The 1991 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

commitments (1970–89), $128 million

      _#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

      _#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)

      _#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

      _*Communications #_Highways: 187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth

      _#_Ports: Avatiu

      _#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft

      _#_Airports: 7 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220–2,439 m

      _#_Telecommunications: stations—2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

      _*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand % @Coral Sea Islands (territory of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: undetermined; includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 1 million km2, with Willis Islets the most important

      _#_Comparative area: undetermined

      _#_Land boundaries: none

      _#_Coastline: 3,095 km

      _#_Maritime claims:

      Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

      Territorial sea: 3 nm

      _#_Climate: tropical

      _#_Terrain: sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)

      _#_Natural resources: negligible

      _#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other, mostly grass or scrub cover 100%; Lihou Reef Reserve and Coringa-Herald Reserve were declared National Nature Reserves on 3 August 1982

      _#_Environment: subject to occasional tropical cyclones; no permanent fresh water; important nesting area for birds and turtles

      _#_Note: the islands are located just off the northeast coast of Australia in the Coral Sea

      _*People #_Population: 3 meteorologists (1991)

      _*Government #_Long-form name: Coral Sea Islands Territory

      _#_Type: territory of Australia administered by the Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism, and Territories Roslyn KELLY

      _#_Flag: the flag of Australia is used

      _*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity

      _*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorages only

      _*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors % @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 total; 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; 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: 3,111,403 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

      _#_Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

      _#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1991)

      _#_Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (1991)

      _#_Nationality: noun—Costa Rican(s); adjective—Costa Rican

      _#_Ethnic divisions: white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%

      _#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%

      _#_Language: 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), Rolando ARAYA Monge;

       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

      _#_Elections:

      President—last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February

       1994);

       results—Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel

       CASTILLO 47%;

      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