The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by
the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities
of visitors
Transnational Issues Coral Sea Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@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
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco
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: continental shelf: 200 NM 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 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: 4.41% 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 agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate 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:
3,896,092 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 30.1% (male 600,812; female 573,375)
15–64 years: 64.4% (male 1,269,667; female 1,241,097)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 98,156; female 112,985) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.4 years
male: 24.9 years
female: 25.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.56% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 11.49 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.43 years
male: 73.87 years
female: 79.11 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
890 (2001 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%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%,
other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 95.9%
female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
Government