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The Republic of Costa Rica is a located in Central America, bordering the Nicaragua to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, Panama to the east-southeast and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The total land area is 51,100 sq km. it has a coastline stretching upto 1,290 km. It claims a territorial sea of 12 nm, exclusive economic zone stretching upto 200 nm and continental self of 200nm. The geographical terrain is coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes. The lowest point is Pacific Ocean 0 m and the highest being Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m. The natural resource to be found in Costa Rica is hydropower.
Costa Rica enjoys tropical and subtropical climate. It experiences dry season from December to April and rainy season from May to November. The temperature is cooler in highlands.
It was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. In the 2007 Human Development Index, Costa Rica ranks 4 and 48th worldwide. In the 2008 Environmental Performance Index, Costa Rica is ranked 5th in the world. |
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| People |
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The population of Costa Rica is estimated to be 4,195,914. 94% of the Costa Ricans are white including the mestizo, 3% are black, 1% is Amerindian, 1% Chinese and 1% other ethnic group. Costa Rica is a hosts many refugees, mainly from Colombia and Nicaragua, as a result 10-25% of the population is nicaraguans.
Christianity is the predominant religion, 76.3% of people are Roman Catholic, 13.7% people follow Evangelical belief, 1.3% are Jehovah's Witnesses, 0.7% belong to other Protestant religion, 4.8% follow other religious belief and 3.2% none at all.
Spanish is the official language and English is also spoken widely. |
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| Government |
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Costa Rica functions under the framework of Democratic republic type of government. Wherein, the President is both the head of the state and head of the government. The Cabinet selected by the president. The president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term.
Costa Rica is administratively divided into 7 provinces Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas and San Jose.
The executive responsibilities are vested in a president, legislative power is vested on the Legislative Assembly, and judicial power is vested on the Supreme Court. There are two vice presidents as well as a cabinet designated by the president. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven Legislative Assembly delegates are elected for four-year terms. In 1969, the constitutional amendment approved, limited presidents and delegates to one term, although delegates were allowed to run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.
Capital: San Jose
President: Oscar Arias Sanchez
First Vice President: Laura Chinchilla
Independence Day: 15 September 1821 |
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| Economy |
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Costa Rica has a stable economy, and chiefly depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. For past two decades the poverty has remained about 20%. Due to the increased financial constraints on government expenditures the social and safety measures have been not of much help. The chief concern for the government is increasing immigration from Nicargua. Due to the growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, dominated by the microprocessor industry, the exports have become more diversified. Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism, tourism is major source of foreign exchange.
The total number of labor force is estimated to be about 1.946 million, 64% are in the service industry, 22% in the industrial sector and only 14% in the agriculture sector. The chief agricultural products to be found in Costa Rica are bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes, beef and timber. The major industrial produce and service are microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer and plastic products.
Chief export commodities are bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components and medical equipment. |
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