Costa Rica Overview Geography Location  Central America Area  51,100 square kilometers o Land: 51,060 square kilometers o Water: 40 square kilometers Borders  Caribbean Sea  Pacific Ocean  1,290km of coastline  Nicaragua  Panama  661km of land borders Climate  tropical and subtropical o Dry season (December to April) o Rainy season (May to November) o Cooler in highlands Terrain  Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones Natural Resources used  Hydropower Land Use  Agricultural: 37.1% o Ploughed Land: 4.9% o Permanent Crops: 6.7% o Permanent Pasture: 25.5%  Forest: 51.5%  Other: 11.4% Natural Hazards  Earthquakes  Hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast  Flooding of lowlands that is often accompanied by landslides during the rainy season  Active Volcanoes o Arenal o Irazu o Miravalles o Poas o Rincon de la vieja o Turrialba Environment Current Issues                 Deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture Soil erosion Coastal marine pollution Fisheries protection Solid waste management Air pollution International Agreements Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Protection of Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Protecting wetlands, Whaling People and Society Population  4,930,258 people as of 2017 o 123rd largest country in the world  Roughly half of the nation’s population resides in urban areas  The capital of San José is the largest city and home to one-fifth of the population Ethnic Groups  White or Mestizo: 83.6%  Mulatto: 6.7%  Indigenous: 2.4%  Black: 1.1%  Other: 1.1%  Unspecified: 2.2% Languages  Spanish (Official Language)  English Religious Breakdown  Roman Catholic: 71.8%  Evangelical and Pentecostal: 12.3%  Protestant: 2.6%  Jehovah’s Witness: 0.5%  Other: 2.4%  None: 10.4% Government: Presidential Republic          Branches Executive Chief of State: President Carlos Alvarado First Vice President: Epsy Campbell Second Vice President: Marvin Rodriguez Cabinet: selected by the presindent Elections and Appointments: President and Vice President are elected, from the same ballot, for a four year term Legislative Description: Unicameral Legislative Assembly Elections: every four years, held in February Judicial Highest Court: Supreme Court of Justice Subordinate Court: appellate and trial courts Economy GDP  Purchasing Power Parity: $83.85 billion  Official Exchange Rate: $58.06 billion  Real Growth Rate: 3.2%  Per Capita: $16,900  Sectors: o Agriculture: 5.5% o Industry: 21% o Public Services: 73.5% o Labor  Labor Force: 2.229 million people o Agriculture: 14% o Industry: 22% o Public Services: 64%  Unemployment rate: 8.1% Military and Security Branches  Costa Rica does not have a regular military force  Ministry of Public Security  Government  Police Transnational Issues International disputes  Costa Rica and Nicaragua regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island to the International Court of Justice Refugees and Internationally Displaced Persons  Refugees: 11,528 Venezuelans       Stateless Persons: 71 Trafficking Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor Tier 2 Watch List – Costa Rica does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, though they are working towards meeting these standards Drugs Shipment and consumption cocaine and heroin Production and consumption of cannabis Consumption of amphetamines