Costa Rica Info
Quick info
The Republic Costa Rica got its name from the Genoese sailor Christoph Columbus (1451 - 1506), who was in the service of the Spanish crown, who landed on Isla Uvita off Puerto Limon on October 12, 1502 and stayed there for a good two weeks. Columbus named the country because of its suspected (but never actually found) mineral resources Costa Rica y Castillo de Oro (Rich Coast and Golden Castle).
location and size
Costa Rica covers an area of 51,100 km² and lies between 8°02' and 11°13' north latitude and 82°33' to 85°58' west longitude. It is therefore only slightly larger than Lower Saxony or Switzerland and is therefore ranked 125th in the world in terms of size. Costa Rica Borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The country is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea). The country's total coastline is over 1,200 km, with the Pacific coast alone accounting for 1,000 km. At its narrowest point the distance from coast to coast is only about 120 km. The longest north-south stretch in the country is 460 km. The highest elevation Costa Rica is the Chirripo with a height of 3,819 m, the longest river is the almost 200 km long Rio Grande de Terraba, which flows into the Pacific in a widely branched delta (Delta Terraba) with extensive mangrove forests west of Cortes. At 80 km², Lake Arenal is the largest inland body of water in the country, but is artificially dammed.
Population
Around 4.3 million people currently live in Costa Rica, over half of them in the Central Valley. Based on the size of the country, there is a population density of around 85 inhabitants per km², which is approximately twice as high as in 1981 (for comparison, Germany: 230 inhabitants per km²). Of the residents, 87% are white, 7% are mestizos (descendants of a white and an Indian parent), 3% are black, 2% are Asian, 1% are other. Among Costa Ricans of African descent, many are descendants of immigrant workers from the West Indies and therefore speak mostly English Creole.
The official religion of Costa Rica is Catholicism, but there is absolute freedom of religion. The population Costa Rica consists of 80% Catholics, 15% Protestants and only 5% belong to other religious communities.
The capital is San Jose with 340,000 inhabitants. It is located in the central highlands, the Meseta Central.
Geology and landscapes
Costa Rica and its neighboring countries Nicaragua (common border length 309 km) and Panama (common border length 330 km) form a land bridge between the North and South American continents. The oldest rocks come from the Mesozoic Period (Jurassic and Cretaceous, approx. 150 million years) and were found on the Nicoya Peninsula. In large parts of the country you can also find marine sediments from the Tertiary period, the origin of which goes back to the Paleocene (60 million years). The continuous connection between the North and South American landmasses has only existed for about 3 million years. Costa Rica is generally considered the land of volcanoes. Mountain ranges, some over 3,000 m high, separate the Atlantic and Pacific lowland regions and form a continental divide. Over millions of years, the Pacific Plate has pushed under the Caribbean Plate and raised the land. The consequences of this were earthquakes and volcanism, which can still be observed in some parts of the country today. Mountain ranges (Spanish cordilleras) of volcanic origin are the predominant landscape formations. Costa Rica covers 12 vegetation zones from mangroves and wetlands to rainforests, cloud forests, dry forests.
Topographically, Costa Rica can be divided into five major areas: the volcanic mountain ranges of the Cordilleras, the Valle Central with the capital San José, the alluvial plains of the Caribbean coast, the central Pacific coast and the dry Nicoya Peninsula in the northwest. In the Cordilleras there are a number of active and extinct volcanoes, including the Turrialba volcano. The three most visited are the Poás Volcano, the Arenal Volcano and the Irazú Volcano
geography
The country rises gently from the Caribbean lowlands in the northeast to the Cordillera de Guanacaste with its four volcanoes, which stretches like a spine from the Nicaraguan border southeast to the higher Central Cordillera. Between this chain and the volcanic Cordillera de Talamanca in the southeast lies the Meseta Central or Valle Central with the capital San José. The area is prone to both earthquakes and eruptions.
Costa Rica is often referred to as the “garden between two oceans” due to its location. Costa Rica is located in Central America, is around 51,100 km², the size of Switzerland and forms a natural land bridge between North and South America. Deep beneath the country, four earth plates (Pacific Cocos Plate, Caribbean Plate, North American Plate, South American Plate) meet, making it a highly seismically active region. The highest mountain at 3,819 m is Chirripo.
Political system
In terms of political stability and social peace, the Republic of Costa Rica is a model country in the Central American context with a relatively quiet history, which partially follows the North American model (presidential system) constitutionally and institutionally. The separation of powers is strict:
• The president and two vice-presidents are elected by the people for four years; Direct re-election of the president is ruled out by the constitution.
