Country Profile: Costa Rica

Last reviewed: 1 July 2008

Country information

Map of Costa Rica

COSTA RICA TODAY

Country Facts

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%
Currency: Colon
Major Political Parties: Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), National Liberation Party (PLN), Partido Accion Ciudadana (PAC) Movimento Libertario (ML)
Government: PLN
Head of State: President Oscar Arias Sanchez.
Prime Minister/Premier: Not applicable
Foreign Minister: Bruno Stagno.
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.

General

Costa Rica has the highest social indicators (in health and education). On environmental governance, over 25% of Costa Rican territory is designated national park or reserve; however insufficient funding is dedicated to enforcement and problems such as illegal logging, pollution of rivers and destruction of maritime habitats and species continue. Costa Rica still attracts immigrants ranging from North American retirees to Colombian, asylum seekers, as well as some half a million Nicaraguans seeking work.