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Costa Rica in Numbers
Geography
Country capital: San José
Area: 51,000 square kilometers (19,652 sq. miles)
Language: Spanish
Location: Located in the Central American isthmus, immediately north of Panama, with ports in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and 153 highway miles between them.
Population
4.0 million
Density: 78.4 inhabitants per square kilometer (203.5 inhabitants per sq. mile)
Major metropolitan center: San Jose (1 M )
By sex: men: 49,86% women: 50,14%
Total labor force: 1,7 million
Economically active population: 42.3%
Unemployment rate 2002: 6.4%
Underemployment rate 2002: 7.6 %
Costa Rica Today
• Costa Rica is among the top 30 leading exporters of high-tech products (Human Development Report, 2001).
• The UNCTAD in its 2002 World Investment Report classified Costa Rica as one of the six most successful countries in the attraction of the FDI. Also in the E-commerce and Development Report 2002, states that Costa Rica can potentially enhance export competitiveness and produce high value-added services that gives a major boost to the local economy. At the same time, the growth of the domestic IT industry has led more and more firms to use ICT in their business activities, enabling them to move rapidly into e-commerce, e-banking and e-tourism.
• According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, San José is the city with the best quality of life in Latin America, The study also highlights Costa Rica as the country with the longest uninterrupted democracy government.
• In a context of sustainable development Costa Rica is ranked 9th out of 142 countries in the Environmental Sustainability Index (World Economic Forum, 2002)
Main Exports:
Electronic components, textiles, bananas, coffee, medical devices, pineapples, foliage and ornamentals, fish and seafood, processed foods.
Standard of living Indicators:
Life expectancy: 76.1 years
Literacy rate: 95.5%
Educational Institutions: 6147 primary and secondary schools and 50 universities
Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2002).
Youth literacy: 98.3%
Population served with piped water: 99%
Public health services coverage: 90.4% of population
Health expenditures: 27.8% of government budget
Access to telephone service: 92% of population
According to the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI) for 2002, Costa Rica has one of the highest ratings among developing nations:
Political Environment:
Traditional and stable democracy, army abolished in 1949.
Lowest risk rating in Latin America.
Business environment and legal framework open to foreign investment.
No limitation on foreign control of corporations and ownership of property.
The political structure establishes three independent powers:
1. Executive: President and Ministers
2. Legislative: 57 elected Representatives
3. Judiciary
The Presidential term consists of 4-year periods without re-election. The current President of Costa Rica is Dr. Abel Pacheco de la Espriella (2002-2006).
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