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Communications

Airports [time series]

173 total, 159 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

9 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

15,400 km total; 7,030 km paved, 7,010 km gravel, 1,360 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

about 730 km, seasonally navigable

Merchant marine [time series]

12 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,831 GRT/4,506 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

refined products, 176 km

Ports [time series]

Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

very good domestic telephone service; 292,000 telephones; connection into Central American Microwave System; stations--71 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard; note--Constitution prohibits armed forces

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$20 million, 0.4% of GDP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 807,853; 545,541 fit for military service; 32,149 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 20-25% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash commodities--coffee, beef, bananas, sugar; other food crops include corn, rice, beans, potatoes; normally self-sufficient in food except for grain; depletion of forest resources resulting in lower timber output

Budget [time series]

revenues $831 million; expenditures $1.08 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Costa Rican colon (plural--colones); 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $781 million; Communist countries (1971-88), $27 million

Electricity [time series]

927,000 kW capacity; 2,987 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1--105.82 (January 1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988), 62.776 (1987), 55.986 (1986), 50.453 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar; partners--US 75%, FRG, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$4.5 billion (1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$5.5 billion, per capita $1,810; real growth rate 3.6% (1990)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment country for cocaine from South America

Imports [time series]

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--petroleum, machinery, consumer durables, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs; partners--US 35%, Japan, Guatemala, FRG

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 2.3% (1990 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP

Industries [time series]

food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

25% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

In 1990 the economy grew at an estimated 3.5% rate, a decrease from the strong 5.0% gain of the previous year. Gains in agricultural production (on the strength of good coffee and banana crops) and in construction, were partially offset by lower rates of growth for industry. In 1990 consumer prices rose by about 25% and the trade deficit widened. Unemployment is officially reported at 6%, but much underemployment remains. External debt, on a per capita basis, is among the world's highest.

Unemployment rate [time series]

6% (1990)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)

Coastline [time series]

1,290 km Continental shelf: 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion

Land boundaries [time series]

639 km total; Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 6%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 45%; forest and woodland 34%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%

Natural resources [time series]

hydropower potential

Terrain [time series]

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Area (Total area) [time series]

51,100 km2; land area: 50,660 km2; includes Isla del Coco

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Capital [time series]

San Jose

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

7,500 members and sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

9 November 1949

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda; Chancery at Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-2945 through 2947; there are Costa Rican Consulates General at Albuquerque, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa, and Consulates in Austin, Buffalo, Honolulu, and Raleigh; US--Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert O. HOMME; Embassy at Pavas Road, San Jose (mailing address is APO Miami 34020); telephone [506] 20-39-39

Executive branch [time series]

president, two vice presidents, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue with the coat of arms in a white disk on the hoist side of the red band

Independence [time series]

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier (since 8 May 1990); First Vice President German SERRANO Pinto (since 8 May 1990); Second Vice President Arnoldo LOPEZ Echandi (since 8 May 1990) National Liberation Party (PLN), Rolando ARAYA Monge; Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier; Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto VARGAS Carbonell; New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick ARDON Ramirez; Progressive Party (PP), Isaac Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin ChACON Vargas; Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey

Legal system [time series]

based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Costa Rica

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD; Liberation Party affiliate), Confederated Union of Workers (CUT; Communist Party affiliate), Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers (CATD; Communist Party affiliate), Chamber of Coffee Growers, National Association for Economic Development (ANFE), Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL; rightwing militants), National Association of Educators (ANDE)

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 18 President--last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results--Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel CASTILLO 47%; Legislative Assembly--last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(57 total) PUSC 29, PLN 25, PVP/PPC 1, regional parties 2

Government type (Type) [time series]

democratic republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

27 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

4 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

868,300; industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

75 years male, 79 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

93% (male 93%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Costa Rican(s); adjective--Costa Rican

Net migration rate [time series]

2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

15.1% of labor force

Population [time series]

3,111,403 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.2 children born/woman (1991)