|
Country
|
Costa Rica | 
Cape Verde |
|
Leader
|
President: Laura Chinchilla
|
President: Jorge Carlos Fonseca
|
|
Population
|
4,636,348
| 523,568
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
77.890 years
| 71.000 years
|
|
Capital City
|
San Jose
| Praia
|
|
Largest city
|
| San Jose (population: 335,007) | Praia (population: 113,364) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.847
| 0.705
|
| GDP per capita |
$12,100 US
| $4,000 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
94.9%
| 76.6%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
5.1
| 5.1
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.8%
| 18.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
6.500%
| 21.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
democratic republic
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
| 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
| Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)
|
| Languages |
Spanish (official), English
| Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
|
| Exports |
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
| fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides
|
| External Debt |
$10,050,000,000 $
| $657,700,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 529.62 (2008 est.), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004)
| Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 73.84 (2008 est.), 81.235 (2007), 87.946 (2006), 88.67 (2005), 88.808 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.600%
| 0.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
| Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
|
| Area |
51,100 km sq
| 4,033 km sq
|
| Coastline |
1,290 km
| 965 km
|
| Climate |
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
| temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic
|
|
|
|
