2010); First Vice President Alfio PIVA Mesen (since 8 May 2010);
Second Vice President Luis LIBERMAN Ginsburg (since 8 May 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 7
February 2010 (next to be held in February 2014)
election results: Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda elected president;
percent of vote - Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda (PLN) 46.7%; Otton SOLIS
(PAC) 25.1%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (ML) 20.8%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats;
members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 7 February 2010 (next to be held in February
2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PLN 23, PAC 10, ML 9, PUSC 6, PASE 4, other 5
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for
renewable eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias];
Citizen Action Party or PAC [Alberto CANAS Escalante]; Costa Rican
Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic
Force Party or PFD [Marco GONZALEZ Nunez]; Frente Amplio [Jose
MERINO del Rio]; Homeland First or PP (Patria Primero) [Juan Jose
VARGAS Fallas]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA
Guth]; National Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS
Umana]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes];
National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO
Fernandez]; National Rescue Party or PRN [Fabio Enrique DELGADO
Hernandez]; National Union Party or PUN [Arturo ACOSTA Mora];
Patriotic Alliance [Mariano FIGUERES Olsen]; Patriotic Union or UP
[Jose Miguel CORRALES Bolanos]; Popular Vanguard [Trino BARRANTES
Araya]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis FISHMAN
Zonzinski]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]
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, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Meta Shanon FIGUERES Boggs
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 Anne Slaughter ANDREW
embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
mailing address: APO AA 34020
telephone: [506] 2519-2000
FAX: [506] 2519-2305
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
toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the
earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in
response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to
incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central
red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the
sky, opportunity, and perseverence, white denotes peace, happiness,
and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well
as the generosity and vibrancy of the people
note: somewhat resembles the flag of North Korea; similar to the
flag of Thailand but with the blue and red colors reversed
National anthem:
name: "Himno Nacional de Costa Rica" (National Anthem of Costa Rica)
lyrics/music: Jose Maria ZELEDON Brenes/Manuel Maria GUTIERREZ
note: adopted 1949; the anthem's music was originally written for an
1853 welcome ceremony for diplomatic missions from the United States
and United Kingdom; the lyrics were added in 1903
Economy ::Costa Rica
Economy - overview:
Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable
economic growth. The economy contracted 0.7% in 2009, but resumed
growth at more than 3% in 2010. While the traditional agricultural
exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone
of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized
agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years.
High value added goods and services, including microchips, have
further bolstered exports. 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; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of
foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, many
business impediments, such as high levels of bureaucracy, difficulty
of enforcing contracts, and weak investor protection, remain.
Poverty has remained around 15-20% 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. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa
Rica is not highly dependent on remittances as they only represent
about 2% of GDP. 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. The US-Central American-Dominican
Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1
January 2009, after significant delays within the Costa Rican
legislature. CAFTA-DR will likely lead to increased foreign direct
investment in key sectors of the economy, including the insurance
and telecommunications sectors recently opened to private investors.
President CHINCHILLA is likely to push for fiscal reform in the
coming year, seeking to boost revenue, possibly through revised tax
legislation, to fund an increase in security services and education.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$51.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
$49.57 billion (2009 est.)
$49.91 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$35.02 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
-0.7% (2009 est.)
2.6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,400 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
$11,100 (2009 est.)
$11,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.3%
industry: 22.9%
services: 70.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
2.17 million
country comparison to the world: 117
note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa
Rica (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 22%
services: 64% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
7.8% (2009 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: 30
45.9 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Public debt:
44.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
42% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
7.8% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
23% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 5
25% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.72% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
15.83% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$4.504 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 94
$3.992 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$16.81 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 87
$15.84 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$15.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$14.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.452 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 96
$1.887 billion (31 December 2008)
$2.035 billion (31 December 2007)
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:
3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
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: 94
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: 184
Oil - consumption:
44,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Oil - exports:
2,117 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Oil - imports:
47,860 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Current account balance:
-$1.469 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
-$537 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$10.01 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
$8.847 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef;
seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
Exports - partners:
US 32.61%, Netherlands 12.82%, China 11.81%, Mexico 4.2% (2009)
Imports:
$13.69 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
$10.87 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum,
construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 44.72%, Mexico 7.65%, Venezuela 5.56%, China 5.15%, Japan 4.36%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.584 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$4.066 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.126 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$7.972 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$13.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$12.17 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$547 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$539 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 526.68 (2010), 573.29
(2009), 530.41 (2008), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006)
Communications ::Costa Rica
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.493 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 64
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.95 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 134
Telephone system:
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of
breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run
telecommunications monopoly scheduled to be opened to competition
from domestic and international firms, has been delayed by the
nation's telecommunications regulator.
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 points for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American
Crossing submarine cables 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) (2009)
Broadcast media:
multiple privately-owned television stations and 1 publicly-owned
television station; cable network services are widely available;
more than 100 privately-owned radio stations and a public radio
network (2007)
Internet country code:
.cr
Internet hosts:
34,024 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 97
Internet users:
1.485 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 82
Transportation ::Costa Rica
Airports:
151 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 36
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 112
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 94 (2010)
Pipelines:
refined products 796 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 278 km
country comparison to the world: 123
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: 95
paved: 8,621 km
unpaved: 26,709 km (2004)
Waterways:
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 75
Merchant marine:
total: 1
country comparison to the world: 160
by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Caldera, Puerto Limon
Military ::Costa Rica
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government,
and Police (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,241,183
females age 16-49: 1,217,037 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,044,923
females age 16-49: 1,026,432 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 42,486
female: 40,745 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 155
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)
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 January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@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. Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of
rebel forces have been problematic as rebels seek to enter the armed
forces. Citizen identification and voter registration pose election
difficulties, and balloting planned for November 2009 was postponed
with no future date set. Several thousand UN troops and several
hundred French 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: Monts 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:
21,058,798
country comparison to the world: 57
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
2010 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) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.4 years
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.105% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Birth rate:
31.48 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Death rate:
10.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population NA
country comparison to the world: 75
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: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 66.43 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 24
male: 73.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.19 years
country comparison to the world: 195
male: 55.27 years
female: 57.13 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.01 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 6 years
male: 10 years
female: 5 years (2000)
Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 89
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