CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 1992 via the Libraries of the Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis Match 66 DB Rec# - 72,779 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 060 Title :Vital Statistics - COSTA RICA Data type :TEXT End year :1993 Date of record:01/22/1993 Country : | COSTA RICA Text : COSTA RICA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 51,100 km2 Land area: 50,660 km2; includes Isla del Coco Comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia Land boundaries: 639 km; Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km Coastline: 1,290 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: 200 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: none Climate: tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November) Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains Natural resources: hydropower potential Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 45%; forest and woodland 34%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1% Environment: subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion PEOPLE Population: 3,187,085 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992) Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Costa Rican(s); adjective - Costa Rican Ethnic divisions: white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1% Religions: Roman Catholic 95% Languages: Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon Literacy: 93% (male 93%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 868,300; industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.) Organized labor: 15.1% of labor force GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Costa Rica Type: democratic republic Capital: San Jose Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) Constitution: 9 November 1949 Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Leaders: 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) Political parties and leaders: 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: universal and compulsory at age 18 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% Communists: 7,500 members and sympathizers Other political or pressure groups: 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) Member of: 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 Diplomatic representation: 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 Flag: 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 ECONOMY Overview: 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. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $5.9 billion, per capita $1,900; real growth rate 2.5% (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: 4.6% (1991) Budget: revenues $831 million; expenditures $1.08 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) Exports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar partners: US 75%, Germany, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: petroleum, machinery, consumer durables, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs partners: US 40%, Japan, Guatemala, Germany External debt: $4.5 billion (1990) Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (1990 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP Electricity: 927,000 kW capacity; 3,408 million kWh produced, 1,095 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products Agriculture: 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 Illicit drugs: illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment country for cocaine from South America Economic aid: 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 Currency: Costa Rican colon (plural - colones); 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos Exchange rates: 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) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified Highways: 15,400 km total; 7,030 km paved, 7,010 km gravel, 1,360 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: about 730 km, seasonally navigable Pipelines: petroleum products 176 km Ports: Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,878 GRT/4,506 DWT Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft Airports: 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 Telecommunications: 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 Branches: Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard; note - Constitution prohibits armed forces Manpower availability: males 15-49, 829,576; 559,575 fit for military service; 31,828 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- These files extracted from Dept. of Commerce's National Trade Databank (NTDB) CD-ROM, SuDoc no. C 1.88:993/11 using software developed by RCM of the Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries, 12/1/1993 :/ WF930065