The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

destructively in 1963–65

      People Costa Rica

      Population:

       3,956,507 (July 2004 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 29.5% (male 597,332; female 570,008)

       15–64 years: 65% (male 1,300,206; female 1,271,010)

       65 years and over: 5.5% (male 101,270; female 116,681) (2004 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 25.7 years

       male: 25.2 years

       female: 26.2 years (2004 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       1.52% (2004 est.)

      Birth rate:

       18.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Death rate:

       4.32 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 (2004 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 10.26 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

       male: 11.17 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 76.63 years

       male: 74.07 years

       female: 79.33 years (2004 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.6% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       12,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       900 (2003 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 Costa Rica

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica

       conventional short form: Costa Rica

       local short form: Costa Rica

       local long form: Republica de Costa Rica

      Government 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)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

      Constitution:

       7 November 1949

      Legal system:

       based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative

       acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First

       Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002); Second Vice

       President Luis FISHMAN (since 8 May 2002); note - the president is

       both the chief of state and head of government

       head of government: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First

       Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since NA May 2002); Second Vice

       President Luis FISHMAN (since NA May 2002); note - the president is

       both the chief of state and head of government

       cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president

       elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket

       by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 February

       2002; run-off election held 7 April 2002 (next to be held NA

       February 2006)

       election results: Abel PACHECO elected president; percent of vote -

       Abel PACHECO (PUSC) 58%; Rolando ARAYA (PLN) 42%

      Legislative branch:

       unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats;

       members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

       elections: last held 3 February 2002 (next to be held 3 February

       2006)

       election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

       PUSC 19, PLN 17, PAC 14, PML 6, PRC 1; note - seats by party as of

       January 2005 - PUSC 19, PLN 16, PAC 8, PML 5, PRC 1, Patriotic Union

       3, Homeland First 1, Authentic Member from Heredia 1, Democratic

       National Alliance 1, independent 2

      Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for

       eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

      Political parties and leaders:

       Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or

       PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo

       OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Juan Carlos CHAVES Mora];

       Democratic National Alliance [Emilia RODRIGUEZ]; General Union Party

       or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First [Juan Jose

       VARGAS]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO

       Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth];

       National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Victor GONZALEZ]; National

       Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National

       Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National

       Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel