Costa Rica

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

democratic republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Costa Rica as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 115 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSan Jose
Position10 00 N, 84 00 W
Area51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco
LocationMiddle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
2001

Every edition of Costa Rica

Populationas each edition published it
3.77 million July 2001 est. · 3.03m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.65% 2001 est. · 2.38% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 25.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
76.02 years 2001 est. · 77.49 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.47 children per woman 2001 est. · 3.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
11.18 deaths per 1,000 live births 2001 est. · 16 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$6,700 2000 est. · $2,000 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3% 2000 est. · 5.4% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

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

17 fields
Coastline
1,290km
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Irrigated land
1,200sq km
(1993 est.)

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

Land boundaries

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

Climate

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

Terrain

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Elevation extremes

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

Land use

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

Natural hazards

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

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

People

18 fields
Population
3,773,057
(July 2001 est.)growth rate: 1.65% (2001 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2001 est.)

Birth
20.27Death
4.3Net migration
0.53

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

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

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.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate

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

Life expectancy at birth

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

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

750 (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican

Languages

Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Literacy

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

Government

Democratic republic; President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

46.6%
Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC) 46.6%Jose Miguel CORRALES (PLN) 44.6%

Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa, 57 seatsone dot, one seat

PUSC 27PLN 23minority parties 7

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

Government 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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution

7 November 1949

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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 government head of government: 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 government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms;
  • election last held 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002) election results: Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ elected president;
  • percent of vote - Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC) 46.6%, Jose Miguel CORRALES (PLN) 44.6%

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

Judicial branch

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

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]

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

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

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

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

FAX

[506] 220-2305

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

Economy

Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports.

31 fields
Real growth rate
3%
(2000 est.)industrial production growth: 4.3% (2000)
Unemployment rate
5.2%
(2000 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
5.805 billion (1999)Electricity consumption
5.303 billion (1999)Electricity exports
165 million (1999)Electricity imports
69 million (1999)

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.

GDP

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

GDP - per capita

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

GDP - composition by sector

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Labor force

1.9 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Budget

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

Industries

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

Electricity - production by source

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

Agriculture - products

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

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)

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)

Debt - external

$4.2 billion (2000 est.)

Currency

Costa Rican colon (CRC)

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields
Mobile cellular
143,000
(2000)
Internet users
3
(of which only one is legal) (2000)
Fixed lines
450,000
(1998) note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were in use 1998 · country code .cr

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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19 (1998)

Radios

980,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

525,000 (1997)

Internet users

150,000 (2000)

Transportation

9 fields

Railways

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

Highways

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

Waterways

730 km (seasonally navigable)

Pipelines

petroleum products 176 km

Ports and harbors

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

Merchant marine

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

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.)

Military

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

7 fields

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 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.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

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

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Costa Rica.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/costa-rica/2001.

How to cite ← 2000 edition 2002 edition →