Читать книгу The 2009 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 397

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 on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA

Economy ::Costa Rica

Economy - overview:

Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Exports have become more diversified in the past 10 years due to the growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the microprocessor industry and the production of medical devices. 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. Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. Poverty has remained around 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. 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. Under the ARIAS administration, the government has made strides in reducing internal and external debt - in 2007, Costa Rica had its first budget surplus in 50 years. Reducing inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising commodity import prices and labor market rigidities, though lower oil prices will decrease upward pressures. The Central Bank is moving towards a more flexible exchange rate system to focus on inflation targeting by 2010. The US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force on 1 January 2009, after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature. Nevertheless, economic growth has slowed in 2009 as the global downturn reduced export demand and invesment inflows.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$48.84 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $47.6 billion (2007 est.)

$44.16 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$29.66 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 7.8% (2007 est.)

8.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $11,500 (2007 est.)

$10,800 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6.5%

industry: 25.9%

services: 67.6% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

2.06 million country comparison to the world: 120 note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2008 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 14%

industry: 22%

services: 64% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 4.6% (2007 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: 31 45.9 (1997)

Investment (gross fixed):

24.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57

Budget:

revenues: $4.6 billion

expenditures: $4.531 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

42.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 58% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

13.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 182 9.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 17% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

15.83% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 12.8% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.209 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 58 $4.504 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$3.143 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 81 $2.87 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$15.15 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 66 $12.91 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 98 $2.035 billion (31 December 2007)

$1.944 billion (31 December 2006)

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:

−1.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145

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: 91

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: 197

Oil - consumption:

45,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Oil - exports:

2,117 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Oil - imports:

47,860 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl country comparison to the world: 195

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 196

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 180

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 193

Current account balance:

-$2.648 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 -$1.578 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$9.738 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $9.266 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

US 23.9%, Netherlands 13.3%, China 12.9%, UK 5%, Mexico 4.9% (2008)

Imports:

$14.55 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 $12.29 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

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

Imports - partners:

US 42.9%, Mexico 6.9%, Venezuela 6.3%, Japan 5.4%, China 4.7%,

Brazil 4.2% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$3.799 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $4.114 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$9.249 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 89 $8.416 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$18.96 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 63 $8.803 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$532 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $525.9 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 530.41 (2008 est.), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004)

Communications ::Costa Rica

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.438 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 66

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.887 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 122

Telephone system:

general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service; state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the demand for new lines, resulting in long waiting times

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 point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable 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) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)

Television broadcast stations:

20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)

Internet country code:

.cr

Internet hosts:

34,066 (2009) country comparison to the world: 89

Internet users:

1.46 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 76

Transportation ::Costa Rica