Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
Location
Central 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
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200 nm
Climate
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Terrain
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
Natural resources
hydropower
Land use
arable land
4.4%
permanent crops
5.87%
other
89.73% (2005)
Irrigated land
1,080 sq km (2003)
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; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution
Environment - international agreements
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
Geography - note
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
Population
4,133,884 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
27.8% (male 587,395/female 560,408)
15-64 years
66.4% (male 1,388,114/female 1,357,157)
65 years and over
5.8% (male 111,758/female 129,052) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
26.8 years
male
26.3 years
female
27.2 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.412% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
18.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.048 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.023 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.866 male(s)/female
total population
1.02 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
9.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male
10.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female
8.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
77.21 years
male
74.61 years
female
79.94 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
12,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
900 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Costa Rican(s)
adjective
Costa Rican
Ethnic groups
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Languages
Spanish (official), English
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
96%
male
95.9%
female
96.1% (2003 est.)
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
name
San Jose
geographic coordinates
9 56 N, 84 05 W
time difference
UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
Legal system
based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch
chief of state
President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government
President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006)
cabinet
Cabinet selected by the president
elections
president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010)
election results
Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%
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 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, other 4
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)
Political parties and leaders
Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; 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 Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis FILMAN]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]
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); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]
Atlanta, Chicago, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC
consulate(s)
San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Mark LANGDALE
embassy
Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
mailing address
APO AA 34020
telephone
[506] 519-2000
FAX
[506] 519-2305
Flag description
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
Economy - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$50.89 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$21.39 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
7.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$12,500 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
8.6%
industry
31%
services
60.4% (2006 est.)
Labor force
1.866 million
note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica legally and illegally (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
20%
industry
22%
services
58% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate
6.6% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
18% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1.1%
highest 10%
36.8% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
46.5 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
12.1% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
19.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$3.134 billion
expenditures
$3.475 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
US 29.1%, Netherlands 13%, China 12.5%, UK 6.6% (2006)
Imports
$10.88 billion (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
Imports - partners
US 40.9%, Venezuela 5.4%, Mexico 5.3%, Ireland 4.9%, Japan 4.9%, Brazil 4.6%, China 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.5 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$6.42 billion (30 June 2006 est.)
Currency (code)
Costa Rican colon (CRC)
Currency code
CRC
Exchange rates
Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
1.388 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
1.101 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
the parastatal monopoly provides 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); 2 submarine cables (2006)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)
Radios
980,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
Televisions
525,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.cr
Internet hosts
12,751 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (of which only one is legal) (2000)
Internet users
1 million (2005)
Airports
157 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
32
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
19
under 914 m
9 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
125
914 to 1,523 m
24
under 914 m
101 (2006)
Pipelines
refined products 242 km (2006)
Railways
total
278 km
narrow gauge
278 km 1.067-m gauge
note
none of the railway network is in use (2007)
Roadways
total
35,330 km
paved
8,621 km
unpaved
26,709 km (2004)
Waterways
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine
total
2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,308 GRT/743 DWT
by type
passenger/cargo 2 (2006)
Ports and terminals
Caldera, Puerto Limon
Military branches
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
997,690
females age 18-49
968,290 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
829,874
females age 18-49
809,343 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
41,097
females age 18-49
39,243
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.4% (2006)
Disputes - international
in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 9,470 (Colombia) (2006)
Illicit drugs
transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines
