| Flag(s): |
|
| Country
Name: |
República
de Costa Rica; Republic of Costa Rica.
Short Form: Costa Rica |
| Official Language: |
Spanish
(English is generally spoken in Tourist area and in
Limon Province) |
| Government Type: |
Democratic
Republic with a President as chief of the state and
elections in a 4 year cyclus (next elections will
be hold in february 2010). The parliament (Asamblea)
counts with 57 representants from the 7 provinces |
| Capital: |
San
José with estimated 350,000 inhabitants |
| Provinces: |
|
Cantons
(City halls) |
|
| Districts (distritos): |
321 |
| Population: |
estimated
4,000,000 (2005) |
| Currency: |
Colón;
Costa Rican Colon (CRC)
exchange rate: 1US$ = 517.93Col - September 26, 2007 |
| Legal System |
Based
on Spanish Civil Law Sysem |
| Independence |
From
Spain: September 15, 1821 |
| Consititution |
Nov.
7th 1949 |
| International
Organizations |
Represented
in United Nations, UNESCO, FAO, WHO, UNCTAD, IWF,
Worldbank, WTO, IAEO, OAS, IDB, SICA , SIECA , BCIE,
Association of Caribbean States and others |
| Ports and Harbors: |
Limón,
Caldera |
| Total area |
51,100sq
Km (includes water and Coco Island (Isla del Coco) |
| Borders: |
North:
Nicaragua: 309 km
South: Panama: 330 |
| Coastline: |
Total:
1,290 km |
| Climate: |
tropical
and subtropical; dry season from December to April
rainy season from May to November
Highlands: cooler |
| Coordinates |
10ººN,
84ººW |
