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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Costa Rica
    n 1: a republic in Central America; one of the most politically
         stable countries in Latin America [syn: Costa Rica,
         Republic of Costa Rica]

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
Costa Rica

   Introduction 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 Costa Rica
   --------------------
                              Location: Middle 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
                                        note: includes Isla del Coco
                                        water: 440 sq km
                                        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: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
                                        territorial sea: 12 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
                    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: 5.48%
                                        other: 90.11% (1998 est.)
                        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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
                            agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
                                        Species, Environmental Modification,
                                        Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
                                        Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
                                        Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands,
                                        Whaling
                                        signed, but not ratified: Climate
                                        Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
                                        Conservation
                      Geography - note: four volcanoes, two of them active,
                                        rise near the capital of San Jose in
                                        the center of the country; one of
                                        the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted
                                        destructively in 1963-65
  
   People Costa Rica
   -----------------
                            Population: 3,834,934 (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.8% (male 603,270;
                                        female 575,766)
                                        15-64 years: 63.9% (male 1,239,618;
                                        female 1,211,641)
                                        65 years and over: 5.3% (male
                                        95,182; female 109,457) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 1.61% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 19.83 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: 0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population
                                        (2002 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 (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 10.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.22 years
                                        female: 78.89 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 73.68 years
                  Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.54% (1999 est.)
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 12,000 (1999 est.)
                                  AIDS:
                     HIV/AIDS - deaths: 750 (1999 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%, other Protestant 0.7%,
                                        Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other
                                        4.8%, none 3.2%
                             Languages: Spanish (official), English spoken
                                        around Puerto Limon
                              Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
                                        and write
                                        total population: 95.5%
                                        male: 95.5%
                                        female: 95.5% (1999 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
                                        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%
                    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
                       Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22
                                        justices are elected for eight-year
                                        terms by the Legislative Assembly)
         Political parties and leaders: 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
          Political pressure groups and Authentic Confederation of
                               leaders: 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]
             International organization BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB,
                         participation: 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
   Diplomatic representation in the US: 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
     Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador John J.
                                    US: DANILOVICH
                                        embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas,
                                        San Jose
                                        mailing address: APO AA 34020
                                        telephone: [506] 220-3939
                                        FAX: [506] 220-2305
                      Flag description: 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 Costa Rica
   ------------------
                    Economy - overview: 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.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $31.9
                                        billion (2001 est.)
                GDP - real growth rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,500
                                        (2001 est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11%
                                        industry: 37%
                                        services: 52% (2000)
         Population below poverty line: 20.6% (1999 est.)
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 1.7%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: 34.6% (2001)
   Distribution of family income - Gini 45.9 (1997)
                                 index:
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.1% (2001 est.)
                           Labor force: 1.9 million (1999)
           Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 20%, industry 22%,
                                        services 58% (1999 est.)
                     Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2000 est.)
                                Budget: revenues: $1.91 billion
                                        expenditures: $2.35 billion,
                                        including capital expenditures of
                                        $NA (2000 est.)
                            Industries: microprocessors, food processing,
                                        textiles and clothing, construction
                                        materials, fertilizer, plastic
                                        products
     Industrial production growth rate: -2.1% (2001 est.)
              Electricity - production: 6.887 billion kWh (2000)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.15%
                                        hydro: 82.56%
                                        other: 16.29% (2000)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 5.895 billion kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - exports: 532 million kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - imports: 22 million kWh (2000)
                Agriculture - products: coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar,
                                        corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef;
                                        timber
                               Exports: $5 billion (2001)
                 Exports - commodities: coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples;
                                        textiles, electronic components,
                                        medical equipment
                    Exports - partners: US 51.8%, EU 20%, Central America
                                        10.6%, Puerto Rico 2.8%, Mexico 1.7%
                                        (2000)
                               Imports: $6.5 billion (2001)
                 Imports - commodities: raw materials, consumer goods,
                                        capital equipment, petroleum
                    Imports - partners: US 53.2%, EU 10.3%, Mexico 6.2%,
                                        Venezuela 5.3%, Central America 4.9%
                                        (2000)
                       Debt - external: $4.6 billion (2001 est.)
                              Currency: Costa Rican colon (CRC)
                         Currency code: CRC
                        Exchange rates: 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)
                           Fiscal year: calendar year
  
   Communications Costa Rica
   -------------------------
        Telephones - main lines in use: 450,000 (1998)
                                        note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but
                                        only about 450,000 were in use in
                                        1998
          Telephones - mobile cellular: 143,000 (2000)
                      Telephone system: general assessment: very good
                                        domestic telephone service
                                        domestic: point-to-point and point-
                                        to-multi-point microwave, fiber-
                                        optic, and coaxial cable link rural
                                        areas; Internet service is available
  
                                        international: connected to Central
                                        American Microwave System; satellite
                                        earth stations - 2 Intelsat
                                        (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine
                                        cables (1999)
              Radio broadcast stations: AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19 (1998)
                                Radios: 980,000 (1997)
         Television broadcast stations: 6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)
                           Televisions: 525,000 (1997)
                 Internet country code: .cr
     Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (of which only one is legal)
                                        (2000)
                        Internet users: 250,000 (2001)
  
   Transportation Costa Rica
   -------------------------
                              Railways: total: 950 km
                                        narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge
                                        (260 km electrified) (2000 est.)
                              Highways: total: 37,273 km
                                        paved: 7,827 km
                                        unpaved: 29,446 km (1998 est.)
                             Waterways: 730 km (seasonally navigable)
                             Pipelines: petroleum products 176 km
                     Ports and harbors: Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto
                                        Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas
                       Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over)
                                        totaling 1,716 GRT/NA DWT
                                        ships by type: passenger 1 (2002
                                        est.)
                              Airports: 152 (2001)
         Airports - with paved runways: total: 29
                                        2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
                                        914 to 1,523 m: 19
                                        under 914 m: 7 (2001)
       Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 123
                                        914 to 1,523 m: 28
                                        under 914 m: 95 (2001)
  
   Military Costa Rica
   -------------------
                     Military branches: no regular indigenous military
                                        forces; Air Section, Ministry of
                                        Public Forces (Fuerza Publica)
      Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
      Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,058,283 (2002
                                        est.)
   Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 707,927 (2002 est.)
                               service:
           Military manpower - reaching males: 39,411 (2002 est.)
                 military age annually:
         Military expenditures - dollar $69 million (FY99)
                                figure:
     Military expenditures - percent of 1.6% (FY99)
                                   GDP:
  
   Transnational Issues Costa Rica
   -------------------------------
               Disputes - international: legal dispute over navigational
                                         rights of Rio San Juan on border
                                         with Nicaragua
                          Illicit drugs: transshipment country for cocaine
                                         and heroin from South America;
                                         illicit production of cannabis on
                                         small, scattered plots; domestic
                                         cocaine consumption is rising,
                                         particularly crack cocaine
  
                                       



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