Area: total:51,100 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 130
land:51,060 sq km
water:40 sq km
note:includes Isla del Coco
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total:661 km
border countries:Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 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:4.89%
permanent crops:6.46%
other:88.65% (2011)
Irrigated land: 1,031 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 112.4 cu km (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 112.4 cu km (2011) 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 center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65
People and Society
Nationality: noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective:Costa Rican
Ethnic groups: white or mestizo 83.6%, mulato 6.7%, indigenous 2.4%, black of African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official), English
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Demographic profile: Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system set it apart from its Central American neighbors. Through the government's sustained social spending - almost 20% of GDP annually - Costa Rica has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goal of providing universal access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Since the 1970s, expansion of these services has led to a rapid decline in infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy at birth, and a sharp decrease in the birth rate. The average number of children born per women has fallen from about 7 in the 1960s to 3.5 in the early 1980s to below replacement level today. Costa Rica's poverty rate is lower than in most Latin American countries, but it has stalled at around 20% for almost two decades.
Population: 4,755,234 (July 2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 124
Age structure: 0-14 years:23.5% (male 570,311/female 545,026)
65 years and over:6.8% (male 154,467/female 179,604) (2014 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio:43.6 %
youth dependency ratio:33.2 %
elderly dependency ratio:10.4 %
potential support ratio:9.6 (2014 est.)
Median age: total:30 years
male:29.5 years
female:30.5 years (2014 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.24% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 96
Birth rate: 16.08 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 123
Death rate: 4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 204
Net migration rate: 0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 64
Urbanization: urban population:64.7% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:2.06% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population: SAN JOSE (capital) 1.515 million (2011)
Sex ratio: at birth:1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years:1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years:1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.86 male(s)/female
total population:1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Maternal mortality rate: 40 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
Infant mortality rate: total:8.7 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 151
male:9.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female:7.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population:78.23 yearscountry comparison to the world: 58
male:75.59 years
female:81.01 years (2014 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 139
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 82.2% (2010)
Health expenditures: 10.9% of GDP (2011)
Physicians density: 1.32 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
Hospital bed density: 1.2 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Drinking water source: improved:
urban: 99.6% of population
rural: 90.9% of population
total: 96.6% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0.4% of population
rural: 9.1% of population
total: 3.4% of population (2012 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved:
urban: 94.9% of population
rural: 92% of population
total: 93.9% of population
unimproved:
urban: 5.1% of population
rural: 8% of population
total: 6.1% of population (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 92
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,800 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 105
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 300 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 100
Major infectious diseases:
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 23.7% (2008)country comparison to the world: 73
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.1% (2009)country comparison to the world: 131
Education expenditures: 6.3% of GDP (2009)country comparison to the world: 34 Literacy: definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:96.3%
male:96%
female:96.5% (2011 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total:14 years
male:13 years
female:14 years (2012)
Child labor - children ages 5-14:
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total:18.4%country comparison to the world: 67
male:15%
female:24.2% (2012)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form:Costa Rica
local long form:Republica de Costa Rica
local short form:Costa Rica
Government type: democratic republic
Capital: name:San Jose
geographic coordinates:9 56 N, 84 05 W
time difference:UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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: previous 1825; latest adopted 7 November 1949; amended many times, last in 2005 (2005)
Legal system: civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state:President Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera (since 8 May 2014); First Vice President Helio FALLAS Venega (since 8 May 2014); Second Vice President Ana Helena CHACÓN Echeverría (since 8 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government:President Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera (since 8 May 2014); First Vice President Helio FALLAS Venega (since 8 May 2014); Second Vice President Ana Helena CHACÓN Echeverría (since 8 May 2014)
cabinet:Cabinet selected by the president
elections:president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 2 February 2014, with a runoff on 6 April 2014 (next to be held in February 2018)
election results:Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera elected president; percent of vote - Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera (PAC) 77.81%; Johnny ARAYA (PLN) 22.19%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:last held on 2 February 2014 (next to be held in February 2018)
election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 18, PAC 13, FA 9, PUSC 9, PML 3, other 5
Judicial branch: highest court(s):Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 22 judges organized into 3 cassation chambers each with 5 judges, and the Constitutional Chamber with 7 judges)
judge selection and term of office:Supreme Court of Justice judges elected by the National Assembly for 8-year terms with renewal decided by the National Assembly
subordinate courts:appellate courts; first instance and justice of the peace courts; Superior Electoral Tribunal
Political parties and leaders: Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias]
Citizen Action Party or PAC [Olivier PEREZ Gonzalez]
Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]
Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or PFA [Ana Patricia MORA]
Libertarian Movement Party or ML [Victor Danilo CUBERO Corrales]
National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]
National Liberation Party or PLN [Bernal JIMENEZ]
National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]
Patriotic Alliance [Jorge ARAYA Westover]
Popular Vanguard [Humberto VARGAS]
Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Gerardo VARGAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission:Ambassador Shanon Muni FIGUERES Boggs (since 7 September 2010)
chancery:2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:[1] (202) 480-2200
