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Communications

Airports [time series]

164 total, 149 usable; 28 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

11 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]

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,878 GRT/4,506 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum 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; broadcast 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]

exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 829,576; 559,575 fit for military service; 31,828 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 (1970-89), $935 million; Communist countries (1971-89), $27 million

Electricity [time series]

927,000 kW capacity; 3,408 million kWh produced, 1,095 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 136.35 (January 1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988), 62.776 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar partners: US 75%, Germany, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$4.5 billion (1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

exchange rate conversion - $5.9 billion, per capita $1,900; real growth rate 2.5% (1991 est.)

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., 1991 est.) commodities: petroleum, machinery, consumer durables, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs partners: US 40%, Japan, Guatemala, Germany

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]

27% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

In 1991 the economy grew at an estimated 2.5%, down somewhat from the 3.6% gain of 1990 and below the strong 5.5% gain of 1989. Increases in agricultural production (on the strength of good coffee and banana crops) and in construction have been offset by lower rates of growth for industry. In 1991 consumer prices rose by 27%, about the same as in 1990. The trade deficit of $270 million was substantially below the 1990 deficit of $677 million. Unemployment is officially reported at 4.6%, but much underemployment remains. External debt, on a per capita basis, is among the world's highest.

Unemployment rate [time series]

4.6% (1991)

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,290 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

50,660 km2; includes Isla del Coco

Land boundaries [time series]

639 km; 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%

Maritime claims [time series]

Continental shelf: 200 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

hydropower potential

Terrain [time series]

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Area (Total area) [time series]

51,100 km2

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, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and a Consulate in Buffalo US: Ambassador Luis GUINOT, Jr.; Embassy at Pavas Road, San Jose (mailing address is APO AA 34020); telephone [506] 20-39-39 FAX (506) 20-2305

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

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 President: last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results - Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel CASTILLO 47%

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)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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)

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, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, 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)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

National Liberation Party (PLN), Carlos Manuel CASTILLO Morales; 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

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

democratic republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

27 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

12 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

75 years male, 79 years female (1992)

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]

1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

15.1% of labor force

Population [time series]

3,187,085 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.2 children born/woman (1992)