Costa Rica's Government
The government in Costa Rica is purely Democratic Republic. This means that there is absolutely no form of communism as the people are the ultimate say in the decisions made within the country including who is in government power, through elections.
President of Costa Rica (Lauara Chinchilla)
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Laura Chinchilla is the leader of the National Liberation Party and the President of Costa Rica after being elected back on May 8th 2010. Laura Chinchilla was born on March 28th 1959 and she is currently 53 soon to be 54. As the first female leader of Costa Rica she feels great pride in her hope to get Costa Rica in a better place when comparing to the rest of the world. Being successful in her past two years of being president, things are soon going to start shaping up for this beautiful country.
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Currency
People and Society
Costa Rica ranks very low when being compared to the rest of the world. Listed below are the stats of Costa Rica as a whole.
Ethnic groups:
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English
Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Demographic profile:
Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system set it apart from its Central American neighbors. Through the government's sustained social spending - almost 20% of GDP annually - Costa Rica has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goal of providing universal access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Since the 1970s, expansion of these services has led to a rapid decline in infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy at birth, and a sharp decrease in the birth rate. The average number of children born per women has fallen from about 7 in the 1960s to 3.5 in the early 1980s to below replacement level today. Costa Rica's poverty rate is lower than in most Latin American countries, but it has stalled at around 20% for almost two decades.
Costa Rica is a popular regional immigration destination because of its job opportunities and social programs. Almost 9% of the population is foreign-born, with Nicaraguans comprising nearly three-quarters of the foreign population. Many Nicaraguans who perform unskilled seasonal labor enter Costa Rica illegally or overstay their visas, which continues to be a source of tension. Less than 3% of Costa Rica's population lives abroad. The overwhelming majority of expatriates have settled in the United States after completing a university degree or in order to work in a highly skilled field.
Population:
4,695,942 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.2% (male 572,665/female 547,458)
15-24 years: 18.2% (male 429,885/female 414,059)
25-54 years: 43.3% (male 1,008,794/female 1,001,053)
55-64 years: 7.7% (male 175,816/female 181,898)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 141,075/female 163,645) (2012 est.)
Population pyramid:
Median age:
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.6 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.288% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Birth rate:
16.4 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Death rate:
4.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Net migration rate:
0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Urbanization:
urban population: 64% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
SAN JOSE (capital) 1.416 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
40 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 115
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 151male: 10.03 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.89 years
country comparison to the world: 59male: 75.26 years
female: 80.65 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Health expenditures:
10.9% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 22
Physicians density:
1.32 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
Hospital bed density:
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Sanitation facility access:
Improved:
urban: 95% of population
rural: 96% of population
total: 95% of population
Unimproved:
urban: 5% of population
rural: 4% of population
total: 5% of population
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)
Education expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 24
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.9%
male: 94.7%
female: 95.1% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 11%
country comparison to the world: 102
male: 9.6%
female: 13.4% (2008)
These stats were taken from the website in the link below.
Ethnic groups:
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English
Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Demographic profile:
Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system set it apart from its Central American neighbors. Through the government's sustained social spending - almost 20% of GDP annually - Costa Rica has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goal of providing universal access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Since the 1970s, expansion of these services has led to a rapid decline in infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy at birth, and a sharp decrease in the birth rate. The average number of children born per women has fallen from about 7 in the 1960s to 3.5 in the early 1980s to below replacement level today. Costa Rica's poverty rate is lower than in most Latin American countries, but it has stalled at around 20% for almost two decades.
Costa Rica is a popular regional immigration destination because of its job opportunities and social programs. Almost 9% of the population is foreign-born, with Nicaraguans comprising nearly three-quarters of the foreign population. Many Nicaraguans who perform unskilled seasonal labor enter Costa Rica illegally or overstay their visas, which continues to be a source of tension. Less than 3% of Costa Rica's population lives abroad. The overwhelming majority of expatriates have settled in the United States after completing a university degree or in order to work in a highly skilled field.
Population:
4,695,942 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.2% (male 572,665/female 547,458)
15-24 years: 18.2% (male 429,885/female 414,059)
25-54 years: 43.3% (male 1,008,794/female 1,001,053)
55-64 years: 7.7% (male 175,816/female 181,898)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 141,075/female 163,645) (2012 est.)
Population pyramid:
Median age:
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.6 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.288% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Birth rate:
16.4 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Death rate:
4.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Net migration rate:
0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Urbanization:
urban population: 64% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
SAN JOSE (capital) 1.416 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
40 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 115
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 151male: 10.03 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.89 years
country comparison to the world: 59male: 75.26 years
female: 80.65 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Health expenditures:
10.9% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 22
Physicians density:
1.32 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
Hospital bed density:
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Sanitation facility access:
Improved:
urban: 95% of population
rural: 96% of population
total: 95% of population
Unimproved:
urban: 5% of population
rural: 4% of population
total: 5% of population
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)
Education expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 24
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.9%
male: 94.7%
female: 95.1% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 11%
country comparison to the world: 102
male: 9.6%
female: 13.4% (2008)
These stats were taken from the website in the link below.