Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/59.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 9.6 KB | 367 lines

@node Geography (Costa Rica)
@section Geography (Costa Rica)

@display

Location:
  Central America, between Nicaragua and Panama
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Area:
 total area:
  51,100 km2
 land area:
  50,660 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than West Virginia
 note:
  includes Isla del Coco
Land boundaries:
  total 639 km, Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Coastline:
  1,290 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  200 nm
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
  coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Natural resources:
  hydropower potential
Land use:
 arable land:
  6%
 permanent crops:
  7%
 meadows and pastures:
  45%
 forest and woodland:
  34%
 other:
  8%
Irrigated land:
  1,180 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent
  flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes;
  deforestation; soil erosion



@end display

@node People (Costa Rica)
@section People (Costa Rica)

@display

Population:
  3,264,776 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.38% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  26.07 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  3.57 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  77.49 years
 male:
  75.56 years
 female:
  79.52 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.11 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Costa Rican(s)
 adjective:
  Costa Rican
Ethnic divisions:
  white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
  Spanish (official), English; spoken around Puerto Limon
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  93%
 male:
  93%
 female:
  93%
Labor force:
  868,300
 by occupation:
  industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture 27%,
  other 4.9% (1985 est.)



@end display

@node Government (Costa Rica)
@section Government (Costa Rica)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Costa Rica
 conventional short form:
  Costa Rica  local long form:
  Republica de Costa Rica
 local short form:
  Costa Rica
Digraph:
  CS
Type:
  democratic republic
Capital:
  San Jose
Administrative divisions:
  7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago,
  Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Independence:
  15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution:
  9 November 1949
Legal system:
  based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in
  the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Political parties and leaders:
  National Liberation Party (PLN), Carlos Manuel CASTILLO Morales; Social
  Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier; Marxist
  Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto VARGAS Carbonell; New Republic
  Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick ARDON Ramirez; Progressive Party (PP), Isaac
  Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin CHACON
  Vargas; Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey
Other political or pressure groups:
  Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD; Liberation Party
  affiliate); Confederated Union of Workers (CUT; Communist Party affiliate);
  Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers (CATD; Communist Party
  affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; National Association for Economic
  Development (ANFE); Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL; rightwing militants);
  National Association of Educators (ANDE)
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
 Legislative Assembly:
  last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results - percent
  of vote by party NA; seats - (57 total) PUSC 29, PLN 25, PVP/PPC 1, regional
  parties 2
 President:
  last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results - Rafael
  Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel CASTILLO 47%
Executive branch:
  president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)



@end display

@node Government (Costa Rica 2. usage)
@section Government (Costa Rica 2. usage)

@display

Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  President Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier (since 8 May 1990); First Vice
  President German SERRANO Pinto (since 8 May 1990); Second Vice President
  Arnoldo LOPEZ Echandi (since 8 May 1990)
Member of:
  AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU,
  LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda
 chancery:
  Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
 telephone:
  [phone] through 2947
 consulates general:
  Albuquerque, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Diego,
  San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
 consulate:
  Buffalo
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Luis GUINOT, Jr.
 embassy:
  Pavas Road, San Jose
 mailing address:
  APO AA 34020
 telephone:
  [506] 20-39-39
 FAX:
  (506) 20-2305
Flag:
  five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and
  blue, with the coat of arms in a white disk on the hoist side of the red
  band



@end display

@node Economy (Costa Rica)
@section Economy (Costa Rica)

@display

Overview:
  In 1992 the economy grew at an estimated 5.4%, up from the 2.5% gain of 1991
  and the gain of 1990. Increases in agricultural production (on the strength
  of good coffee and banana crops) and in nontraditional exports are
  responsible for much of the growth. In 1992 consumer prices rose by 17%,
  below the 27% of 1991. The trade deficit of $100 million was substantially
  below the 1991 deficit of $270 million. Unemployment is officially reported
  at 4.0%, but much underemployment remains. External debt, on a per capita
  basis, is among the world's highest.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.4 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  5.4% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  17% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  4% (1992)
Budget:
  revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.34 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $110 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
  $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
 commodities:
  coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar
 partners:
  US 75%, Germany, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan
Imports:
  $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
 commodities:
  raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
 partners:
  US 45%, Japan, Guatemala, Germany
External debt:
  $3.2 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.0% (1991); accounts for 19% of GDP
Electricity:
  927,000 kW capacity; 3,612 million kWh produced, 1,130 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer,
  plastic products
Agriculture:
  accounts for 17% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash commodities - coffee, beef,
  bananas, sugar; other food crops include corn, rice, beans, potatoes;
  normally self-sufficient in food except for grain; depletion of forest
  resources resulting in lower timber output
Illicit drugs:
  illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment
  country for cocaine from South America
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $935 million;
  Communist countries (1971-89), $27 million
Currency:
  1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos



@end display

@node Economy (Costa Rica 2. usage)
@section Economy (Costa Rica 2. usage)

@display

Exchange rates:
  Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 137.72 (January 1993), 134.51 (1992),
  122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Costa Rica)
@section Communications (Costa Rica)

@display

Railroads:
  950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified
Highways:
  15,400 km total; 7,030 km paved, 7,010 km gravel, 1,360 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
  about 730 km, seasonally navigable
Pipelines:
  petroleum products 176 km
Ports:
  Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas
Merchant marine:
  1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,878 GRT/4,506 DWT
Airports:
 total:
  162
 usable:
  144
 with permanent-surface runways:
  28
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  2
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  8
Telecommunications:
  very good domestic telephone service; 292,000 telephones; connection into
  Central American Microwave System; broadcast stations - 71 AM, no FM, 18 TV,
  13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Costa Rica)
@section Defense Forces (Costa Rica)

@display

Branches:
  Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard
 note:
  constitution prohibits armed forces
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 851,713; fit for military service 573,854; reach military
  age (18) annually 31,987 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)



@end display