• The unicameral parliament (“Legislative Assembly”, Asamblea Legislativa) consists of 57 representatives who are elected every four years using proportional representation without the possibility of direct re-election.
• The judicial power is independent and self-governing; The necessary budget resources are allocated by Parliament within the framework of constitutional requirements.
• Costa Rican law follows French and Spanish models.
• The country's Supreme Electoral Court (“Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones”), as the fourth independent authority, oversees the proper conduct of the elections.
• As an independent ombudsman who reports annually to parliament, the “Defensor de los Habitantes” (“Defender of the Residents”) is another important contact for citizens who feel their rights have been violated or otherwise treated unfairly by the state or administration.
Administrative division of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces (provincias):
1. Alajuela (north of the capital)
2. Cartago
3. Guanacaste (Northwest)
4. Heredia
5. Limón (East)
6. Puntarenas (Southwest)
7. San José (area around the capital)
8. The provinces are divided into cantons (cantones), each of which is in turn divided into a different number of districts (distritos). Just like the provinces, all cantons and districts are numbered consecutively within their next higher administrative unit. In total there are 81 cantons and 470 districts
9. The individual provinces are governed by governors appointed by the President.
10. Costa Rica is also divided into six regions (regiones): Central, Chorotega, Pacífico Central, Brunca (also Pacífico Sur), Huetar Atlántica and Huetar Norte. In contrast to the provinces, these regions are not administrative units, but the subdivision was made for the purpose of socio-economic studies. Each region includes several cantons of various neighboring provinces. The names Chorotega, Brunca and Huetar are derived from the indigenous peoples of the same name.
Economic Environment
Costa Rica's economy is traditionally export-oriented; the most famous export goods are coffee and bananas, which still shape the country's image abroad today. Few people know that computer chips are an export product Costa Rica are now much more important.
Although the export of goods and services still represents the most dynamic factor in Costa Rican economic development, the importance of traditional agricultural export goods (bananas, coffee, meat and sugar) is declining more and more; They only represent around 15 % of total exports (2000), while the so-called non-traditional products (including fruits, plants, medicines, medical devices, textiles; but especially electronic components) already account for 85 % of Costa Rican exports.
The voltage is generally 110 volts / 60 Hz.
Healthcare/medical care
Compared to other countries in Central America waiting Costa Rica with excellent health care. There are many good clinics and hospitals in metropolitan areas. There are fewer clinics in rural areas, but there is a dense network of health clinics. The Red Cross (Cruz Roja) maintains emergency stations.
General medical care in San Jose is good; However, there are occasional bottlenecks in rural regions, particularly in emergency medical care.
In Costa Rica There are around 6,800 doctors, which is around 1.69 per 1000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The country currently spends around $689,654,600 on health care tasks. The daily food intake per capita is about 2610 kcal. The average life expectancy in 2009 was 79.3 years.
Costa Rica today
Today's democratic Costa Rica has long been considered a model country for Latin America. The country has had a civil government since 1889 and a constitution that has been in effect since 1949. Voting is compulsory from the age of 18. The last civil war lasted just 44 days in 1948; Afterwards the army was disbanded and all security tasks were transferred to the police. Compulsory education has existed for over 100 years and the illiteracy rate is around 5%. As a calm pole in the unstable region Costa Rica strong for the region's peace process. In 1987, President Oscar Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this.
Some interesting information about Costa Rica:
• The coat of arms has been the official national coat of arms of Costa Rica since October 21, 1964
• The national anthem dates back to 1853.
• Politics State name: República de Costa Rica (Republic of Costa Rica)
• Form of government: Democratic presidential republic Leadership: President Laura Chincilla
• Political system: Congress with 57 representatives elected for 4 years
• Parties:
1. Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC; Christian Democrat)
2. Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN, social democratic)
3. Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC, left-liberal)
4. Partido Movimiento Libertario (ML, right-wing liberal)
5. Partido Renovación Costarricense (PRC)
• Trade unions:
1. CTRN (Confederación de Trabajadores Rerum Novarum, social-democratic, close to PLN)
2. CMTC (Confederación del Movimiento de Trabajadores Costarricenses, Christian Democratic)
3. In addition to the trade union movement, the so-called “Solidarista” movement is important in the private sector
• Judicial system: 1 Supreme Court (divided into 5 chambers), 4 Courts of Appeal, 7 Provincial Courts
• Geography Continent: Central America
• Geographical location: between 8° and 11′ north latitude and 83° and 86° west longitude
• Geographical features:
• highest mountain –> Chirripó 3819 m
• Land area: 51,032 km² (world ranking 126), of which 31% is forest, 11% is arable land, 46% is meadows and pastures
• Extension: NW-SE 450 km, NE-SW 200 km
• National borders: 639 km (Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km)
• Coast: 1,290 km
• Structure: 7 provinces (Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, Puntarenas, Cartago, Limón, San José), 81 cantons, 329 counties (distritos)
• Capital: San Jose
• Population: approx. 4,195,914 (Source: CIA July 2008)
• Population density: 84.8 people per km²
• Language: Spanish. The second language for a large part of the population is English.
