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%; includes irrigated 1%
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 People
Population:
3,187,085 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
12 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
75 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.2 children born/woman (1992)
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:
93% (male 93%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
868,300; industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%,
agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
15.1% of labor force
:Costa Rica Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Costa Rica
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)
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
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)
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
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
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%
Communists:
7,500 members and sympathizers
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)
:Costa Rica Government
Member of:
AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda; Chancery at Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-2945 through 2947;
there are Costa Rican Consulates General at Albuquerque, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and San
Juan (Puerto Rico), and a Consulate in Buffalo
US:
Ambassador Luis GUINOT, Jr.; Embassy at Pavas Road, San Jose (mailing
address is 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
Overview:
In 1991 the economy grew at an estimated 2.5%, down somewhat from the 3.6%