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Costa Rica
Background :
Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread. In December 2009, Costa Rica completed its 2-year term on the UN Security Council.
Location :
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Geographic Coordinates Center :
10 00 N, 84 00 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -85.95 |
| North | 11.22 |
| East | -82.56 |
| South | 8.03 |
Map references :
America
Area :
| total | 51 100 | square km |
| land | 51 060 | square km |
| water | 40 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 639 | km |
| Nicaragua (ni) | 309 | km |
| Panama (pa) | 330 | km |
Coastline :
1290.00 km
Climate :
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Terrain :
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 3 810 | metres |
Natural resources :
| hydropower |
Land use :
| arable land | 4.40 | % |
| permanent crops | 5.87 | % |
| other | 89.73 | % |
Irrigated land :
1 080 square km
Total renewable water resources :
112 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| active volcanoes | earthquakes |
| frequent flooding | hurricanes |
| lides |
current issues :
deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Environmental Modification |
| Hazardous Wastes | Law of the Sea |
| Marine Dumping | Marine Life Conservation |
| Ozone Layer Protection | Wetlands |
| Whaling |
Population :
4 253 877
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 1.36 | % |
| Birth rate | 17.43 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.14 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 4.34 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | 0.47 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 26.70 | % |
| 15-64 years | 67.10 | % |
| 65 years and over | 6.20 | % |
Median age :
| total | 27.50 | years |
| male | 27.10 | years |
| female | 28.00 | years |
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 |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 8.77 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 77.58 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 74.96 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 80.34 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.40 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 9 700 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 200 |
Religions :
| Roman Catholic | 76.30 | % |
| Evangelical | 13.70 | % |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 1.30 | % |
| other Protestant | 0.70 | % |
| other | 4.80 | % |
| none | 3.20 | % |
Languages :
| Spanish | |
| English |
Literacy :
| total population | 94.90 | % |
| male | 94.70 | % |
| female | 95.10 | % |
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 |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | CR |
| ISO Numeric | 188 |
| ISO3 | CRI |
| FIPS | CS |
| ccTLD | cr |
| English | Costa Rica |
Administrative divisions :
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Capital :
| name | San Jose |
| geographic coordinates | 9 56 N, 84 05 W |
| time difference | -6.00 |
International organization participation :
| BCIE | CACM |
| FAO | G-77 |
| IADB | IAEA |
| IBRD | ICAO |
| ICC | ICCt |
| ICRM | IDA |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IFRCS | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IMSO | IOC |
| IOM | IPU |
| ISO | ITSO |
| ITU | ITUC |
| Interpol | LAES |
| LAIA (observer) | MIGA |
| NAM (observer) | OAS |
| OPANAL | OPCW |
| PCA | RG |
| SICA | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNHCR | UNIDO |
| UNWTO | UPU |
| Union Latina | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1821-09-15
National holiday :
Independence Day
1821-09-15
Executive branch :
| President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 48 190 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 29 290 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -2.50 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 11 300 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 6.50 | % |
| industry | 25.50 | % |
| services | 68.00 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 14.00 | % |
| industry | 22.00 | % |
| services | 64.00 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 2 089 999 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 6.40 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 16.00 | % |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 48.00 | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 8.30 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 20.50 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | - 662 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 4 089 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 8 057 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 540 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 11 640 000 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 2 035 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 0.40 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 49.30 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 1.50 | % |
| highest 10% | 35.50 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 3 795 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 4 908 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| bananas | beans |
| beef | coffee |
| corn | dairy |
| melons | ornamental plants |
| pineapples | potatoes |
| poultry | rice |
| sugar | timber |
Industries :
| clothing | construction materials |
| fertilizer | food processing |
| medical equipment | microprocessors |
| plastic products | textiles |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 8 808 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 8 064 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Exports | 77 160 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Imports | 203 200 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 45 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 2 117 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 47 860 | bbl/day |
Value :
8 096 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 23.90 | % |
| Netherlands (nl) | 13.30 | % |
| China (cn) | 13.00 | % |
| United Kingdom (gb) | 5.00 | % |
| Mexico (mx) | 4.90 | % |
Commodities :
| bananas | coffee |
| electronic components | medical equipment |
| melons | ornamental plants |
| pineapples | seafood |
| sugar |
Value :
10 530 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 42.70 | % |
| Mexico (mx) | 6.90 | % |
| Venezuela (ve) | 6.30 | % |
| Japan (jp) | 5.40 | % |
| China (cn) | 4.60 | % |
| Brazil (br) | 4.50 | % |
Commodities :
| capital equipment | construction materials |
| consumer products | petroleum |
| raw materials |
Currency-code :
CRC
Currency-name :
Costa Rican colon
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 1 438 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 1 887 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 51 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 20 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | cr | |
| Internet Hosts | 34 066 | |
| Internet Users | 1 460 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 38 | |
| Pipelines - refined products | 796 | km |
| Roadways - total | 35 330 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 8 621 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 26 709 | km |
| Railways | 278 | km |
| Waterways | 730 | km |
Flag
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