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Costa Rica
The Country
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Costa Rica
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2005
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From the Costa Rica Embassy
| |
| Official
Name: |
Republic of Costa Rica |
| Capital: |
San Jos� |
| Area: |
51,100 square kilometers (19,652
square miles) |
| Location: |
Central America, bordering both the
Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
|
Administrative Divisions: |
7 provinces (Alajuela, Cartago,
Guanacaste, Heredia, Lim�n, Puntarenas, San Jos�) |
| Population: |
3,956,507 million (July 2004 est.)
|
| Official
Language: |
Spanish (official), English |
| Local
Currency: |
Col�n (named after Christopher
Columbus) |
| Official
Religion: |
Roman Catholic, but there is freedom
of expression of other beliefs |
| System of
Government: |
Democratic Republic |
| Executive
Branch: |
Chief of State and Head of
Government: President Dr. Abel Pacheco; First Vice President Mrs.
Lineth Sabor�o; Second Vice President Mr. Luis Fishman. The
cabinet is selected by the President. The President and Vice
Presidents are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for
four-year terms; last election was held on February 3, 2002;
run-off election was held on April 7, 2002. |
| Legislative
Branch: |
Unicameral Legislative Assembly (57
seats). Members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
four-year terms. Last election was held on February 3, 2002. |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court (22 justices are
elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly). |
| Army: |
Abolished in 1949 |
|
Independence: |
15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
|
Constitution: |
7 November 1949 |
| Geography: |
Rugged highlands are found throughout
most of the country, ranging from approximately 1,000 to 2,000
meters (3,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level). The Guanacaste
Mountain Range, Central Mountain Range, and Talamanca Mountain
Range are the main mountain ranges extending the entire length of
the country. There are several active volcanoes (Arenal Volcano,
Irazu Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Turrialba Volcano)
and the country�s highest mountain (Chirripo Hill) with a height
of 3,819 m/12,530 ft. The country has a relatively long coastline
in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. |
| Climate: |
Tropical and subtropical; dry season
(December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in
highlands |
| Land Use: |
Arable land, 4.41%; permanent crops,
5.88%; other, 89.71% (2001). |
Human Feature
| Density:
|
78.4 inhabitants per square kilometer
(203.5 inhabitants per sq. mile) |
|
Urban/Rural: |
59% urban, 39% rural |
| Sex
Distribution: |
49.86% male, 50.14% female |
| Age
Structure: |
0-14 years (29.5%); 15-64 years
(65%); 65 years and over (5.5%) |
Standard of Living Indicators
|
Life expectancy: |
77.7 years |
|
Literacy rate: |
96% |
|
Educational Institutions: |
6147 primary and
secondary schools and 50 universities |
|
Education expenditures: |
5% of GDP (2002). |
|
Youth literacy: |
98.3% |
|
Population served with piped water: |
99% |
|
Public health services coverage: |
90.4% of population |
|
Health expenditures: |
27.8% of government
budget |
|
Access to telephone service: |
92% of population |
Economic Indicators
| GDP in
millions of US$: |
16,841 (2000) |
| Per Capita
GDP in millions of US$: |
4,130 (2000) |
| Exports
(FOB) in millions of US$: |
5,224 (2000) |
| Imports
(CIF) in millions of US$: |
6,997 (2000) |
| Inflation
Rate: |
10.0 % |
| Devaluation
Rate: |
9.9% |
| Main
Exports: |
Electronic components, textiles,
bananas, coffee, medical devices, pineapples, foliage and
ornamentals, fish and seafood, processed foods. |
| Main
Industries: |
microprocessors, food processing,
textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic
products. |
National Symbols
 Flag: |
The present flag was
constituted in September 1848 when Costa Rica achieved the status
of Republic. The flag is formed by five horizontal stripes: the
first and the fifth are blue, the second and the fourth are white,
and in the middle a red stripe double the width of each of the
other four stripes. |
 Emblem: |
It was constituted in
1848. Three volcanoes and a vast valley stretching between two
oceans form it, and in each of the oceans there is a merchant
ship. In the horizon, there is a rising sun between the blue sky
and the blue ocean. Two wreaths of myrtle leaves joined by a
ribbon bearing the inscription "Rep�blica de Costa Rica" enclose
the national seal. Seven stars forming an arch represent the seven
provinces of the republic. The crown is formed by a blue ribbon
with the inscription "Am�rica Central". |
|
National Anthem: |
The music of the Costa
Rican National Anthem (Himno Nacional de Costa Rica) was composed
in 1852 by Don Manuel Mar�a Guti�rrez (1829-1887), director of the
Marching Band. |
| National
Flower: |
Guaria Morada (Cattleya
skinneri). This is a native species in the American continent and
grows nationwide without any problem. |
| National
Tree: |
Guanacaste Tree (Enterolobium
ciclocarpum). |
| National
Bird: |
Yiguirro (Turdus grayi). |
| Typical
Ox-Cart: |
In 1988 the Costa Rican
ox-cart ("la carreta costarricense") was established as the
national symbol of work. Drawn by a team of oxen, the ox-cart was
used during the colonial period for the transportation of sugar
cane, tobacco, and coffee. Thus, it became a very important factor
in the development of agricultural activity of Costa Rica. In the
present, the ox-cart is one of the most representative handcrafted
objects in Costa Rican culture. |
|
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