2001 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.38% (male 605,728; female 578,128) 15-64 years: 63.37% (male 1,209,084; female 1,181,754) 65 years and over: 5.25% (male 92,314; female 106,049) (2001 est.)

Area

total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Background

Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has achieved a relatively high standard of living. Land ownership is widespread. Tourism is a rapidly expanding industry. Costa Rica Geography

Birth rate

20.27 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Capital

San Jose

Climate

tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Coastline

1,290 km

Constitution

7 November 1949

Country name

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

Death rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); coastal marine pollution; wetlands degradation; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation Costa Rica People

Ethnic groups

white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Executive branch

chief of state: President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998); First Vice President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May 1998), Second Vice President Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998); note - president is both the chief of state and head of

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 84 00 W

Government type

democratic republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.54% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

750 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12,000 (1999 est.)

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Infant mortality rate

11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Irrigated land

1,200 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

Land use

arable land: 6% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 31% other: 12% (1993 est.)

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 accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.02 years male: 73.49 years female: 78.68 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.8% male: 94.7% female: 95% (1995 est.) Costa Rica Government

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Nationality

noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican

Natural hazards

occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes

Natural resources

hydropower

Net migration rate

0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

3,773,057 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

1.65% (2001 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Terrain

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products

coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber

Airports

152 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 29 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 123 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 95 (2000 est.) Costa Rica Military

Budget

revenues: $1.95 billion expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Currency

Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Currency code

CRC

Debt - external

$4.2 billion (2000 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. DODD embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Disputes - international

legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on border with Nicaragua

Economy - overview

Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. However, traditional export sectors have not kept pace. Low coffee prices and an overabundance of bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal debt and with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and telecommunications sector.

Electricity - consumption

5.303 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

165 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

69 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

5.805 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 2.41% hydro: 83.32% nuclear: 0% other: 14.27% (1999)

Exchange rates

Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 318.95 (2001), 308.19 (2000), 285.68 (1999), 257.23 (1998), 232.60 (1997), 207.69 (1996)

Exports

$6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment

Exports - partners

US 54.1%, EU 21.3%, Central America 8.6% (1999)

FAX

[1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa consulate(s): Austin

[506] 220-2305

Fiscal year

calendar year Costa Rica Communications

Flag description

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 Costa Rica Economy

GDP

purchasing power parity - $25 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 12.5% industry: 30.7% services: 56.8% (1999)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2000 est.)

Highways

total: 37,273 km paved: 7,827 km unpaved: 29,446 km (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 34.7% (1996)

Illicit drugs

transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, particularly crack cocaine; those who previously only trafficked are now becoming users

Imports

$5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum

Imports - partners

US 56.4%, EU 9%, Mexico 5.4%, Japan 4.7%, (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2000)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11% (2000 est.)

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.cr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (of which only one is legal) (2000)

Internet users

150,000 (2000) Costa Rica Transportation

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Labor force

1.9 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.)

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - PUSC 41%, PLN 35%, minority parties 24%; seats by party - PUSC 27, PLN 23, minority parties 7

Merchant marine

total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,716 GRT/NA DWT ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.)

Military branches

Coast Guard, Air Section, Ministry of Public Security Force (Fuerza Publica) note: Costa Rica has no military, only domestic police forces, including the Coast Guard and Air Section

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$69 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.6% (FY99) Costa Rica Transnational Issues

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,035,090 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 692,973 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 39,411 (2001 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 176 km

Political parties and leaders

Agricultural Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Jose M. NUNEZ]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL]; National Independent Party or PNI [Jorge GONZALEZ Marten]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Sonia PICADO]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis Manuel CHACON] note: mainly a two-party system - PUSC and PLN; numerous small parties share less than 25% of population's support

Political pressure groups and leaders

Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert Brown]

Population below poverty line

20.6% (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19 (1998)

Radios

980,000 (1997)

Railways

total: 950 km narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified) (2000)

Telephone system

general assessment: very good domestic telephone service domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available international: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)

Telephones - main lines in use

450,000 (1998) note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were in use 1998

Telephones - mobile cellular

143,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

525,000 (1997)

Unemployment rate

5.2% (2000 est.)

Waterways

730 km (seasonally navigable)