FAX:[1] (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general:Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Washington DC; note - Honorary Consulate: Dallas (Texas), Denver (Colorado), Tucson (Arizona)
consulate(s):Austin
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gonzalo GALLEGOS
embassy:Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
mailing address:APO AA 34020
telephone:[506] 2519-2000
FAX:[506] 2519-2305
Flag description: five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people
National symbol(s): clay-colored robin known as Yiguirro
National anthem: name:'Himno Nacional de Costa Rica' (National Anthem of Costa Rica)
lyrics/music:Jose Maria ZELEDON Brenes/Manuel Maria GUTIERREZ
note:adopted 1949; the anthem's music was originally written for an 1853 welcome ceremony for diplomatic missions from the United States and United Kingdom; the lyrics were added in 1903
Economy
Economy - overview:
Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted 1.3% in 2009 but resumed growth at about 4.5% per year in 2010-12. While the traditional agricultural exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years. High value-added goods and services, including microchips, have further bolstered exports. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the incentives offered in the free-trade zones; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, many business impediments remain, such as high levels of bureaucracy, legal uncertainty due to overlapping and at times conflicting responsibilities between agencies, difficulty of enforcing contracts, and weak investor protection. Poverty has remained around 20-25% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not highly dependent on remittances as they only represent about 2% of GDP. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of mostly unskilled labor but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1 January 2009 after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature. CAFTA-DR has increased foreign direct investment in key sectors of the economy, including the insurance and telecommunications sectors recently opened to private investors. President CHINCHILLA was not able to gain legislative approval for fiscal reform, her top priority, though she continued to pursue fiscal reform in 2012. President CHINCHILLA and the PLN were successful in passing a tax on corporations to fund an increase for security services.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$61.43 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
$59.35 billion (2012 est.)
$56.45 billion (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$48.51 billion (2013 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
5.1% (2012 est.)
4.4% (2011 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,900 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$12,700 (2012 est.)
$12,200 (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars
Gross national saving:
16.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
15.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
16.2% of GDP (2011 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption:64.7%
government consumption:17.9%
investment in fixed capital:20.9%
investment in inventories:0.8%
exports of goods and services:35.2%
imports of goods and services:-39.5%
(2013 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture:6.2%
US 38.9%, Netherlands 7.5%, Panama 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.6%, Nicaragua 4.4% (2012)
Imports:
$17.56 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
$16.75 billion (2012 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 49.8%, China 8.2%, Mexico 6.6% (2012)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$7.406 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
$6.857 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Debt - external:
$15.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$13.81 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$21.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$18.98 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.681 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
$1.481 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar -
500.9 (2013 est.)
502.9 (2012 est.)
525.83 (2010 est.)
573.29 (2009)
530.41 (2008)
Energy
Electricity - production:
9.473 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world:96
Electricity - consumption:
8.532 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Electricity - exports:
135 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Electricity - imports:
164 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
2.8 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
32.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
55.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
12.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Crude oil - production:
290.7 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Crude oil - imports:
10,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Refined petroleum products - production:
10,630 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
50,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Refined petroleum products - exports:
1,898 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Refined petroleum products - imports:
40,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
6.806 million Mt (2011 est.)
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.018 million (2012)
country comparison to the world:75
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.151 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 100
Telephone system:
general assessment:good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly is scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, but has been slow to open to competition
domestic:point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available
international:country code - 506; landing points for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American Crossing submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
Broadcast media:
multiple privately owned TV stations and 1 publicly owned TV station; cable network services are widely available; more than 100 privately owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)
Internet country code:
.cr
Internet hosts:
147,258 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 78
Internet users:
1.485 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 82
Transportation
Airports
161 (2013)
country comparison to the world:35
Airports - with paved runways total:47
2,438 to 3,047 m:2
1,524 to 2,437 m:2
914 to 1,523 m:27
under 914 m:16 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:114
914 to 1,523 m:18
under 914 m:
96 (2013)
Pipelines refined products 662 km (2013)
Railways total:278 kmcountry comparison to the world: 122
narrow gauge:278 km 1.067-m gauge
note:none of the railway network is in use (2008)
Roadways total:39,018 kmcountry comparison to the world: 90
paved:10,133 km
unpaved:28,885 km (2010)
Waterways
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 75
Merchant marine total:1country comparison to the world: 154
by type:passenger/cargo 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals major seaport(s):Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) Puerto Limon; Pacific Ocean - Caldera
Military
Military branches no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2011)
Manpower available for military service males age 16-49:1,255,798
females age 16-49:1,230,202 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service males age 16-49:1,058,419
females age 16-49:1,037,053 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually male:42,201
female:40,444 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international Costa Rica and Nicaragua regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island to the International Court of Justice (ICJ); in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region
Refugees and internally displaced persons refugees (country of origin):16,586 (Colombia) (2013)
Illicit drugs transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008)
