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| Introduction | Costa Rica |
| Background: | Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread. |
| People | Costa Rica |
| Population: | 3,956,507 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 29.5% (male 597,332; female 570,008) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,300,206; female 1,271,010) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 101,270; female 116,681) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 25.7 years male: 25.2 years female: 26.2 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.52% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 18.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 4.32 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 10.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 11.17 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.63 years male: 74.07 years female: 79.33 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.6% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 12,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 900 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican |
| Ethnic groups: | white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2% |
| Languages: | Spanish (official), English |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Costa Rica |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form: Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica |
| Government type: | democratic republic |
| Capital: | San Jose |
| Administrative divisions: | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose |
| Independence: | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Constitution: | 7 November 1949 |
| Legal system: | based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since NA May 2002); Second Vice President Luis FISHMAN (since NA May 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since NA May 2002); Second Vice President Luis FISHMAN (since NA May 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 February 2002; run-off election held 7 April 2002 (next to be held NA February 2006) election results: Abel PACHECO elected president; percent of vote - Abel PACHECO (PUSC) 58%; Rolando ARAYA (PLN) 42% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 February 2002 (next to be held 3 February 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUSC 19, PLN 17, PAC 14, PML 6, PRC 1 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Agricultural Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Jose M. NUNEZ]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL]; National Independent Party or PNI [Jorge GONZALEZ Marten]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Sonia PICADO]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis Manuel CHACON] note: mainly a two-party system - PUSC and PLN - until the 3 February 2002 election in which the PAC captured a significant percentage, forcing a run-off in April 2002 |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert Brown] |
| International organization participation: | BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Durham (North Carolina), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa consulate(s): Austin FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Douglas M. BARNES embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 519-2000 FAX: [506] 519-2305 |
| Flag description: | five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA |
| Communications | Costa Rica |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 1.132 million (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 528,047 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available international: country code - 506; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002) |
| Radios: | 980,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002) |
| Televisions: | 525,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .cr |
| Internet hosts: | 10,826 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (of which only one is legal) (2000) |
| Internet users: | 800,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Costa Rica |
| Railways: | total: 950 km narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified) (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 35,892 km paved: 7,896 km unpaved: 27,996 km (2000) |
| Waterways: | 730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | refined products 242 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas |
| Merchant marine: | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,716 GRT/ DWT by type: passenger 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 149 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 30 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 119 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 95 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Costa Rica |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,101,887 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 736,007 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 41,709 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $64 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.4% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Costa Rica |
| Disputes - international: | legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on the border with Nicaragua remains unsolved |
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, particularly crack cocaine |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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