|
Official
name: |
Republic
of Costa Rica |
|
Chief of State: |
President
Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002) |
|
Head of Government: |
President Abel PACHECO
(since 8 May 2002) |
|
Independence: |
15
September 1821 (from Spain) |
| National
Holiday |
Independence Day,
15 September (1821) |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 76.3%,
Evangelical 13.7%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.3%, other 4.8%, none 3.2% |
| Literacy
|
95 % qqq |
|
Government Type: |
Democratic Republic
|
|
Area: |
51,100
sq km
|
|
Population:
|
3,834,934 (July
2002 est.) |
|
Capital: |
San Jose |
| Official
language: |
Spanish (official),
English spoken around Puerto Limon |
|
Currency: |
Costa
Rican colon (CRC) |
|
Exchange rate: |
343.08
(January 2002) |
|
Industries: |
microprocessors,
food processing, textiles and clothing, construction
materials, fertilizer, plastic products |
|
Natural Resources: |
hydropower |
| GDP per
capita: |
$8,500 (2001 est.)
|
|
GDP real growth: |
0.3% (2001 est.)
|
|
Unemployment: |
5.2% (2000 est.)
|
|
Inflation: |
12.1% (2001 est.) |
|
Foreign
debt: |
$4.6 billion (2001
est.) |
|