• Ethnic composition of the population: White 87.0%; Mestizos 7.0%; Blacks/Mulattos 3.0%; East Asians (mostly Chinese) 2.0%; Indigenous 1.0%
• Religious affiliation: Catholic 80.0%; Protestants 15.0%; other 5.0%
• Largest cities: San Jose 324,011; Puerto Limon 57,216; Alajuela 49,568; San Isidro de El General 41,912; Desamparados 39,221
• Time zone: UTC: – 06:00 hours
• Birth rate per 1000 people: 19.8 (world average: 25.0)
• Death rate per 1000 people: 4.3 (world average 9.3)
• Currency: Colones (CRC)
• Average annual income per resident: 2,550 $
• Gross domestic product: $26.13 billion; US$5,909 per resident (2007)
• Export goods: coffee, pineapples, bananas, textiles, sugar, beef
• Imported goods: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum
• Industry: food processing, textiles and clothing, building materials, fertilizers, plastic products, tourism
• Transport: The railway network is 829 km long and the road network is 28,994 km long. The main ports are Limón, Puntarenas and Golfito. An international airport is in San Jose.
• Most important media: Radio and television: 1 state radio and television station each as well as numerous private TV and radio stations.
• Press: main daily newspapers: La Nación, La República, La Prensa Libre
• Attractions: Guayabo place of worship; Poás Volcano, Manuel Antonio National Park
• National anthem: Melody first played publicly in 1852, officially adopted in the same year. Today's text was selected in 1903, but only confirmed by decree in 1949. Translated text of the 1st verse: “Noble home, your glorious banner / show us the shape of your life: / Under the radiant blue of your sky / peace rests, shimmering white and pure.”
Quick info
The Republic Costa Rica got its name from the Genoese sailor Christoph Columbus (1451 - 1506), who was in the service of the Spanish crown, who landed on Isla Uvita off Puerto Limon on October 12, 1502 and stayed there for a good two weeks. Columbus named the country because of its suspected (but never actually found) mineral resources Costa Rica y Castillo de Oro (Rich Coast and Golden Castle).
location and size
Costa Rica covers an area of 51,100 km² and lies between 8°02' and 11°13' north latitude and 82°33' to 85°58' west longitude. It is therefore only slightly larger than Lower Saxony or Switzerland and is therefore ranked 125th in the world in terms of size. Costa Rica Borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The country is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea). The country's total coastline is over 1,200 km, with the Pacific coast alone accounting for 1,000 km. At its narrowest point the distance from coast to coast is only about 120 km. The longest north-south stretch in the country is 460 km. The highest elevation Costa Rica is the Chirripo with a height of 3,819 m, the longest river is the almost 200 km long Rio Grande de Terraba, which flows into the Pacific in a widely branched delta (Delta Terraba) with extensive mangrove forests west of Cortes. At 80 km², Lake Arenal is the largest inland body of water in the country, but is artificially dammed.
Population
Around 4.3 million people currently live in Costa Rica, over half of them in the Central Valley. Based on the size of the country, there is a population density of around 85 inhabitants per km², which is approximately twice as high as in 1981 (for comparison, Germany: 230 inhabitants per km²). Of the residents, 87% are white, 7% are mestizos (descendants of a white and an Indian parent), 3% are black, 2% are Asian, 1% are other. Among Costa Ricans of African descent, many are descendants of immigrant workers from the West Indies and therefore speak mostly English Creole.
The official religion of Costa Rica is Catholicism, but there is absolute freedom of religion. The population Costa Rica consists of 80% Catholics, 15% Protestants and only 5% belong to other religious communities.
The capital is San Jose with 340,000 inhabitants. It is located in the central highlands, the Meseta Central.
