Читать книгу The 2010 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 384

Flag description:

five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverence, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people

note: somewhat resembles the flag of North Korea; similar to the flag of Thailand but with the blue and red colors reversed

National anthem:

name: "Himno Nacional de Costa Rica" (National Anthem of Costa Rica)

lyrics/music: Jose Maria ZELEDON Brenes/Manuel Maria GUTIERREZ

note: adopted 1949; the anthem's music was originally written for an 1853 welcome ceremony for diplomatic missions from the United States and United Kingdom; the lyrics were added in 1903

Economy ::Costa Rica

Economy - overview:

Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted 0.7% in 2009, but resumed growth at more than 3% in 2010. While the traditional agricultural exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years. High value added goods and services, including microchips, have further bolstered exports. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the free-trade zones; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, many business impediments, such as high levels of bureaucracy, difficulty of enforcing contracts, and weak investor protection, remain. Poverty has remained around 15–20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not highly dependent on remittances as they only represent about 2% of GDP. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000–500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of - mostly unskilled - labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1 January 2009, after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature. CAFTA-DR will likely lead to increased foreign direct investment in key sectors of the economy, including the insurance and telecommunications sectors recently opened to private investors. President CHINCHILLA is likely to push for fiscal reform in the coming year, seeking to boost revenue, possibly through revised tax legislation, to fund an increase in security services and education.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$51.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $49.57 billion (2009 est.)

$49.91 billion (2008 est.)

note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$35.02 billion (2010 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 −0.7% (2009 est.)

2.6% (2008 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,400 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $11,100 (2009 est.)

$11,400 (2008 est.)

note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6.3%

industry: 22.9%

services: 70.8% (2010 est.)

Labor force:

2.17 million country comparison to the world: 117 note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 14%

industry: 22%

services: 64% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

6.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 7.8% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line:

16% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.5%

highest 10%: 35.5% (2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

48 (2008) country comparison to the world: 30 45.9 (1997)

Investment (gross fixed):

20.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Public debt:

44.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 42% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 7.8% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

23% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 5 25% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

19.72% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 15.83% (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of narrow money:

$4.504 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 94 $3.992 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Stock of broad money:

$16.81 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 87 $15.84 billion (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit:

$15.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 $14.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$1.452 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 96 $1.887 billion (31 December 2008)

$2.035 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber

Industries:

microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Industrial production growth rate:

3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - production:

8.808 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96

Electricity - consumption:

8.064 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

Electricity - exports:

77.16 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

203.2 million kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

Oil - consumption:

44,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Oil - exports:

2,117 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

Oil - imports:

47,860 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 86

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 189

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 193

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 189

Current account balance:

-$1.469 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 -$537 million (2009 est.)

Exports:

$10.01 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $8.847 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities:

bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment

Exports - partners:

US 32.61%, Netherlands 12.82%, China 11.81%, Mexico 4.2% (2009)

Imports:

$13.69 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $10.87 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities:

raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials

Imports - partners:

US 44.72%, Mexico 7.65%, Venezuela 5.56%, China 5.15%, Japan 4.36% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.584 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $4.066 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt - external:

$9.126 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $7.972 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$13.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $12.17 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$547 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $539 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates:

Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 526.68 (2010), 573.29 (2009), 530.41 (2008), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006)

Communications ::Costa Rica

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.493 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 64

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.95 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 134

Telephone system:

general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, has been delayed by the nation's telecommunications regulator.

domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available

international: country code - 506; landing points for the Americas

Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American

Crossing submarine cables that provide links to South and Central

America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central

American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat

(Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Broadcast media:

multiple privately-owned television stations and 1 publicly-owned television station; cable network services are widely available; more than 100 privately-owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)

Internet country code:

.cr

Internet hosts:

34,024 (2010) country comparison to the world: 97

Internet users:

1.485 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 82

Transportation ::Costa Rica

Airports: