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

Location:	Central 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:	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 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: 5.88% other: 89.71% (2001)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:	four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the left of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65

People

Population:	4,016,173 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:	0-14 years: 28.9% (male 593,540/female 566,361) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,330,481/female 1,300,664) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 104,564/female 120,563) (2005 est.)
Median age:	total: 26.03 years male: 25.59 years female: 26.5 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:	1.48% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:	18.6 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:	4.33 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:	0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	total: 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) male: 10.85 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 76.84 years male: 74.26 years female: 79.55 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:	2.28 children born/woman (2005 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

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 Source: CIA World Factbook