Costa Rica Facts.

Costa Rica is located in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama http://panamatouring.blogspot.com/ to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean to the east.

Costa Rica, means Rich Coast. Its wealth in Biodiversity has made it of this country, one of the most attractive eco-destinations in the world. Costa Rica abolished the army, permanently in 1949 and it is the second neutral country in the world. It is considered the most stable democracy in Latin America. Throughout history, Costa Rica has put emphasis in the development of education, democracy, prosperity, peace, opportunities and the promotion for a sustainable development. .The country plans to become the first Carbon Neutral country by 2021 and it was ranked the Happiest country in the planet in 2009 and in 2012.

Welcome to Costa Rica and enjoy your trip!

Independence: September 15, 1821.

Constitution: November 7, 1949.

Subdivisions: Seven provinces, divided into 81 cantons, subdivided into 421 districts.

Suffrage: Universal and compulsory at age 18.

Governement.

Costa Rica is a Presidential Republic with three powers:

Executive Power: the President elected by direct vote for a 4 years term. There are two vice presidents and a cabinet designated by the president. Vice Presidents replace the President in cases of temporary or permanent absence.

Legislative Power: The  unicameral Legislative Assembly is form of 57 deputy elected for 4 year intervals.

Judicial Power: The Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Justice consists of 22 magistrates elected by Legislative Assembly for renewable 8-year terms.The Supreme Electoral Court, the Office of the Comptroller General, the Office of the Procurator General of the Republic, and the Office of the Ombudsman also are other important entities of the State.The Supreme Court is divided into four chambers, one dealing with Constitutional Law, one dealing with Criminal Law, and two dealing with Civil Law, Merchant Law and the like.

General facts of Costa Rica.

Geography.

Area: 51,100 sq. km (19,730 sq. mi.) about the size of West Virginia.

Location

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama.

Territory

51,060 sq km./ 34.000 Sq. Miles.

Highest elevation

Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m/12687 ft

Natural Hazards

Eaarquakes, flooding of lowlands and landslides, active volcanoes.

Population

4,301.712 million.

Age

0-15            24.8%

15-64          67.9%

65 and over 7.3%

Religion: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical Protestant 13.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%.

Languages: Spanish, with a southwestern Caribbean Creole dialect of English spoken around the Limon area and indigenous languages.

Education:  Years compulsory--9.

                          Attendance--99%  From grades 1-6;

                                                71%  From grades 7-9.

                                                Older than15   8.8%

                           Literacy rate 96.1%.

Health: Infant mortality rate--9.45/1,000.  

         Life expectancy--men 76.8 yrs., women 81.8 yrs.

Economy.

GDP Per Capita

$10,900 (2009 est.)

Labor Force by Occupation

GDP by Sector

Agriculture 6.4%

Industry 24.9%

Services 68.7%

Economic activity by sector.

Agriculture: 14% Industry: 22% Services: 64% (2006 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 7.7%

Agriculture: bananas, pineapples, coffee, beef, sugar, rice, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants, corn, beans, potatoes, timber.

Industry : Types--electronic components, medical equipment, textiles and apparel, tires, food processing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products.

Commerce and Services: Hotels, restaurants, tourist services, banks, and insurance.

Cities: Capital--San Jose with a population of 1.404242 million.

Greater Metropolitan area. San Josè, Alajuela, Cartago, and Heredia provinces.

Other provinces: Guanacaste, Puntarenas, Limon.

Terrain: A rugged, central range separates the eastern and western coastal plains.

Electricity access:  98.8% of the territory.

Potable water:   97.6%.