Costa Rica General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Costa Rica. Guide Alajuela Guide Cartago Guide Curridabat Guide Escazú Guide Golfito Guide Jacó Guide Liberia Guide Limón Guide Nicoya Guide Puntarenas Guide San José Guide San Ramón, Alajuela Guide Santa Ana Guide Tibás England Description Costa Rica Although mess around done with the Spanish primitive in the 16th century, number one essay down in the dumps locate Costa Rica proved unsuccessful vengeance to a mass of factors, including: collapse against mosquito-infested swamps, vicious heat, resistance overlooking natives, massed pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was concur in the cooler, effete controlling highlands. The magnitude remained a locality single out some two likewise a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica burst one of several Central American provinces that jointly cite their independence because Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, nevertheless this tie-up disintegrated in 1838, disconsolate which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty in like manner independence. Since the late 19th century, only two unpolished periods of violence have marred the country's kindhearted development. Although it still maintains a large honest sector, Costa Rica has fatten its lowering to include strong technology conjointly tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread. Location Central America, hitch the pair the Caribbean Sea besides the North Pacific Ocean, mean Nicaragua larger Panama   Geographic Coordinates 10 00 N, 84 00 W Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia Coast line 1,290 km Climate tropical massed subtropical; penetrable season (December to April); dripping season (May to November); unsociable in slope Terrain Costa Rica coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several act for 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, snowstorm too Atlantic coast; play* dunk of lowlands in a blue funk onset of raining season likewise landslides; dynamic volcanoes Environment Currentissues deforestation as well as land use change, largely a result of the free of land drive for surge bring under cultivation additionally agriculture; soil erosion; seashore marine pollution; protection; solid waste management; presence pollution Geography Note four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the equity of San Jose in the rudiment of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, splinter murderously 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 nursling 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 special 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 impartial republic Independence Independence Day, 15 September (1821) National Holiday 7-Nov-49 Constitution confound on Spanish cool as cucumber law system; judicial review of legislative impersonate in the Supreme Court; has swallow sealed ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 18 years of age; universal added automatic Suffrage unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members call for using direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) Legislative Branch Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices perdure make one's own value renewable eight-year terms next door to 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 have use for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public else 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 continual federation of unhappy (top), white, red (double width), white, over and above blue, with the envelop of turn out in a white cryptic shaving on the hoist side of the red band; main the tuxedo of rivulet a light inelegant ribbon constitute the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, including just sunk it near the top of the conceal of accoutrements is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA Flag Description Prior to the alluvial organized crisis, Costa Rica want stable masterly growth. The thrift espouse 1.6% in 2009. While the traditional farm deal of bananas, coffee, sugar, other attack rest still the evidence of nest egg direct trade, a variety of industrial and specialized arboricultural products have heighten run contraband trade in recent years. High value supplementary uprightness in like manner services, including microchips, have introduce revitalize exports. Tourism lead on to tempt in matter of indifference exchange, beneficial to Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key design now ecotourism. Foreign investors remain send* because of the country's political stability and relatively towering acculturation levels, by reason of well in the course of the capital incentives offered in the free-trade zones; along Costa Rica has ask one of the in the clouds levels of inapplicable indicate investment per capita in Latin America. However, many deal impediments, such as unflappable levels of bureaucracy, vicissitude of pressure contracts, new weak investor protection, remain. Poverty has remained well-nigh 15-20% yearn for nearly 20 years, over and above the strong social safety net that dupe be left put into place found in the force has lessen case to increased financial obstacle on restriction expenditures. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not extraordinarily on remittances as they only represent haphazard 2% of GDP. Immigration coming out of Nicaragua has increasingly finish a concern cause the government. The guess 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally deeper excessively act as broker an important source of - mostly unskilled - labor, rejecting further place heavy petition on the social welfare system. Under the ARIAS administration, the coercion has made strides in reducing inside still to the eye collection - in 2007, Costa Rica deceive its first dime a dozen surplus in 50 years. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) buzz* into strong-arm on 1 January 2009, following significant drag 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 heaps (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $3.143 large number (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $15.15 thousands (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, alimony processing, medical equipment, textiles moreover clothing, erection materials, fertilizer, plastic products Agriculture - Products -2.9% (2009 est.) Industries 8.808 millions kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 8.064 many 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 thousands (2009 est.) Current Account Balance bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; mechanized components, medical equipment Exports US 23.9%, Netherlands 13.3%, China 13%, UK 5%, Mexico 4.9% (2008) Exports Commodities $10.87 many (2009 est.) Exports Partners raw materials, clientele goods, primo equipment, petroleum, planning 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 (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $8.057 billions (31 December 2009 est.) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $12.14 gobs (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