The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      Military - note:

       defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by

       the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities

       of visitors

      Transnational Issues Coral Sea Islands

      Disputes - international: none

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

      ======================================================================

      @Costa Rica

      Introduction Costa Rica

      Background:

       Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th

       century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its

       democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural

       country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology

       and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land

       ownership is widespread.

      Geography Costa Rica

      Location:

       Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North

       Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

      Geographic coordinates:

       10 00 N, 84 00 W

      Map references:

       Central America and the Caribbean

      Area:

       total: 51,100 sq km

       water: 440 sq km

       note: includes Isla del Coco

       land: 50,660 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       slightly smaller than West Virginia

      Land boundaries: total: 639 km border countries: 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

      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: Pacific Ocean 0 m

       highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

      Natural resources:

       hydropower

      Land use: arable land: 4.41% permanent crops: 5.48% other: 90.11% (1998 est.)

      Irrigated land:

       1,260 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent

       flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active

       volcanoes

      Environment - 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

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered

       Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the

       Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,

       Wetlands, Whaling

       signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life

       Conservation

      Geography - note:

       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

      People Costa Rica

      Population:

       3,896,092 (July 2003 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 30.1% (male 600,812; female 573,375)

       15–64 years: 64.4% (male 1,269,667; female 1,241,097)

       65 years and over: 5.4% (male 98,156; female 112,985) (2003 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 25.4 years

       male: 24.9 years

       female: 25.8 years (2002)

      Population growth rate:

       1.56% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      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: 0.87 male(s)/female

       total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 10.56 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 11.49 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 76.43 years

       male: 73.87 years

       female: 79.11 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       2.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.6% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       11,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       890 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Costa Rican(s)

       adjective: Costa Rican

      Ethnic groups:

       white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%,

       other 1%

      Religions:

       Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%,

       other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

      Languages:

       Spanish (official), English

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 96%

       male: 95.9%

       female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

      Government