Geology and landscapes
Costa Rica and its neighboring countries Nicaragua (common border length 309 km) and Panama (common border length 330 km) form a land bridge between the North and South American continents. The oldest rocks come from the Mesozoic Period (Jurassic and Cretaceous, approx. 150 million years) and were found on the Nicoya Peninsula. In large parts of the country you can also find marine sediments from the Tertiary period, the origin of which goes back to the Paleocene (60 million years). The continuous connection between the North and South American landmasses has only existed for about 3 million years. Costa Rica is generally considered the land of volcanoes. Mountain ranges, some over 3,000 m high, separate the Atlantic and Pacific lowland regions and form a continental divide. Over millions of years, the Pacific Plate has pushed under the Caribbean Plate and raised the land. The consequences of this were earthquakes and volcanism, which can still be observed in some parts of the country today. Mountain ranges (Spanish cordilleras) of volcanic origin are the predominant landscape formations. Costa Rica covers 12 vegetation zones from mangroves and wetlands to rainforests, cloud forests, dry forests.
Topographically, Costa Rica can be divided into five major areas: the volcanic mountain ranges of the Cordilleras, the Valle Central with the capital San José, the alluvial plains of the Caribbean coast, the central Pacific coast and the dry Nicoya Peninsula in the northwest. In the Cordilleras there are a number of active and extinct volcanoes, including the Turrialba volcano. The three most visited are the Poás Volcano, the Arenal Volcano and the Irazú Volcano
geography
The country rises gently from the Caribbean lowlands in the northeast to the Cordillera de Guanacaste with its four volcanoes, which stretches like a spine from the Nicaraguan border southeast to the higher Central Cordillera. Between this chain and the volcanic Cordillera de Talamanca in the southeast lies the Meseta Central or Valle Central with the capital San José. The area is prone to both earthquakes and eruptions.
Costa Rica is often referred to as the “garden between two oceans” due to its location. Costa Rica is located in Central America, is around 51,100 km², the size of Switzerland and forms a natural land bridge between North and South America. Deep beneath the country, four earth plates (Pacific Cocos Plate, Caribbean Plate, North American Plate, South American Plate) meet, making it a highly seismically active region. The highest mountain at 3,819 m is Chirripo.
Political system
In terms of political stability and social peace, the Republic of Costa Rica is a model country in the Central American context with a relatively quiet history, which partially follows the North American model (presidential system) constitutionally and institutionally. The separation of powers is strict:
• The president and two vice-presidents are elected by the people for four years; Direct re-election of the president is ruled out by the constitution.
• The unicameral parliament (“Legislative Assembly”, Asamblea Legislativa) consists of 57 representatives who are elected every four years using proportional representation without the possibility of direct re-election.
• The judicial power is independent and self-governing; The necessary budget resources are allocated by Parliament within the framework of constitutional requirements.
• Costa Rican law follows French and Spanish models.
• The country's Supreme Electoral Court (“Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones”), as the fourth independent authority, oversees the proper conduct of the elections.
• As an independent ombudsman who reports annually to parliament, the “Defensor de los Habitantes” (“Defender of the Residents”) is another important contact for citizens who feel their rights have been violated or otherwise treated unfairly by the state or administration.
Administrative division of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces (provincias):
1. Alajuela (north of the capital)
2. Cartago
3. Guanacaste (Northwest)
4. Heredia
5. Limón (East)
6. Puntarenas (Southwest)
7. San José (area around the capital)
8. The provinces are divided into cantons (cantones), each of which is in turn divided into a different number of districts (distritos). Just like the provinces, all cantons and districts are numbered consecutively within their next higher administrative unit. In total there are 81 cantons and 470 districts
9. The individual provinces are governed by governors appointed by the President.
10. Costa Rica is also divided into six regions (regiones): Central, Chorotega, Pacífico Central, Brunca (also Pacífico Sur), Huetar Atlántica and Huetar Norte. In contrast to the provinces, these regions are not administrative units, but the subdivision was made for the purpose of socio-economic studies. Each region includes several cantons of various neighboring provinces. The names Chorotega, Brunca and Huetar are derived from the indigenous peoples of the same name.
Economic Environment
Costa Rica's economy is traditionally export-oriented; the most famous export goods are coffee and bananas, which still shape the country's image abroad today. Few people know that computer chips are an export product Costa Rica are now much more important.
Although the export of goods and services still represents the most dynamic factor in Costa Rican economic development, the importance of traditional agricultural export goods (bananas, coffee, meat and sugar) is declining more and more; They only represent around 15 % of total exports (2000), while the so-called non-traditional products (including fruits, plants, medicines, medical devices, textiles; but especially electronic components) already account for 85 % of Costa Rican exports.
The voltage is generally 110 volts / 60 Hz.
