PAC [Epsy CAMPBELL Barr]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC
[Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Marco
NUNEZ Gonzalez]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto
FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas];
Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona];
Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National
Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National
Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National
Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO Fernandez];
National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas];
National Restoration Party or PRN [Fabio Enrique DELGADO Hernandez];
National Union Party or PUN [Arturo ACOSTA Mora]; Nationalist
Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic
Union or UP [Jose Miguel CORRALES Bolanos]; Social Christian Unity
Party or PUSC [Luis FISHMAN Zonzinski]; Union for Change Party or
UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU
[Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist
Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of
Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican
Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party
affiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican
Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises
or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or
FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE;
National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of
Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum
or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union
Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis DIEGO Escalante
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 or 2946
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter CIANCHETTE
embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
mailing address: APO AA 34020
telephone: [506] 519-2000
FAX: [506] 519-2305
Flag description:
five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width),
white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on
the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue
ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near
the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words,
REPUBLICA COSTA RICA
Economy ::Costa Rica
Economy - overview:
Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism,
agriculture, and electronics exports. Exports have become more
diversified in the past 10 years due to the growth of the high-tech
manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the microprocessor
industry and the production of medical devices. 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 fiscal incentives offered in the
free-trade zones. Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels
of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. Poverty
has remained around 20% 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.
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.
Under the ARIAS administration, the government has made strides in
reducing internal and external debt - in 2007, Costa Rica had its
first budget surplus in 50 years. Reducing inflation remains a
difficult problem because of rising commodity import prices and
labor market rigidities, though lower oil prices will decrease
upward pressures. The Central Bank is moving towards a more flexible
exchange rate system to focus on inflation targeting by 2010. The
US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force
on 1 January 2009, after significant delays within the Costa Rican
legislature. Nevertheless, economic growth has slowed in 2009 as the
global downturn reduced export demand and invesment inflows.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$48.84 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$47.6 billion (2007 est.)
$44.16 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$29.66 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
7.8% (2007 est.)
8.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,600 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
$11,500 (2007 est.)
$10,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.5%
industry: 25.9%
services: 67.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.06 million
country comparison to the world: 120
note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa
Rica (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 22%
services: 64% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
4.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
16% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 35.5% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 31
45.9 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.3% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Budget:
revenues: $4.6 billion
expenditures: $4.531 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
42.2% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
58% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
9.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
25% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 10
17% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15.83% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 65
12.8% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.209 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 58
$4.504 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$3.143 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 81
$2.87 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$15.15 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 66
$12.91 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 98
$2.035 billion (31 December 2007)
$1.944 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn,
rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber
Industries:
microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and
clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Electricity - production:
8.808 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - consumption:
8.064 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Electricity - exports:
77.16 million kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
203.2 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
Oil - consumption:
45,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Oil - exports:
2,117 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Oil - imports:
47,860 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl
country comparison to the world: 195
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Current account balance:
-$2.648 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
-$1.578 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$9.738 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
$9.266 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar;
seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
Exports - partners:
US 23.9%, Netherlands 13.3%, China 12.9%, UK 5%, Mexico 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$14.55 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$12.29 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum,
construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 42.9%, Mexico 6.9%, Venezuela 6.3%, Japan 5.4%, China 4.7%,
Brazil 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.799 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$4.114 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.249 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 89
$8.416 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$18.96 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 63
$8.803 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$532 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$525.9 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 530.41 (2008 est.), 519.53
(2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004)
Communications ::Costa Rica
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.438 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 66
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.887 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 122
Telephone system:
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of
breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service;
state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the demand for new
lines, resulting in long waiting times
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 point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable
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) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)
Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
Internet country code:
.cr
Internet hosts:
