Welcome, my name is Kenneth R. Saborio and I was born in Costa Rica in the capital
city of San Jose.
The Republic of Costa Rica has a territory of 19,600 square miles, largely covered
by high, rugged mountains and hills and drained by numerous streams and rivers.
Costa Rica has coastlines which border both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean
and borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south.
One third of the population lives in urban areas. One of seven provinces, San José
accounts for approximately 37% of the population. In 1992 the total population was
estimated at 3.2 million after an average annual growth rate of 2.2% during the
80's. Costa Rica's adult literacy rate is 93%.
Costa Rica broke away from the United Provinces of Central America (which had gained
independence from Spain in 1821) in 1838 and has had a virtually unbroken chain
of democratic elections since 1889.
Costa Rica abolished the armed forces in 1948 and has redirected its spending toward
other sectors of the economy, providing education and social services. The results
have been remarkable: high political stability and high literacy rates comparable
to the rates of most developed countries in the developed world. In fact, Costa
Rica is considered one of the most stable constitutional democracies in the hemisphere.
The constitution proclaims that Costa Rica is a democratic republic and provides
for the separation of executive, judicial and legislative branches of government.
The president and the members of the Legislative Assembly are elected by popular
vote. Executive authority is vested in a President, two Vice Presidents, each of
whom is directly elected for a four year term and the appointed Ministers of the
Government.
Costa Rica maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 96 countries. It is
a member of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) , the World Bank, and the Inter American Development Bank. In
1991, Costa Rica became a party to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
Since 1962, Costa Rica has been a part of the Common Market integration process
in Central America by becoming a member of the Central American Common Market (CACM).
Area: 19,650 square miles (50,900 square kilometers)
Capital: San José
Currency: Colón
Language: Spanish
Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
Terrain: Two mountain ranges run the length of the country, with a central plateau
in the center of the country.
Climate: Tropical and subtropical. The rainy season runs from May through November,
the dry season is from December through April.
Principle Export Products: Bananas, Coffee, Sugar cane, Rice, Cattle, Flowers, Textiles
and Plants.
Major Trading Partners: United States, other Central American countries, Germany,
Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Geographic Situation: Costa Rica lies between Nicaragua to the north and Panama
to the south. Costa Rica owns the Cocos Islands (300 miles off the coast to the
west).
Major Geographic Regions: Caribbean, Central Pacific, Central Valley, North Pacific,
Northern Region, and South Pacific.
Government: Democratic Republic. An Executive Branch with a president, two vice
presidents, and a cabinet of 17 ministers; Legislative Branch with 57 legislators;
a strong Supreme Court; and a fourth branch, the Electoral Branch, which is the
strongest branch of government, they succeed the government during the national
elections and police all elections. Political elections are held every four years.
Embassy in the United States: 1825 Connecticut Ave., Suite 211, Washington, DC 20009;
(202) 234-2945
Tourist Board in the United States: 1101 Brickell Ave., Suite 801, Biv Tower, Miami,
FL 33131; (305) 358-2150
Telecommunications: Country Code, 506; Time zone, -1 hour from Eastern Standard
Time. Direct dial to most major countries. Public phones can be found everywhere.
Local-National Airlines: Lacsa, (506) 233-0266, United, (506) 220-4844, Continental
Airlines Inc, (506) 233-0266, and American Airlines, (506) 257-1266.
U.S. Consulate in Country: P.O.Box 920-1200, Rohrmoser, Costa Rica
Visa Requirements: North Americans do not need a visa to travel to Costa Rica, unless
you plan to stay longer than 90 days, however a valid passports is desired to enter
the country.
Newspapers: Daily newspapers include La Nación and La República. There is an English-language
newspaper called the Tico Times, published every Friday. English-language newspapers
and magazines are available in many bookstores and hotels.
Major Holidays and Celebrations: Jan. 1 New Year's Day, March Festival of Puntarenas,
March 19 St. Joseph's Day, April Easter (three days or more), April 11 Anniversary
of the Battle of Rivas, May 1 Labor Day, June 29 Day of St. Peter and St. Paul,
July 25 Anniversary of the Annexation of Guanacaste Province, Aug. 2 Virgin of Los
Angeles, Aug. 15 Mother's Day, Sept. 15 Independence Day, Oct. 12 El Día de la Raza
(Columbus Day), Dec. 8 Conception of the Virgin, Dec. 25 Christmas Day