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.

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
10 00 N, 84 00 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 51,100 sq km ; land: 50,660 sq km ; water: 440 sq km ; note: includes Isla del Coco
slightly smaller than West Virginia
total: 639 km ; border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
1,290 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm ; continental shelf: 200 nm
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m ; highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
hydropower
arable land: 4.4% ; permanent crops: 5.87% ; other: 89.73% (2005)
1,080 sq km (2003)
112.4 cu km (2000)
Total: 2.68 cu km/yr (29%/17%/53%) ; Per capita: 619 cu m/yr (2000)
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling ; signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65
4,133,884 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 27.8% (male 587,395/female 560,408) ; 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 1,388,114/female 1,357,157) ; 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 111,758/female 129,052) (2007 est.)
total: 26.8 years ; male: 26.3 years ; female: 27.2 years (2007 est.)
1.412% (2007 est.)
18.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 1.023 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.866 male(s)/female ; total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 9.45 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 8.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 77.21 years ; male: 74.61 years ; female: 79.94 years (2007 est.)
2.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
0.6% (2003 est.)
12,000 (2003 est.)
900 (2003 est.)
noun: Costa Rican(s) ; adjective: Costa Rican
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Spanish (official), English
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 96% ; male: 95.9% ; female: 96.1% (2003 est.)


conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica ; conventional short form: Costa Rica ; local long form: Republica de Costa Rica ; local short form: Costa Rica
democratic republic
name: San Jose ; geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W ; time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
7 November 1949
based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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%
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
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for renewable eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)
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]
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]
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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
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, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC ; consulate(s): San Francisco
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE ; embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose ; mailing address: APO AA 34020 ; telephone: [506] 519-2000 ; FAX: [506] 519-2305





Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has remained at roughly 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). CAFTA implementation needs to be completed by March 1, 2008 and would result in an improved investment climate.
$55.95 billion (2007 est.)
$23.29 billion (2007 est.)
6.1% (2007 est.)
$13,500 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 8.6% ; industry: 29.4% ; services: 62.1% (2007 est.)
1.946 million ; note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2007 est.)
agriculture: 14% ; industry: 22% ; services: 64% (2006 est.)
5.5% (2007 est.)
18% (2004 est.)
lowest 10%: 1% ; highest 10%: 37.4% (2003)
49.8 (2003)
9.3% (2007 est.)
20.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $3.572 billion ; expenditures: $3.843 billion (2007 est.)
47.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber
microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
7% (2007 est.)
8.349 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 1.5% ; hydro: 81.9% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 16.6% (2001)
7.776 billion kWh (2005)
70 million kWh (2005)
81 million kWh (2005)
0 bbl/day (2004)
43,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
2,998 bbl/day (2004)
43,640 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$1.259 billion (2007 est.)
$9.232 billion (2007 est.)
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
US 27.4%, Netherlands 12.2%, China 11.7%, UK 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2006)
$11.84 billion (2007 est.)
US 41.2%, Venezuela 5.4%, Mexico 5.2%, Ireland 5%, Japan 4.9%, Brazil 4.3%, China 4.1% (2006)

$3.915 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$7.163 billion (30 June 2007)
$6.897 billion (2006 est.)
$261.3 million (2006 est.)
$1.478 billion (2005)
Costa Rican colon (CRC)
CRC
Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003)
calendar year
$29.51 million (2005)
1.351 million (2006)
1.444 million (2006)
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)
AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)
980,000 (1997)
20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
525,000 (1997)
.cr
13,792 (2007)
3 (of which only one is legal) (2000)
1.214 million (2006)

151 (2007)
total: 36 ; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 21 ; under 914 m: 11 (2007)
total: 115 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 19 ; under 914 m: 96 (2007)

refined products 242 km (2006)
total: 278 km ; narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge ; note: none of the railway network is in use (2007)
total: 35,330 km ; paved: 8,621 km ; unpaved: 26,709 km (2004)
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2007)
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,058 GRT/255 DWT ; by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)
Caldera, Puerto Limon

no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2006)
18 years of age (2004)
males age 18-49: 997,690 ; females age 18-49: 968,290 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 829,874 ; females age 18-49: 809,343 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 41,097 ; females age 18-49: 39,243
0.4% (2006)

in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels using the RÃ­o San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty
refugees (country of origin): 9,470 (Colombia) (2006)
transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines

