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Costa Rica

 Flag of Costa Rica

Last reviewed: 06 January 2012

Country information

Map of Costa Rica

COSTA RICA TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 51,032 sq km; 19,652 sq miles
Population: 4.6 million (2009)
Capital City: San José (1.4 million as of 2008)
People:
Languages: The official language is Spanish.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 76%; Evangelical Protestant 14%; No religion 6%; Other 4%;
Currency: Costa Rican Colón  (CRC). 1,000CRC = $1.98 USD (November 2011) or 1,000CRC = £1.30 (November 2011)
Leading Political Parties: National Liberation Party (Partido Liberación Nacional - PLN); Citizen’s Action Party (Partido Acción Ciudadana -PAC); ibertarian Movement Party (Partido Movimento Libertario -PML); Social Christian Unity Party (Partido Unidad Social Cristiana -PUSC)
Government: PLN
Head of State: President Laura Chinchilla Miranda (Costa Rica’s first female president).
Minister of the Presidency:  Carlos Ricardo Benavides Jiménez
Foreign Minister:  Enrique Castillo
Membership of International Groups/Organisations: Costa Rica is an active member of the United Nations (UN), the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Cairns Group at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Group of 77 at the UN (G77), the International Criminal Court (ICC), 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) in the region. The government has initiated many programmes to promote sustainable development. Costa Rica is cited as a good example of economic development and forest preservation. Around 25% of the country’s land area is in protected national parks or reserves. Nevertheless, despite Costa Rica’s strong environmental record, deforestation has been a serious concern, and insufficient funding is dedicated to enforcement. In 2007, the government announced its plans to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021, but the current government has strongly hinted that this date is likely to be revised. Costa Rica still attracts immigrants ranging from North American retirees to Colombian asylum seekers, as well half a million Nicaraguans seeking work

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HEALTH

Life expectancy: Men 75.1 years, Women 80.5 years (2011)
Infant mortality rate: 9.45 per 1,000 life births (2011)

Costa Rica is a popular destination in Latin America for medical tourism. In 2010 it received 36,000 medical travellers, mainly from the United States and Canada. 

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