|
 |
COSTA RICA
The
Republic of Costa Rica
Area:
51,032 sq km; 19,652 sq miles
Population: 4.2 million
Capital City: San José (1.0 million)
People: Only 1% of the population of Costa Rica is of
indigenous extraction. Costa Rica's character is rooted in
distinct local cultures, from the Afro-Caribbean province of
Limon, with its Creole cuisine, games and patois to the
traditional Ladino values embodied by the sabanero
(cowboy) of Guanacaste.
Languages: The official language is Spanish.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 74%; Evangelical Protestant
15%; Others 3%; None 8%
Basic Economic Facts:
Currency: Colon
Nominal GDP: 18.4 billion US dollars (2004)
Nominal GDP per head: 4,330 US dollars (2004)
Annual growth: 4.4% (2004)
Inflation: 9.9% (2003)
Major industries: Electronic components, bananas,
coffee, textiles and apparel, fruits, jewellery, small
appliances, shrimp. tourism, pharmaceuticals
Exports: (2004) US Dollars 6,293.4m - US 50%, Central
America 17.5%, EU 16.8%.
Imports: (2004) US Dollars 8,268m - US 48%, EU 17%,
Central America 54%Major Political Parties:
Social
Christian Unity Party (PUSC), National Liberation Party (PLN),
Partido Accion Ciudadana (PAC)
Government: PUSC
Head of State: The President-elect is Oscar Arias
Sanchez. (Abel Pacheco remains President until 8 May 2006).
Prime Minister/Premier: Not applicable
Foreign Minister: Mr Roberto Tovar (until 8 May 2006).
Membership of International Groups/Organisations: Costa
Rica is a member of the UN, the OAS, the WTO (Cairns Group),the
IAEA, the G77, the Central American Integration System (SICA),
the Rio Group, and the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). Costa
Rica has signed and ratified all the key international human
rights instruments and pursues a pacific policy, having
abolished its own armed forces in 1949.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Costa Rica was the first country in
the world to constitutionally
abolish its army.
- Costa Rica is referred to as the "Switzerland
of the
Americas".
- Costa Rica protects over 25% of its
national territory within national parks. It also possess
the greatest density of species on the world.
- Costa Rica is currently a member of
the
Cairns Group, an alliance of countries opposed to
agricultural subsidies in the first world.
- The locals refer to themselves as
tico or
tica (female). "Tico" comes from the
locally popular usage of "tico" diminutive suffixes (eg. 'momentico'
instead of 'momentito'). The tico ideal is that of a
very friendly, helpful, laid back, unhurried, educated and
environmentally aware people, with little worry for
deadlines or the "normal" stresses of United States life.
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS:
|
