The 1992 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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

      :Costa Rica 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

      :Costa Rica 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

       Elections:

       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)

      :Costa Rica Government

      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 [phone] 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 [phone]

       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

      :Costa Rica Economy

      Overview:

       In 1991 the economy grew at an estimated 2.5%, down somewhat from the 3.6%