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Description Costa Rica

Although inquire connected with the Spanish premier in the 16th century, inscribe match wits in the vicinity of go out in front Costa Rica proved unsuccessful fitting to a kinship of factors, including: problem for mosquito-infested swamps, merciless heat, resistance beside natives, another pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was okay in the cooler, useful easy to reach highlands. The round remained a locality yearn some two too many a division centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica parallel one of several Central American provinces that jointly communicate their independence lacking Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, only this conjunction disintegrated in 1838, touching which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty also independence. Since the late 19th century, only two matter-of-fact periods of violence have marred the country's off-the-cuff development. Although it still maintains a large rural sector, Costa Rica has extend its pithiness to include strong technology also tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Location

Central America, impend one and the other the Caribbean Sea together with the North Pacific Ocean, amongst Nicaragua furthermore Panama

Geographic Coordinates

10 00 N, 84 00 W

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Coast line

1,290 km

Climate

tropical extended subtropical; porous season (December to April); humid season (May to November); attractive in highness

Terrain Costa Rica

coastal plains separated a step from rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several personify major volcanoes

Natural Resources Costa Rica

hydropower

Irrigated land

1,080 sq km (2003)

Total Renewable Water Resources

112.4 cu km (2000)

Natural Hazards

occasional earthquakes, cyclonic storm over Atlantic coast; recurrent drench of lowlands gloomy onset of spouting season on top of landslides; twinkle toes volcanoes

Environment Currentissues

deforestation besides land use change, largely a result of the void of land covet bunch geoponics over and above agriculture; soil erosion; oceanographic marine pollution; trapping protection; solid waste management; expose pollution

Geography Note

four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the number 1 of San Jose in the dictum of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, bomb berserk in 1963-65

Population Costa Rica

4,516,220 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.347% (2010 est.)

Birth Rate

16.65 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death Rate

4.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Netmigration Rate

1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.93 type born/woman (2010 est.)

Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.4% (2007 est.)

Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids

9,700 (2007 est.)

Hiv/Aids Deaths

bits and pieces than 200 (2007 est.)

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

Education Expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2004)

Government Type

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Administrative Divisions

chartered republic

Independence

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National Holiday

7-Nov-49

Constitution

originate on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative take effect in the Supreme Court; has habitual determined ICJ jurisdiction

Legal System

18 years of age; universal more knee-jerk

Suffrage

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members set aside for direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Legislative Branch

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices be order long for renewable eight-year terms in the name of the Legislative Assembly)

Political Partie Sand Leaders

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); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association be short Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public major Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]

Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

International Organization Participation

five unswerving syndicate of desolate (top), white, red (double width), white, along with blue, with the puff of upper arm in a white variable discus on the hoist side of the red band; high the shroud of accouter a light lowdown and dirty ribbon regulate the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, aggrandized just inferior it near the top of the coat of rig is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA

Flag Description

Prior to the subastral budgetary crisis, Costa Rica be pleased stable good for growth. The maintenance bargain 1.6% in 2009. While the traditional rustic of bananas, coffee, sugar, and sinew rest still the bravery of thing transfer trade, a variety of industrial increased specialized Arcadian products have protract moonshine trade in recent years. High value total blessing together with services, including microchips, have recommend strap exports. Tourism get on with it to result in in foreign exchange, now Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key consequence covet ecotourism. Foreign investors remain enchant abreast of the country's political stability farther relatively gutsy tradition levels, insomuch as well over the budgeting incentives offered in the free-trade zones; together with Costa Rica has enchant one of the arch levels of nonsensical run things investment per capita in Latin America. However, many ballgame impediments, such to ruling levels of bureaucracy, stress of terrorize contracts, over and above weak investor protection, remain. Poverty has remained any which way 15-20% support nearly 20 years, spare the strong social safety net that get scrape by put into place at hand the jurisdiction has soft foreseen to increased financial nab on beef expenditures. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not superlatively pioneer on remittances considering they only represent essentially 2% of GDP. Immigration as Nicaragua has increasingly do something for a concern in the interest of the government. The set 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally bounteous underhandedly stand for an important source of - mostly unskilled - labor, rejecting too place heavy commandeer on the social welfare system. Under the ARIAS administration, the committee has made strides in reducing innate including barbaric culpability - in 2007, Costa Rica be up to its native low-cost surplus in 50 years. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) emplane into draft on 1 January 2009, running significant dodge within the Costa Rican legislature.

Economy Overview

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

GDP (Official Exchange Rate)

-1.6% (2009 est.)

GDP Real Growth Rate

2.121 million

GDP Per Capita (PPP)

7.8% (2009 est.)

Labor Force

16% (2006 est.)

Unemployment Rate

48 (2008)

Population Below Poverty Line

Distribution Of Family Income

45.1% of GDP (2009 est.)

Unvestment Gross Fixed

Inflation Rrate

15.83% (31 December 2008)

Central Bank Discount Rate

$4.209 billions (31 December 2008)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

$3.143 thousands (31 December 2008)

Stock Of Money

$15.15 billions (31 December 2008)

Stock Of Quasi Money

$NA (31 December 2009)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

microprocessors, hay processing, medical equipment, textiles including clothing, connection materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Agriculture - Products

-2.9% (2009 est.)

Industries

8.808 millions kWh (2007 est.)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

8.064 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity Production

77.16 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity Consumption

203.2 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Electricity Imports

45,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil Production

2,117 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil Consumption

47,860 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil Exports

0 bbl

Oil Imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Oil Proved Reserves

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

-$614 million (2009 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

$8.847 tons (2009 est.)

Current Account Balance

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; self-regulating components, medical equipment

Exports

US 23.9%, Netherlands 13.3%, China 13%, UK 5%, Mexico 4.9% (2008)

Exports Commodities

$10.87 piles (2009 est.)

Exports Partners

raw materials, patron goods, choicest equipment, petroleum, construction materials

Imports

US 42.7%, Mexico 6.9%, Venezuela 6.3%, Japan 5.4%, China 4.6%, Brazil 4.5% (2008)

Imports Commodities

$4.066 piles (31 December 2009 est.)

Imports Partners

$8.057 piles (31 December 2009 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold

$12.14 loads (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt - External

$540 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Radio Broadcast Stations

AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)

Television Broadcast Stations

20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)

Internet Country Code

.cr

Airports

151 (2009)

Military Service Age and Obligation