34,066 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 89
Internet users:
1.46 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 76
Transportation ::Costa Rica
Airports:
151 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 36
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 12 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 113
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 94 (2009)
Pipelines:
refined products 796 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 278 km
country comparison to the world: 124
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railway network is in use (2008)
Roadways:
total: 35,330 km
country comparison to the world: 94
paved: 8,621 km
unpaved: 26,709 km (2004)
Waterways:
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 75
Merchant marine:
total: 1
country comparison to the world: 161
by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Caldera, Puerto Limon
Military ::Costa Rica
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government,
and Police (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,134,205
females age 16-49: 1,095,763 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 971,224
females age 16-49: 936,978 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 40,698
female: 38,808 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.4% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 164
Transnational Issues ::Costa Rica
Disputes - international:
the ICJ has 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 and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 9,699-11,500 (Colombia) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination
country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and girls
from neighboring states, Russia, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines are
trafficked into the country for sexual exploitation; Costa Rica also
serves as a transit point for victims trafficked to North America
and Europe; the government identifies child sex tourism as a serious
problem; men, women, and children are also trafficked within the
country for forced labor in fishing and construction, and as
domestic servants
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Costa Rica is on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of its failure to
improve its inadequate assistance to victims; while Costa Rican
officials recognize human trafficking as a serious problem, the lack
of a stronger response by the government is of concern (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America;
illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine
consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant
consumption of amphetamines; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica
and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua
have risen in recent years (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Cote d'Ivoire (Africa)
Introduction ::Cote d'Ivoire
Background:
Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of
cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote
d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states, but
did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a
military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history -
overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged
elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular
protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into
power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military
launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002. Rebel forces
claimed the northern half of the country, and in January 2003 were
granted ministerial positions in a unity government under the
auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Accord. President GBAGBO and
rebel forces resumed implementation of the peace accord in December
2003 after a three-month stalemate, but issues that sparked the
civil war, such as land reform and grounds for citizenship, remained
unresolved. In March 2007 President GBAGBO and former New Force
rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed the Ouagadougou Political
Agreement. As a result of the agreement, SORO joined GBAGBO's
government as Prime Minister and the two agreed to reunite the
country by dismantling the zone of confidence separating North from
South, integrate rebel forces into the national armed forces, and
hold elections. Several thousand French and UN troops remain in Cote
d'Ivoire to help the parties implement their commitments and to
support the peace process.
Geography ::Cote d'Ivoire
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana
and Liberia
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 5 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 322,463 sq km
country comparison to the world: 68
land: 318,003 sq km
water: 4,460 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 3,110 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km,
Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Coastline:
515 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm
and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet
(June to October)
Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt,
bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa
beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 10.23%
permanent crops: 11.16%
other: 78.61% (2005)
Irrigated land:
730 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
81 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.93 cu km/yr (24%/12%/65%)
per capita: 51 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season
torrential flooding is possible
Environment - current issues:
deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in
West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage
and industrial and agricultural effluents
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart
from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated
People ::Cote d'Ivoire
Population:
20,617,068
country comparison to the world: 56
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 4,215,912/female 4,146,077)
15-64 years: 56.6% (male 5,942,642/female 5,720,108)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 296,074/female 296,255) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.2 years
male: 19.4 years
female: 19.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.133% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Birth rate:
32.11 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Death rate:
10.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.06 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 28
male: 75.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 60.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.45 years
country comparison to the world: 191
male: 54.64 years
female: 56.28 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.12 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
480,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
38,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Ivoirian(s)
adjective: Ivoirian
Ethnic groups:
Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous
11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and
14,000 French) (1998)
Religions:
Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7% (2008
est.)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim
(70%) and Christian (20%)
Languages:
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely
spoken
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.7%
male: 60.8%
female: 38.6% (2000 est.)
Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2001)
country comparison to the world: 83
Government ::Cote d'Ivoire
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
note: pronounced coat-div-whar
former: Ivory Coast
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing
agreement mandated by international mediators
Capital:
name: Yamoussoukro
geographic coordinates: 6 49 N, 5 17 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since
1983, Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative center; the
US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
Administrative divisions:
19 regions; Agneby, Bafing, Bas-Sassandra, Denguele, Dix-Huit
Montagnes, Fromager, Haut-Sassandra, Lacs, Lagunes, Marahoue,
Moyen-Cavally, Moyen-Comoe, N'zi-Comoe, Savanes, Sud-Bandama,
Sud-Comoe, Vallee du Bandama, Worodougou, Zanzan
Independence:
7 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 23 July 2000
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Guillaume SORO (since 4 April
2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note -
under the current power-sharing agreement the prime minister and the
president share the authority to appoint ministers