Costa Rica Facts and Facts about Costa Rica

from Costa Rica Facst book and other facts sources related to Costa Rica Facts. Updated December 2009:

Costa Rica Facts Related to Geography of Costa Rica

Location:

Central America, between Nicaragua and Panama
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Area:
total area:51,100 km2
land area:50,660 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
note:
includes Isla del Coco
Land boundaries:
total 639 km, Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Coastline:1,290 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:200 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm
territorial sea:12 nm
International disputes:
none

Climate:
tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Natural resources:
hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:6%
permanent crops:7%
meadows and pastures:45%
forest and woodland:34%
other:8%
Irrigated land:1,180 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent
flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes;
deforestation; soil erosion

Costa Rica Facts about People

Population:
4,253,877 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 581,916/female 555,216)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,443,606/female 1,411,168)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 120,969/female 141,002) (2009 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.5 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 28 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.356% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Birth rate:
17.43 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118

Death rate:
4.34 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205

Net migration rate:
0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65

Urbanization:
urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 160
male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.58 years
country comparison to the world: 54
male: 74.96 years
female: 80.34 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.14 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,700 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)

Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican

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

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

Languages:
Spanish (official), English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.9%
male: 94.7%
female: 95.1% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)

Education expenditures:
4.9% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 76

Costa Rica Facts about Government

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
Digraph:
CS
Type:
democratic republic
Capital:
San Jose
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago,
Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution:
9 November 1949
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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
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)
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
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
President:
last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results - Rafael
Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel CASTILLO 47%
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Costa Rica Government Information and Facts

Leaders:
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)
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
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
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
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

Costa Rica Economy Facts

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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.4 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
5.4% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$2,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4% (1992)
Budget:
revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.34 billion, including capital
expenditures of $110 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar
partners:
US 75%, Germany, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan
Imports:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
partners:
US 45%, Japan, Guatemala, Germany
External debt:
$3.2 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.0% (1991); accounts for 19% of GDP
Electricity:
927,000 kW capacity; 3,612 million kWh produced, 1,130 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer,
plastic products
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
Illicit drugs:
illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment
country for cocaine from South America
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
Currency:
1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos

Costa Rica Economy Facts

Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 243 (December 1997), 134.51 (1992),
122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

Costa Rica Communications Facts

Railroads:
950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified
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
Pipelines:
petroleum products 176 km
Ports:
Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,878 GRT/4,506 DWT
Airports:
total: 162
usable: 144
with permanent-surface runways: 28
with runways over 3,659 m: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.438 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 66

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.887 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 122

Telephone system:
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage;
restricted cellular telephone service; state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the
demand for new lines, resulting in long waiting times
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable
link rural areas; Internet service is available
international: country code - 506; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring
System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1
submarine cable that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean,
and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)

Internet country code:
.cr

Internet hosts:
34,066 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 89

Internet users:
1.46 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 76

Costa Rica Defense Forces Facts

Branches:
Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard
note:
constitution prohibits armed forces
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 851,713; fit for military service 573,854; reach military
age (18) annually 31,987 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)

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