The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 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: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 77.4 years male: 74.79 years female: 80.14 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.17 children born/woman (2008 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.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2008)

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: 94.9% male: 94.7% female: 95.1% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

4.9% of GDP (2004)

Government
Costa Rica

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica

Government type:

democratic republic

Capital:

name: San Jose geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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 Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010) election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%

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 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, PASE 1, PFA 1, PRN 1, PUN 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for renewable eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or
PAC [Epsy CAMPBELL Barr]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC
[Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Marco
NUNEZ Gonzalez]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto
FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas];
Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona];
Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National
Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National
Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National
Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO Fernandez];
National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas];
National Restoration Party or PRN [Fabio Enrique DELGADO Hernandez];
National Union Party or PUN [Arturo ACOSTA Mora]; Nationalist
Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic
Union or UP [Jose Miguel CORRALES Bolanos]; Social Christian Unity
Party or PUSC [Luis FISHMAN Zonzinski]; Union for Change Party or
UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU
[Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]

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); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]

International organization participation:

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC consulate(s): San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter CIANCHETTE 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

Economy
Costa Rica

Economy - overview:

Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has remained around 20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled) labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the free-trade zones. Exports have become more diversified in the past 10 years due to the growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the microprocessor industry. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising import prices, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. Tax and public expenditure reforms will be necessary to close the budget gap. In October 2007, a national referendum voted in favor of the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$45.77 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$26.24 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 8.6% industry: 29.4% services: 62.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

1.92 million note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 14% industry: 22% services: 64% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.6% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

16% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 37.4% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

49.8 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $3.976 billion expenditures: $3.808 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

46.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

9.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

17% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

12.8% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.504 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$2.87 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$12.91 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber

Industries:

microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Industrial production growth rate:

7.3% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

8.521 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

7.779 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

39.55 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

203.2 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 1.5% hydro: 81.9% nuclear: 0% other: 16.6% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:

45,600 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

2,115 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

43,110 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$1.499 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$9.268 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment

Exports - partners:

US 25.7%, China 14.1%, Netherlands 10.9%, UK 6.3%, Mexico 5% (2007)

Imports:

$12.26 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials

Imports - partners:

US 41%, Mexico 6.1%, Venezuela 5.7%, Japan 5.4%, China 5.1%, Brazil 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$29.51 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.114 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$7.416 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$8.53 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$490 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$1.478 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Currency code:

CRC

Exchange rates:

Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003)

Communications
Costa Rica

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.437 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.503 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service; state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the demand for new lines, resulting in long waiting times 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; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

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:

16,440 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

3 (of which only one is legal) (2000)

Internet users:

1.5 million (2007)

Transportation
Costa Rica

Airports:

151 (2007)