GENERAL

LOCATION: Central America.

AREA: 51,060 sq km (19,720 sq miles).

POPULATION: 4,200,000 (2002).

POPULATION DENSITY:  82.2 per sq km.

CAPITAL:  San José. Population: 1,000,000 (2002).

GEOGRAPHY:  Costa Rica, lying between Nicaragua and Panama, is a complete coast-to-coast segment of the Central American isthmus. Its width ranges from 119 to 282km (74 to 176 miles). A low thin line of hills that rises between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean in Nicaragua, broadens and rises as it enters northern Costa Rica, eventually forming the high, rugged, mountains of volcanic origin in the centre and south. The highest peak is Chirripó Grande which reaches 3820m (12,530ft). More than half the population live on the Meseta Central, a plateau with an equitable climate. It is rimmed to the southwest by the Cordillera range, and provides the setting for the country’s capital, San José. There are lowlands on both coastlines, mainly swampy on the Caribbean coast, with grassland savannah on the Pacific side merging into swamps towards the south. Rivers cut through the mountains, flowing down to both the Caribbean and the Pacific.

LANGUAGE:  Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken. Some French, German and Italian are also spoken.

RELIGION:  Roman Catholic.

TIME:  GMT - 6.

ELECTRICITY:  110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. 2-pin plugs are standard.

COMMUNICATIONS:  Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 506.  Fax: Facilities are available in San José at the Radiografica Costarricense SA (opening hours: 0700-2200).  Telex/telegram: International telex facilities are also available in San José at the Radiografica Costarricense SA, corner of Calles 1 and 3, Avenida 5 (opening hours: 0700-2200). Since the abolition of the inland telegram service in the UK, the Costa Rican government Telegram Company will not accept telegrams destined for the UK.  Post: Airmail letters to Western Europe usually take between six and ten days.  Press: Daily newspapers printed in Spanish include La Nacíon, La Républica and La Prensa Libre. Two weekly papers are printed in English, The Tico Times and Costa Rica Today.

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies:  BBC: MHz 17.84 15.22 9.590 5.970  Voice of America: MHz 15.30 11.70 9.590 6.130

ADDRESSES

ADDRESSES:  Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) PO Box 777, Edificio Genaro Valverde, Calles 5 y 7, Avenida 4, 1000 San José, Costa Rica  Tel: 223 1733. Fax: 255 4997 or 233 5107.  Camara Nacional de Turismo (CANATUR) (National Tourism Chamber)  Apartado 828, 1000 San José, Costa Rica  Tel: 234 6222. Fax: 253 8102.  Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of  Costa Rica Flat 1, 14 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3LH  Tel: (0171) 706 8844. Fax: (0171) 706 8655. Opening hours: 1000-1500 (Embassy), 1000-1300 (Consulate) Monday to Friday.  British Embassy Apartado 815, 11th Floor, Edificio Centro Colón, 1007 San José, Costa Rica  Tel: 221 5566. Fax: 233 9938.  Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica and Costa Rican Tourism Bureau Information Centre 2114 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008  Tel: (202) 234 2945 or 328 6628 for consular enquiries (Consular section. Opening hours: 1000-1300). Fax: (202) 265 4795.  Embassy of the United States of America PO Box 920-1200, Pavas, San José, Costa Rica  Tel: 220 3939. Fax: 220 2305.  Costa Rican Embassy Suite 208, 135 York Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5T4  Tel: (613) 562 2855. Fax: (613) 562 2582.  Consulates in: Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver.  Canadian Embassy PO Box 10303, Edificio Cronos, Calle 3 y Avenida Central, San José, Costa Rica  Tel: 255 3522. Fax: 223 2395.

HISTORY

HISTORY:  Columbus landed in what is now Costa Rica in 1501. Although it was never heavily colonised, the region came under the captaincy-general of Guatemala. The country declared independence from Spain in 1821 as a member of the United Provinces of Central America, a short-lived confederation whose capital was Guatemala City. This reflected the then dominance of Guatemala in the region, a factor which caused increasing resentment among the other members of the United Provinces and ultimately led to its dissolution into component states in 1840. On the whole, Costa Rica has enjoyed a largely peaceful history, with the notable exception of a civil war in 1948 which followed a disputed presidential election. After the victory of José Figueres Ferrer in the conflict, the army was abolished in a unique political decision which entrusted the defence of the country to a Civil Guard. Costa Rica is the most stable and liberal of the Central American states – it celebrated 100 years of democracy in 1989 – with a high literacy rate and a comfortable standard of living.

GOVERNMENT: Under the constitution of 1949, executive power is vested in the President, supported by two Vice-Presidents and an appointed Cabinet of Ministers. The President is elected for a 4-year term by universal adult suffrage (voting is obligatory) conditional on one candidate receiving more than 40% of the vote. Legislation is the responsibility of the 57-member National Assembly, which is also elected for a 4-year term of office.