|
Country
|
Costa Rica | 
Mauritania |
|
Leader
|
President: Laura Chinchilla
|
President: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
|
|
Population
|
4,636,348
| 3,359,185
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
77.890 years
| 61.530 years
|
|
Capital City
|
San Jose
| Nouakchott
|
|
Largest city
|
| San Jose (population: 335,007) | Nouakchott (population: 661,400) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.847
| 0.557
|
| GDP per capita |
$12,100 US
| $2,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
94.9%
| 51.2%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
5.1
| 2.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.8%
| 19.9%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
6.500%
| 30.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
democratic republic
| military junta
|
|
Independence date
|
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
| 28 November 1960 (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%
| Muslim 100%
|
| Languages |
Spanish (official), English
| Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
|
| Exports |
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
| iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
|
| External Debt |
$10,050,000,000 $
| $2,816,000,000 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)
| ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.600%
| 5.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
| Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
|
| Area |
51,100 km sq
| 1,030,700 km sq
|
| Coastline |
1,290 km
| 754 km
|
| Climate |
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
| desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
|
|
|
|
