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NAVIGATION
Republic of Costa Rica
Republica de Costa Rica
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica |
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Government type:
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democratic republic |
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Capital:
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San Jose |
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Administrative divisions:
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7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose |
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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
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Constitution:
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7 November 1949 |
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Legal system:
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based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: 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
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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Agricultural Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Jose M. NUNEZ]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL]; National Independent Party or PNI [Jorge GONZALEZ Marten]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Sonia PICADO]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis Manuel CHACON]
note: mainly a two-party system - PUSC and PLN - until the 3 February 2002 election in which the PAC captured a significant percentage, forcing a run-off in April 2002 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert Brown] |
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International organization participation:
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BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime DAREMBLUM Rosenstein
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa consulate(s): Austin FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador John J. DANILOVICH
embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939 FAX: [506] 220-2305 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. However, traditional export sectors have not kept pace. Low coffee prices and an overabundance of bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal debt and with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and telecommunications sector. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $31.9 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.3% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 11%
industry: 37% services: 52% (2000) (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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21% (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 35% (2001) (2001) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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46 (1997) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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12.1% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.9 million (1999) (1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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5.2% (2000 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1.91 billion
expenditures: $2.35 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-2.1% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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6.887 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 1%
hydro: 83% other: 16% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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5.895 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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532 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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22 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber |
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Exports:
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$5 billion (2001) |
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Exports - commodities:
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coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment |
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Exports - partners:
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US 51.8%, EU 20%, Central America 10.6%, Puerto Rico 2.8%, Mexico 1.7% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$6.5 billion (2001) |
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Imports - commodities:
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raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum |
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Imports - partners:
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US 53.2%, EU 10.3%, Mexico 6.2%, Venezuela 5.3%, Central America 4.9% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$4.6 billion (2001 est.) |
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Currency:
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Costa Rican colon (CRC) |
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Currency code:
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CRC |
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Exchange rates:
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Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 343.08 (January 2002), 328.87 (2001), 308.19 (2000), 285.68 (1999), 257.23 (1998), 232.60 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |