Costa Rica Fact File

Costa Rica Fact File: General Information

Population: 4,133,884 (July 2007 est.)

Size of Country: 51,100 sq km (slightly smaller than West Virginia)

Capital City: San Jose

Time Zone: GMT-6

Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Climate: Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Currency: Costa Rican colon

Language: Spanish (official), English

System of Government: Democratic republic, led by President Oscar Arias Sanchez

Telephone Country Code: 506

Electricity: 120 volts

National Holidays: Independence Day (Sept. 15)

Religion: Roman Catholic (76%)

Life Expectancy at Birth: 77 years

Economy: Based on tourism, agriculture (bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes, beef, timber), and electronics exports

Exports: $7.931 billion (2006 est.)

Imports: $10.88 billion (2006 est.)

Gross Domestic Product (Purchasing Power Parity): $50.89 billion (2006 est.)

GDP per Capita: $12,500 (2006 est.)

Inflation Rate: 12.1% (2006 est.)

Source: CIA The World Factbook

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