Costa Rica

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 expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

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

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

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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Marine Life Conservation

• four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country;
• one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65

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 (2005 est.)

noun:

Costa Rican(s)

adjective:

Costa Rican

conventional long form:

Republic of Costa Rica

conventional short form:

Costa Rica

local long form:

Republica de Costa Rica

local short form:

Costa Rica

• based on Spanish civil law system;
• judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
• has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state:

• President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002);
• First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002);
• Second Vice President (vacant);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002);
• First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002);
• Second Vice President (vacant);
• note - the 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 3 February 2002;
• run-off election held 7 April 2002 (next to be held February 2006)

election results:

• Abel PACHECO elected president;
• percent of vote - Abel PACHECO (PUSC) 58%;
• Rolando ARAYA (PLN) 42%

• Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS];
• Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS];
• Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO];
• Democratic Force Party or PFD [Juan Carlos CHAVES Mora];
• Democratic National Alliance [Emilia RODRIGUEZ];
• General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega];
• Homeland First [Juan Jose VARGAS];
• Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona];
• Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth];
• National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Victor GONZALEZ];
• National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes];
• National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO];
• National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas];
• National Rescue Party or PRN [Carlos VARGAS Solano];
• Patriotic Union [Humberto ARCE];
• Popular Vanguard [Trino BARRANTES Araya];
• Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]

• 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]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tomas DUENAS

chancery:

2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-2945

FAX:

[1] (202) 265-4795

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa

consulate(s):

Austin

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Douglas M. BARNES

embassy:

Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose

mailing address:

APO AA 34020

telephone:

[506] 220-3939

FAX:

[506] 519-2305

• five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band;
• above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA

lowest 10%:

1.1%

highest 10%:

36.8% (2002)

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

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

general assessment:

good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular 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:

• country code - 506;
• connected to Central American Microwave System;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
• two submarine cables (1999)

total:

278 km

narrow gauge:

278 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

total:

35,303 km

paved:

4,236 km

unpaved:

31,067 km (2002)

total:

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,716 GRT/ DWT

by type:

passenger/cargo 2 (2005)

• transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America;
• illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots;
• domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising