|
Country
|
Costa Rica |
|
|
Leader
|
President: Laura Chinchilla
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Ralph Gonsalves
|
|
Population
|
4,636,348
| 103,537
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
77.890 years
| 74.390 years
|
|
Capital City
|
San Jose
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| San Jose (population: 335,007) | Kingstown (population: 24,518) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.847
| 0.766
|
| GDP per capita |
$12,100 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
94.9%
| 96%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
5.1
| 6.5
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.8%
| 18.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
6.500%
|
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
democratic republic
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
|
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
| Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%
|
| Languages |
Spanish (official), English
| English, French patois
|
| Exports |
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
|
|
| External Debt |
$10,050,000,000 $
|
|
| 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)
|
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.600%
|
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
| Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
|
| Area |
51,100 km sq
| 389 km sq
|
| Coastline |
1,290 km
| 84 km
|
| Climate |
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
| tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
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