Costa Rica Facts

Costa Rica is a wonderful, peaceful and stable country, experience life at it's best! The Costa Rican people are friendly, accepting, patient, peaceful, strong family values, and enjoy a tranquil life. The lifestyle brings many North Americans and Europeans to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica continues to have a higher literacy and life expectancy than the United States. Because of the climate, natural beauty, peaceful and prosperous atmosphere, it remains a tranquil place to live because of the higher quality of life.

A democratic government has renounced aggressive militarism and abolished the army in 1949 in an effort to maintain the resources towards education, medical care.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Costa Rican(s).
Population (2009): 4.579 million.
Annual growth rate (2010 est.): 1.5%.
Ethnic groups: European and some mestizo 94%, African origin 3%, Chinese 1%, Amerindian 1%, other 1%.
Religion: Roman Catholic 76%, Evangelical Protestant 13.8%, other 4.3%, none 11.3%. (2010 est)
Languages: Spanish, with a southwestern Caribbean Creole dialect of English spoken around the Limon area.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--99% grades 1-6, 71% grades 7-9. Literacy--96%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--9.45/1,000. Life expectancy--men 74.61 yrs., women 79.94 yrs.
Work force (2006 est., 1.866 million; this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica legally and illegally): Agriculture--13%; industry--22%; services--64%.

Birth rate: 17.8 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
male: 76.5 years
female: 781.5 years (2010 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s) are commonly called Ticos)
Languages: Spanish (official), English spoken 

GOVERNMENT
Country name: Costa Rica
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica Government type: democratic republic
National capital: San Jose
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular-provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

GOVERNMENT OFFICALS

President--Laura Chincilla - first female in the history of Costa Rica
Foreign Minister--Bruno STAGNO Ugarte
Ambassador to the United States--Tomas DUEÑAS Leiva
Ambassador to the Organization of American States--Jose Enrique CASTILLO Barrantes
Ambassador to the United Nations-- Jorge URBINA Ortega

Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a very strong system of constitutional checks and balances. Executive responsibilities are vested in a president, who is the country's center of power. There also are two vice presidents and a 20-plus member cabinet. The president and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies are elected for 4-year terms. In April 2003, the Costa Rican Constitutional Court annulled a 1969 constitutional reform which had barred presidents from running for reelection. As a result, the law reverted back to the 1949 Constitution, which permits ex-presidents to run for reelection after they have been out of office for two presidential terms, or eight years. Deputies may run for reelection after sitting out one term, or four years. On January 1, 2009, the U.S.-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force in Costa Rica.

The electoral process is supervised by an independent Supreme Electoral Tribunal--a commission of three principal magistrates and six alternates selected by the Supreme Court of Justice. Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of 22 magistrates selected for renewable 8-year terms by the Legislative Assembly, and subsidiary courts. A Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV), established in 1989, reviews the constitutionality of legislation and executive decrees and all habeas corpus warrants. The next national elections will take place in February 2010.

The offices of the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Solicitor General, and the Ombudsman exercise oversight of the government. The Comptroller General's office has a statutory responsibility to scrutinize all but the smallest public sector contracts and strictly enforces procedural requirements. Along with the Sala IV, these institutions are playing an increasingly prominent role in governing Costa Rica.

There are provincial boundaries for administrative purposes, but no elected provincial officials. Costa Rica held its first mayoral elections in December 2002, whereby mayors were elected to 4-year terms by popular vote through general elections. Prior to 2002, the office of mayor did not exist, and the president of each municipal council was responsible for the administration of his/her municipality. The most recent nationwide mayoral elections took place in December 2006. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the telecommunications and electrical power monopoly and the state insurance monopoly (sectors opened to competition by CAFTA-DR), the state petroleum refinery, the nationalized commercial banks, and the social security agency. Costa Rica has no military and maintains only domestic police and security forces. A professional Coast Guard was established in 2000.

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chicago, Durham, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa
consulate(s): Austin

Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 84 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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
Land boundaries:
total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Coastline: 1,290 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; dry season (December to May); rainy season (June to November)
Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m, 12,496 ft.
Natural resources: hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 31%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,200 sq km (1993 est.)
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
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Economy

Statistics

GDP: $29.83 billion (2008)

GDP PPP: $50.88 billion. (2008)

GDP real growth rate: 3.0% (2008)

GDP per capita: purchasing power parity: $12,600 (2008)

GDP per capita nominal: $6,590 (2008)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 7.6% (2008) Bananas, pineapples, coffee, beef, sugarcane, rice, corn, dairy products, vegetables, timber, fruits and ornamental plants. industry: 29.1% (2008) Electronic components, food processing, textiles and apparel, construction materials, cement, fertilizer. services: 63.3% (2008) Hotels, restaurants, tourist services, banks, and insurance.

Economy-overview: Costa Rica's basically stable and progressive economy depends especially on technology, tourism, and the export of bananas, coffee, and other agricultural products. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put in place.  Economic growth 6.2% in 1998 and 8.3 in 1999and is continuing to rise. Inflation in 1998 11% and 2008 13%. Agriculture: coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber. Labor force: 1.82 million; agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.). Industries: microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products. Natural resource: hydropower. Exports: $7.005 billion (2005 est.): coffee, bananas, sugar, pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment. Imports: $9.69 billion (2005 est.): raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum. Major trading partners: U.S., Netherlands, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, Brazil (2004).3.5% in 1994, receded to 17.5% in 1996, then dropped to 11.2% in 1997. Unemployment appears moderate at 5.7%.  One important positive development-the infusion of more than $200 million in 1997 by microchip giant Intel and the anticipated attraction of other high-tech firms to Costa Rica will help stimulate growth and employment over the next several years.

Budget:
revenues: $1.1 billion
expenditures: $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1991 est.)
Industries: high-tech, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Industrial production growth rate: 10.5% (1992)

Agriculture-products: coffee, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber.

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.132 million (2002); mobile cellular: 528,047 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002). Television broadcast stations: 20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002). Internet hosts: 10,826 (2003). Internet users: 800,000 (2002). billion (c.i.f., 1996)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1-467colones. April 2005
Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications:

Telephone system: very good domestic telephone service
international: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 71, FM 0, short-wave 13
Television broadcast stations: 18

Transportation Highways:
total: 35,597 km
paved: 6,051 km
unpaved: 29,546 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: about 730 km, seasonally navigable
Pipelines: petroleum products 176 km
Ports and harbors: Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas
Airports: 158 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 6 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 131
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 100 (1997 est.)
 

Military
Military branches: The constitution prohibits armed forces, and there is no standing army.  Law enforcement and border patrol agencies include:  Coast Guard, Air Section, Ministry of Public Security Force (Fuerza Publica); note-during 1996, the Ministry of Public Security reorganized and eliminated the Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard, and Frontier Guards as separate entities; they are now under the Ministry and operate on a geographic command basis performing ground security, law enforcement, counternarcotics, and national security (border patrol) functions; the constitution prohibits armed forces.