Healthcare/medical care
Compared to other countries in Central America waiting Costa Rica with excellent health care. There are many good clinics and hospitals in metropolitan areas. There are fewer clinics in rural areas, but there is a dense network of health clinics. The Red Cross (Cruz Roja) maintains emergency stations.
General medical care in San Jose is good; However, there are occasional bottlenecks in rural regions, particularly in emergency medical care.
In Costa Rica There are around 6,800 doctors, which is around 1.69 per 1000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The country currently spends around $689,654,600 on health care tasks. The daily food intake per capita is about 2610 kcal. The average life expectancy in 2009 was 79.3 years.
Costa Rica today
Today's democratic Costa Rica has long been considered a model country for Latin America. The country has had a civil government since 1889 and a constitution that has been in effect since 1949. Voting is compulsory from the age of 18. The last civil war lasted just 44 days in 1948; Afterwards the army was disbanded and all security tasks were transferred to the police. Compulsory education has existed for over 100 years and the illiteracy rate is around 5%. As a calm pole in the unstable region Costa Rica strong for the region's peace process. In 1987, President Oscar Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this.
Some interesting information about Costa Rica:
• The coat of arms has been the official national coat of arms of Costa Rica since October 21, 1964
• The national anthem dates back to 1853.
• Politics State name: República de Costa Rica (Republic of Costa Rica)
• Form of government: Democratic presidential republic Leadership: President Laura Chincilla
• Political system: Congress with 57 representatives elected for 4 years
• Parties:
1. Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC; Christian Democrat)
2. Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN, social democratic)
3. Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC, left-liberal)
4. Partido Movimiento Libertario (ML, right-wing liberal)
5. Partido Renovación Costarricense (PRC)
• Trade unions:
1. CTRN (Confederación de Trabajadores Rerum Novarum, social-democratic, close to PLN)
2. CMTC (Confederación del Movimiento de Trabajadores Costarricenses, Christian Democratic)
3. In addition to the trade union movement, the so-called “Solidarista” movement is important in the private sector
• Judicial system: 1 Supreme Court (divided into 5 chambers), 4 Courts of Appeal, 7 Provincial Courts
• Geography Continent: Central America
• Geographical location: between 8° and 11′ north latitude and 83° and 86° west longitude
• Geographical features:
• highest mountain –> Chirripó 3819 m
• Land area: 51,032 km² (world ranking 126), of which 31% is forest, 11% is arable land, 46% is meadows and pastures
• Extension: NW-SE 450 km, NE-SW 200 km
• National borders: 639 km (Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km)
• Coast: 1,290 km
• Structure: 7 provinces (Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, Puntarenas, Cartago, Limón, San José), 81 cantons, 329 counties (distritos)
• Capital: San Jose
• Population: approx. 4,195,914 (Source: CIA July 2008)
• Population density: 84.8 people per km²
• Language: Spanish. The second language for a large part of the population is English.
• Ethnic composition of the population: White 87.0%; Mestizos 7.0%; Blacks/Mulattos 3.0%; East Asians (mostly Chinese) 2.0%; Indigenous 1.0%
• Religious affiliation: Catholic 80.0%; Protestants 15.0%; other 5.0%
• Largest cities: San Jose 324,011; Puerto Limon 57,216; Alajuela 49,568; San Isidro de El General 41,912; Desamparados 39,221
• Time zone: UTC: – 06:00 hours
• Birth rate per 1000 people: 19.8 (world average: 25.0)
• Death rate per 1000 people: 4.3 (world average 9.3)
• Currency: Colones (CRC)
• Average annual income per resident: 2,550 $
• Gross domestic product: $26.13 billion; US$5,909 per resident (2007)
• Export goods: coffee, pineapples, bananas, textiles, sugar, beef
• Imported goods: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum
• Industry: food processing, textiles and clothing, building materials, fertilizers, plastic products, tourism
• Transport: The railway network is 829 km long and the road network is 28,994 km long. The main ports are Limón, Puntarenas and Golfito. An international airport is in San Jose.
• Most important media: Radio and television: 1 state radio and television station each as well as numerous private TV and radio stations.
• Press: main daily newspapers: La Nación, La República, La Prensa Libre
• Attractions: Guayabo place of worship; Poás Volcano, Manuel Antonio National Park
• National anthem: Melody first played publicly in 1852, officially adopted in the same year. Today's text was selected in 1903, but only confirmed by decree in 1949. Translated text of the 1st verse: “Noble home, your glorious banner / show us the shape of your life: / Under the radiant blue of your sky / peace rests, shimmering white and pure.”
