Costa Rica Podcast Show

Costa Rica is a small country (about the size of West Virginia) located in Central America. It is neither an Island nor a U.S. Commonwealth (you’re thinking Puerto Rico). Costa Rica borders both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama.
Unlike most countries in the region, Costa Rica has enjoyed almost 60 years of peace and continuous democracy. The standard of living is high and land ownership is widespread. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. When I first lived in the U.S. no one knew about Costa Rica now almost everyone I meet has heard about the beautiful beaches, rainforests, volcanoes, and know it as a must-go place to visit on vacation. I found that turnaround in less then 10 years truly amazing.

Costa Rica Fact Sheet (source CIA World Factbook)

Background: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: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama. Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 84 00 W.

Area:
total: 51,100 sq km
land: 50,660 sq km
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco

Coastline: 1,290 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 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

People

Population:
4,075,261 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
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) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 26.4 years
male: 26 years
female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.02 years
male: 74.43 years
female: 79.74 years (2006 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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 95.9%
female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica
Government type:
democratic republic

Capital:
name: San Jose
geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (provincias, singular – provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
7 November 1949
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

President: Oscar Arias (since 8 May 2006 – Arias also served as President from 1986-1990).

chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006); 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 Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006)
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 February 2010)
election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote – Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otto SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party – NA; seats by party – PLN 25, PAC 18, PML 6, PUSC 4, other 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Economy

Economy – overview:
Costa Rica’s basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country’s political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$45.67 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.38 billion (2005 est.)
GDP – real growth rate:
5.9% (2005 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP):
$11,400 (2005 est.)
GDP – composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.8%
industry: 29.9%
services: 61.4% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
1.82 million (2005 est.)
Labor force – by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 22%
services: 58% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.6% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
18% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 36.8% (2002)
Distribution of family income – Gini index:
46.5 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.8% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.722 billion
expenditures: $3.195 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt:
56.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture – products:
coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber
Industries:
microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Industrial production growth rate:
5.7% (2005 est.)
Electricity – production:
7.726 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity – consumption:
7.12 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity – exports:
115 million kWh (2003)
Electricity – imports:
50 million kWh (2003)
Oil – production:
0 bbl/day (2003)
Oil – consumption:
40,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil – exports:
NA bbl/day
Oil – imports:
NA bbl/day
Natural gas – production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas – consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:
$-955 million (2005 est.)
Exports:
$7.005 billion (2005 est.)
Exports – commodities:
coffee, bananas, sugar, pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment
Exports – partners:
US 42.6%, Hong Kong 6.9%, Netherlands 6.4%, Guatemala 4.2% (2005)
Imports:
$9.69 billion (2005 est.)
Imports – commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
Imports – partners:
US 41.3%, Japan 5.6%, Venezuela 4.8%, Mexico 4.8%, Ireland 4.3%, Brazil 4.2%, China 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.313 billion (2005 est.)
Debt – external:
$5.049 billion (2005 est.)
Currency (code):
Costa Rican colon (CRC)
Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones per US dollar – 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications

Telephones – main lines in use:
1,388,500 (2005)
Telephones – mobile cellular:
1.101 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service
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; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations – 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)
Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
Internet country code:
.cr
Internet hosts:
12,751 (2006)
Internet users:
1 million (2005)

Popularity: 5% [?]

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