Page last updated on January 31, 2014
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. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. 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.
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 51,100 sq km
country comparison to the world: 130
land: 51,060 sq km
water: 40 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco
slightly smaller than West Virginia
total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
arable land: 4.89%
permanent crops: 6.46%
other: 88.65% (2011)
total: 5.77 cu km/yr (15%/9%/77%)
per capita: 1,582 cu m/yr (2006)
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
volcanism: Arenal (elev. 1,670 m), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (elev. 3,432 m), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Spanish (official), English
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system set it apart from its Central American neighbors. Through the government's sustained social spending - almost 20% of GDP annually - Costa Rica has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goal of providing universal access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Since the 1970s, expansion of these services has led to a rapid decline in infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy at birth, and a sharp decrease in the birth rate. The average number of children born per women has fallen from about 7 in the 1960s to 3.5 in the early 1980s to below replacement level today. Costa Rica's poverty rate is lower than in most Latin American countries, but it has stalled at around 20% for almost two decades.
4,695,942 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 571,383/female 546,152)
15-24 years: 17.8% (male 427,047/female 411,110)
25-54 years: 43.6% (male 1,027,179/female 1,018,358)
55-64 years: 8% (male 184,292/female 191,396)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 147,615/female 171,410) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 44 %
youth dependency ratio: 33.9 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10.1 %
potential support ratio: 9.9 (2013)
total: 29.6 years
male: 29.1 years
female: 30 years (2013 est.)
1.27% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
16.25 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
4.44 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
0.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
urban population: 64% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
SAN JOSE (capital) 1.515 million (2011)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
40 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 116
total: 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 152
male: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 78.06 years
country comparison to the world: 58
male: 75.43 years
female: 80.83 years (2013 est.)
1.91 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
10.9% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 16
1.32 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2011)
0.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
9,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2013)
23.7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 73
1.1% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 130
6.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 32
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3%
male: 96%
female: 96.5% (2011 est.)
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2011)
total number: 39,082
percentage: 5 % (2002 est.)
total: 18.4%
country comparison to the world: 67
male: 15%
female: 24.2% (2012)
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica
name: San Jose
geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
previous 1825; latest adopted 7 November 1949; amended many times, last in 2005 (2005)
civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
chief of state: President Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda (since 8 May 2010); First Vice President Alfio PIVA Mesen (since 8 May 2010); Second Vice President Luis LIBERMAN Ginsburg (since 8 May 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda (since 8 May 2010); First Vice President Alfio PIVA Mesen (since 8 May 2010); Second Vice President Luis LIBERMAN Ginsburg (since 8 May 2010)
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 on 7 February 2010 (next to be held in February 2014)
election results: Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda elected president; percent of vote - Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda (PLN) 46.7%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 25.1%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (ML) 20.8%, other 7.4%
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 7 February 2010 (next to be held in February 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 24, PAC 11, ML 9, PUSC 6, PASE 4, other 3
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 22 judges organized into 3 cassation chambers each with 5 judges, and the Constitutional Chamber with 7 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges elected by the National Assembly for 8-year terms with renewal decided by the National Assembly
subordinate courts: appellate courts; first instance and justice of the peace courts; Superior Electoral Tribunal
Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias]
Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate)
BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
chief of mission: Ambassador Shanon Muni FIGUERES Boggs (since 7 September 2010)
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 480-2200
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
consulate(s): Austin
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gonzalo GALLEGOS
embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
mailing address: APO AA 34020
telephone: [506] 2519-2000
FAX: [506] 2519-2305
five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people
note: somewhat resembles the flag of North Korea; similar to the flag of Thailand but with the blue and red colors reversed
clay-colored robin known as Yiguirro
name: "Himno Nacional de Costa Rica" (National Anthem of Costa Rica)
lyrics/music: Jose Maria ZELEDON Brenes/Manuel Maria GUTIERREZ
note: adopted 1949; the anthem's music was originally written for an 1853 welcome ceremony for diplomatic missions from the United States and United Kingdom; the lyrics were added in 1903
Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted 1.3% in 2009 but resumed growth at about 4.5% per year in 2010-12. While the traditional agricultural exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years. High value-added goods and services, including microchips, have further bolstered exports. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the incentives offered in the free-trade zones; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, many business impediments remain, such as high levels of bureaucracy, legal uncertainty due to overlapping and at times conflicting responsibilities between agencies, difficulty of enforcing contracts, and weak investor protection. Poverty has remained around 20-25% 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. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not highly dependent on remittances as they only represent about 2% of GDP. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of mostly unskilled labor but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1 January 2009 after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature. CAFTA-DR has increased foreign direct investment in key sectors of the economy, including the insurance and telecommunications sectors recently opened to private investors. President CHINCHILLA was not able to gain legislative approval for fiscal reform, her top priority, though she continued to pursue fiscal reform in 2012. President CHINCHILLA and the PLN were successful in passing a tax on corporations to fund an increase for security services.
$58.55 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$44.5 billion (2012 est.)
5.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
$12,500 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
15.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
household consumption: 65.1%
government consumption: 17.9%
investment in fixed capital: 20.2%
investment in inventories: 1%
exports of goods and services: 37.7%
imports of goods and services: -41.8%
agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 21.5%
services: 72.4% (2012 est.)
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber
microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
2.182 million
country comparison to the world: 119
note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2012 est.)
agriculture: 14%
industry: 22%
services: 64% (2006 est.)
7.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 39.5% (2009 est.)
50.3 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 21
revenues: $6.506 billion
expenditures: $8.501 billion (2012 est.)
14.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
-4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
51.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
4.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
21.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
18.21% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$4.197 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$20.09 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
$21.93 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$1.443 billion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 101
$-2.341 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
$11.44 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
US 38.9%, Netherlands 7.5%, Panama 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.6%, Nicaragua 4.4% (2012)
$16.75 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials
US 49.8%, China 8.2%, Mexico 6.6% (2012)
$6.857 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$13.81 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
$18.98 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
$1.481 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar -
9.473 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
8.532 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
135 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
164 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
2.8 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
32.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
55.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
12.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
290.7 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
10,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 117
10,630 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
50,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
1,898 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
40,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 125
6.806 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
1.018 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 75
6.151 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 100
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly is scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, but has been slow to open to competition
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available
international: country code - 506; landing points for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American Crossing submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
multiple privately owned TV stations and 1 publicly owned TV station; cable network services are widely available; more than 100 privately owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)
147,258 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 78
1.485 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 82
161 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 35
total: 47
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 16 (2013)
total: 114
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m:
refined products 662 km (2013)
total: 278 km
country comparison to the world: 122
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railway network is in use (2008)
total: 39,018 km
country comparison to the world: 90
paved: 10,133 km
unpaved: 28,885 km (2010)
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 75
total: 1
country comparison to the world: 154
by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2010)
major seaport(s): Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) Puerto Limon; Pacific Ocean - Caldera
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2011)
males age 16-49: 1,255,798
females age 16-49: 1,230,202 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 1,058,419
females age 16-49: 1,037,053 (2010 est.)
male: 42,201
female: 40,444 (2010 est.)
the ICJ had given Costa Rica until January 2008 to reply and Nicaragua until July 2008 to rejoin before rendering its decision on the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels on the Rio San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty
refugees (country of origin): 10,305 (Colombia) (2012)
