Country
Costa Rica Haiti
Leader
Population
4,636,348 9,801,664
Life Expectancy
77.890 years 62.510 years
Capital City
San Jose Port-au-Prince
Largest city
San Jose (population: 335,007) Port-au-Prince (population: 1,234,740)
Human Development Index
0.847 0.521 GDP per capita $12,100 US $1,300 US
Literacy Rate
94.9% 52.9%
Corruption Perception Index
5.1 1.4
Percentage of Women in Parliament
36.8% 5.2% Wealthiest Citizens Unemployment Rate 6.500% 40.600%
Death Penalty
Abolished Abolished
Political System
democratic republic republic
Independence date
15 September 1821 (from Spain) 1 January 1804 (from France) 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 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo Languages Spanish (official), English French (official), Creole (official) Exports bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee External Debt $10,050,000,000 $ $665,100,000 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) gourdes (HTG) per US dollar - 39.216 (2008 est.), 37.138 (2007), 40.232 (2006), 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004) Military Budget as percentage of GDP 0.600% 0.400% Beijing Olympics Medal Count Location Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic Area 51,100 km sq 27,750 km sq Coastline 1,290 km 1,771 km Climate tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
