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Television

broadcast stations: 18 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 174 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 17 with paved runways under 914 m: 117 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 36

Highways

total: 35,560 km paved: 5,600 km unpaved: gravel and earth 29,960 km (1992)

Inland waterways

about 730 km, seasonally navigable

Merchant marine

none

Pipelines

petroleum products 176 km

Ports

Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas

Railroads

total: 950 km (260 km electrified) narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge

Branches

Civil Guard, Coast Guard, Air Section, Rural Assistance Guard; note - the Constitution prohibits armed forces

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989) ________________________________________________________________________ COTE D'IVOIRE (also known as Ivory Coast)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 896,516; males fit for military service 602,785; males reach military age (18) annually 32,815 (1995 est.)