World Facts Index > Costa Rica > San Jose
 Although
explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at
colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors,
including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by
natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of
Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area
remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became
one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their
independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of
Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa
Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century,
only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic
development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica
has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries.
The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
Geography of Costa Rica
|
Location:
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Middle America, bordering
both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua
and Panama |
|
Coordinates:
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10 00 N, 84 00 W |
|
Area:
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total: 51,100 sq km
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco
land: 50,660 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than West
Virginia |
|
Land boundaries:
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total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km |
|
Coastline:
|
1,290 km |
|
Maritime claims:
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continental shelf:
200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
Climate:
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tropical and subtropical;
dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler
in highlands |
|
Terrain:
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coastal plains separated by
rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are
major volcanoes |
|
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
|
Natural resources:
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hydropower |
|
Natural hazards:
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occasional earthquakes,
hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset
of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
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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 |
|
Geography - note:
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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
|
Population of Costa Rica
|
Population:
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4,195,914 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 28.3% (male 590,261/female 563,196)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,359,750/female 1,329,346)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 108,041/female 124,667) |
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Median age:
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26.4 years |
|
Growth rate:
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1.45% |
|
Infant mortality:
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9.7 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 77.02 years
male: 74.43 years
female: 79.74 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
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2.24 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican |
|
Ethnic groups:
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white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%,
Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
|
Religions:
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Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2% |
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 96%
male: 95.9%
female: 96.1%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
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 Oscar ARIAS Sanchez
(since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006);
Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice
President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant)
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 5 February 2006 (next to be
held in February 2010) |
|
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) |
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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) |
Economy
Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and
electronics exports. Poverty has remained around 20% 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.
Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the
government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa
Rica legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled)
labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Foreign
investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high
education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the free-trade
zones. Exports have become more diversified in the past 10 years due to the
growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the
microprocessor industry. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as
Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for
ecotourism. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and
external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing inflation remains a
difficult problem because of rising import prices, labor market rigidities,
and fiscal deficits. Tax and public expenditure reforms will be necessary to
close the budget gap. In October 2007, a national referendum voted in favor of
the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
|
GDP:
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$45.77 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
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4% |
|
GDP per capita:
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$11,100 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 8.8%
industry: 29.9%
services: 61.4% |
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Inflation rate:
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13.8% |
|
Labor force:
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1.82 million |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 20%
industry: 22%
services: 58% |
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Unemployment:
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6.6% |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $2.722 billion
expenditures: $3.195 billion |
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Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 1.5%
hydro: 81.9%
other: 16.6%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
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microprocessors, food processing, textiles
and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products |
|
Agriculture:
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coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn,
rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber |
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Exports:
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coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples;
textiles, electronic components, medical equipment |
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Export partners:
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US 30.3%, Netherlands 13.1%, UK 7.9%, China 7.7% |
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Imports:
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raw materials, consumer goods, capital
equipment, petroleum |
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Import partners:
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US 43.2%, Japan 5.8%, Mexico 5.5%, Brazil 4.6%, Venezuela
4.5% |
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Currency:
|
Costa Rican colon (CRC) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |