Capital

San José

Land area

51.060 km2 = 0.03% of the planet earth

Geographic coordinates

8º to 11°north latitude

82° to 86º west longtitude

Land boundaries

309 km with Nicaragua to the North

Cañas Jerez Agreement of April 15, 1858

Ratified by the Laudo Cleveland of May 22, 1888

330 km with Panama to the South

Echandi – Fernandez Agreement of May 01, 1941

Administrative divisions

7 Provinces, 84 Cantons, 489 Districts

Highest mountain

Cerro Chirripo  3.820 m

Atlantic Coast

212 km from Punta Castillas to Sixaola

Pacific Coast

1.016 km Bahia from Salinas to Punta Burica

Form of government

Presidential, reelections every 4 years

Universal suffrage: 18 years of age

President

Rodrigo Chaves Robles

Acción Progreso Social Democrático

Parlament

unicameral Legislative Assembly with 57 seats

Population

5.262 Mio. inhabitants (2020 5.111, 2020 4,570)

Urbanization

Urban population: 82% (2020 80%, 2010 70%)
Rural population: 18% (2020 20%, 2010 30%)

Central Valley metropolitan  area

63% (2020 65%, 2010 55%)

Density

102 inhabitants per sq km (2020 99.77, 2010 88)

Occupants per housing unit

3.1 (2020 3.2, 2010 3.6)

Life expectancy at birth

81 years (2020 80.9, 2010 78.8)

Populaton development

Growth rate

0.72% (2020 0.92%, 2010 1.3%)

Languages

Spanish (official), Patois in the Caribbean regions, five indigenous languages

Illiteracy rate

1.96% (2020 2.14%, 2010 3.8%)

66%

Whites (of Spanish and European descent)

14%

Mestizos (of mixed indigenous and white descent)

9%

Immigrants

8%

Afro-Costa Ricans and mulattos

2.5% (approx. 104.000)

Indigenous people of nine tribes
(24 territories of 3.344 sq km in total)

1% 

Chinese/Asians

0 to 9 years

14.4%

10 to 19 years

14.8%

20 to 29 years

16.9%

30to 39 years

16.9 %

40 to 49 years

12.8 %

50 to 59 years

10.9%

60 to 69 years

  7.8%

70 to 79 years

  3.7%

80+ years

  1.8%

Female

83.7 years (2020 83.4, 2010 81.7)

Male

78.6 years (2020 78.5, 2010 76.5)

1st to 6th grade Primary School 

7th to 9th grade Secondary School

10th to 11th grade Technical College

10th to 12th grade Academic College

Private Schools and Universities

10%

State Schools and Universities

90%

Average vocational training takes 9 months

National Trainings Institute INA 

Requirement: Completed college education

GDP

85.590 M US$ (2020 61.774, 2010 35.789)

GDP per capita

16.213 US$ (2020 12.238, 2010 7.842)

GDP by sectors

Agriculture 6%
Industry 21%
Services 73%

Tourism

3.983.000.000 US$

7% of GBP

Optical, technical, medical apparatus 

3.700.000.000 US$

31.9% of exports

Fruits, nuts

2.200.000.000 US$

18.9% of exports

Miscellaneous food preparations

   593.900.000 US$

  5.2% of exports

Electrical machinery, equipment

   471,600.000 US$

  4.1% of exports

Plastics, plastic articles

   378.900.000 US$

  3.3% of exports

Vegetable / fruit / nut preparations

   334.600.000 US$

  2.9% of exports

Pharmaceuticals

   325.000.000 US$

  2.8% of exports

Coffee, herbal tea, spices

   285.600.000 US$

  2.5% of exports

Rubber, rubber articles, tires

   270,300.000 US$

  2.4% of exports

Vegetables

   172.200.000 US$

  1.5% of exports