Costa Rica




                                 Geography


Location:
     Middle America, between Nicaragua and Panama
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Area:
total area:
     51,100 sq km
land area:
     50,660 sq km
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 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     deforestation, largely a result of land clearing for cattle ranching;
     soil erosion




natural hazards:
     subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast;
     frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active
     volcanoes
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
     Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
     ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Life Conservation


                                  People


Population:
     3,342,154 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.31% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     25.48 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     3.52 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     11 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     77.8 years
male:
     75.88 years
female:
     79.81 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     3.06 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Costa Rican(s)
adjective:
     Costa Rican
Ethnic divisions:
     white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
     Spanish (official), English; spoken around Puerto Limon
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     93%
male:
     93%
female:
     93%
Labor force:
     868,300




by occupation:
     industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture
     27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Republica de Costa Rica
local short form:
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)
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
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
     President Jose Maria FIGUERES Olsen (since 8 May 1994); First Vice
     President Rodrigo OREAMUNO Blanco (since 8 May 1994); Second Vice
     President Rebeca GRYNSPAN Mayufis (since 8 May 1994); election last
     held 6 February 1994 (next to be held February 1998); results -
     President FIGUERES (PLN party) 49.7%, Miquel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC
     party) 47.5%
cabinet:
     Cabinet; selected by the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa):
     elections last held 6 February 1994 (next to be held February 1998);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (61 total) PLN 28, PUSC
     29, minority parties 4
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)




Political parties and leaders:
     National Liberation Party (PLN), Manuel AGUILAR Bonilla; 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)
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:
     2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
     (202) 234-2945
FAX:
     (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general:
     Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
     New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego,
     San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s):
     Austin and Raleigh
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Joseph BECELIA
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


                                  Economy




Overview:
     In 1993 the economy grew at an estimated 6.5%, compared with 7.7% in
     1992 and 2.1% in 1991. Increases in agricultural production (coffee
     and bananas), nontraditional exports, and tourism are responsible for
     much of the growth. Inflation in 1993 dropped to 9% from 17% in 1992
     and 25% in 1991, an indication of basic financial stability.
     Unemployment is officially reported at 4.0%, but much underemployment
     remains.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19.3 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     6.5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $5,900 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     9% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     4% (1993); much underemployment
Budget:
revenues:
     $1.1 billion
expenditures:
     $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1991
     est.)
Exports:
     $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
     coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar
partners:
     US, Germany, Italy, Guatemala, El Salvador, Netherlands, UK, France
Imports:
     $2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
     raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
partners:
     US, Japan, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Germany
External debt:
     $3.2 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 10.5% (1992); accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     927,000 kW
production:
     3.612 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     1,130 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials,
     fertilizer, plastic products
Agriculture:
     accounts for 19% 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:
     transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America;
     illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots
Economic aid:
recipient:
     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
Exchange rates:
     Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 150.67 (December 1993), 142.17
     (1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified
Highways:
total:
     35,536 km
paved:
     5,600 km
unpaved:
     gravel and earth 29,936 km (1991)
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:
     184
usable:
     165
with permanent-surface runways:
     27
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     9
Telecommunications:
     very good domestic telephone service; 292,000 telephones; connection
     into Central American Microwave System; broadcast stations - 71 AM, no
     FM, 18 TV, 13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station


                              Defense Forces




Branches:
     Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard
note:
     constitution prohibits armed forces
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 873,987; fit for military service 588,223; reach
     military age (18) annually 32,308 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)