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Compare British Virgin Islands (2005) - Costa Rica (2001)
Compare British Virgin Islands (2005) z Costa Rica (2001)
| British Virgin Islands (2005) | Costa Rica (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 21% (male 2,400/female 2,358)
15-64 years: 73.9% (male 8,607/female 8,115) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 614/female 549) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years:
31.38% (male 605,728; female 578,128) 15-64 years: 63.37% (male 1,209,084; female 1,181,754) 65 years and over: 5.25% (male 92,314; female 106,049) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber |
| Airports | 3 (2004 est.) | 152 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
29 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
123 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 95 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
total:
51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Background | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has achieved a relatively high standard of living. Land ownership is widespread. Tourism is a rapidly expanding industry. |
| Birth rate | 14.96 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 20.27 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
revenues:
$1.95 billion expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Capital | Road Town | San Jose |
| Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
| Coastline | 80 km | 1,290 km |
| Constitution | 1 June 1977 | 7 November 1949 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form:
Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica |
| Currency | - | Costa Rican colon (CRC) |
| Death rate | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $4.2 billion (2000 est.) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Thomas J. DODD embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939 FAX: [506] 220-2305 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Jaime DAREMBLUM Rosenstein chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa consulate(s): Austin |
| Disputes - international | none | legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on border with Nicaragua |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA | - |
| Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. | Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. However, traditional export sectors have not kept pace. Low coffee prices and an overabundance of bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal debt and with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and telecommunications sector. |
| Electricity - consumption | 33.74 million kWh (2002) | 5.303 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 165 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 69 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 36.28 million kWh (2002) | 5.805 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
2.41% hydro: 83.32% nuclear: 0% other: 14.27% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); coastal marine pollution; wetlands degradation; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
| Ethnic groups | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed | white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 318.95 (2001), 308.19 (2000), 285.68 (1999), 257.23 (1998), 232.60 (1997), 207.69 (1996) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
chief of state:
President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998); First Vice President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May 1998), Second Vice President Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998); note - president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (since 8 May 1998); First Vice President Astrid FISCHEL Volio (since 8 May 1998), Second Vice President Elizabeth ODIO Benito (since 8 May 1998); note - president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002) election results: Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC) 46.6%, Jose Miguel CORRALES (PLN) 44.6% |
| Exports | NA | $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment |
| Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | US 54.1%, EU 21.3%, Central America 8.6% (1999) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white disk on the hoist side of the red band |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $25 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture:
12.5% industry: 30.7% services: 56.8% (1999) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $38,500 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2002 est.) | 3% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 10 00 N, 84 00 W |
| Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | - |
| Highways | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total:
37,273 km paved: 7,827 km unpaved: 29,446 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
1.3% highest 10%: 34.7% (1996) |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering | transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, particularly crack cocaine; those who previously only trafficked are now becoming users |
| Imports | NA | $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum |
| Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | US 56.4%, EU 9%, Mexico 5.4%, Japan 4.7%, (1999) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4.3% (2000) |
| Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2003) | 11% (2000 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU | BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 3 (of which only one is legal) (2000) |
| Irrigated land | NA | 1,200 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly) |
| Labor force | 12,770 (2004) | 1.9 million (1999) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km |
| Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2001) |
arable land:
6% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 31% other: 12% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | English (official) | Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon |
| Legal system | English law | based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - PUSC 41%, PLN 35%, minority parties 24%; seats by party - PUSC 27, PLN 23, minority parties 7 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.49 years
male: 75.41 years female: 77.62 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
76.02 years male: 73.49 years female: 78.68 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.8% male: 94.7% female: 95% (1995 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
by type: cargo 1 registered in other countries: 7 (2005) |
total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,716 GRT/NA DWT ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| Military branches | - | Coast Guard, Air Section, Ministry of Public Security Force (Fuerza Publica)
note: Costa Rica has no military, only domestic police forces, including the Coast Guard and Air Section |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $69 million (FY99) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.6% (FY99) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
1,035,090 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
692,973 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
39,411 (2001 est.) |
| National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun:
Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
| Natural resources | NEGL | hydropower |
| Net migration rate | 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | petroleum products 176 km |
| Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | Agricultural Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Jose M. NUNEZ]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL]; National Independent Party or PNI [Jorge GONZALEZ Marten]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Sonia PICADO]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis Manuel CHACON]
note: mainly a two-party system - PUSC and PLN; numerous small parties share less than 25% of population's support |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert Brown] |
| Population | 22,643 (July 2005 est.) | 3,773,057 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | 20.6% (1999 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.06% (2005 est.) | 1.65% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Road Town | Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 980,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | total:
950 km narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified) (2000) |
| Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) | Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other 4.8%, none 3.2% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda |
general assessment:
very good domestic telephone service domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available international: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 11,700 (2002) | 450,000 (1998)
note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were in use 1998 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,000 (2002) | 143,000 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) | 6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | coastal plains separated by rugged mountains |
| Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 2.47 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3% (1995) | 5.2% (2000 est.) |
| Waterways | - | 730 km (seasonally navigable) |
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