|
Country
|
Costa Rica | 
Latvia |
|
Leader
|
President: Laura Chinchilla
|
President : Andris Berzins
|
|
Population
|
4,636,348
| 2,191,580
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
77.890 years
| 72.930 years
|
|
Capital City
|
San Jose
| Riga
|
|
Largest city
|
| San Jose (population: 335,007) | Riga (population: 742,572) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.847
| 0.863
|
| GDP per capita |
$12,100 US
| $15,900 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
94.9%
| 99.7%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
5.1
| 5
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.8%
| 20%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
6.500%
| 15.400%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished except for special circumstances
|
| |
|
Political System
|
democratic republic
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
| 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
| Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
|
| Languages |
Spanish (official), English
| Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
|
| Exports |
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
| wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
$10,050,000,000 $
| $38,370,000,000 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)
| lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.4701 (2008 est.), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.600%
| 1.100%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 3
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
| Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
|
| Area |
51,100 km sq
| 64,589 km sq
|
| Coastline |
1,290 km
| 498 km
|
| Climate |
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
| maritime; wet, moderate winters
|
|
|
|
