Compare Costa Rica (2004) - Christmas Island (2007)

Compare Costa Rica (2004) z Christmas Island (2007)

	Costa Rica (2004)	Christmas Island (2007)

Administrative divisions	7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose	none (territory of Australia)
Age structure	0-14 years: 29.5% (male 597,332; female 570,008) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,300,206; female 1,271,010) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 101,270; female 116,681) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products	coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber	NA
Airports	149 (2003 est.)	1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 30 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 119 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 95 (2004 est.)	-
Area	total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco	total: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than West Virginia	about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Background	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 expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.	Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate	18.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	NA
Budget	revenues: $2.313 billion expenditures: $2.851 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Capital	San Jose	name: The Settlement geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands	tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline	1,290 km	138.9 km
Constitution	7 November 1949	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica	conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island
Currency	Costa Rican colon (CRC)	-
Death rate	4.32 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	NA
Debt - external	$5.366 billion (2003 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Douglas M. BARNES embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939 FAX: [506] 519-2305	none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Durham (North Carolina), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Tampa consulate(s): Austin	none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international	legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on the border with Nicaragua remains unsolved	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
Economy - overview	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. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. Costa Rica recently concluded negotiations to participate in the US - Central American Free Trade Agreement, which, if ratified by the Costa Rican Legislature, would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate.	Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future.
Electricity - consumption	6.109 billion kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - exports	379 million kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - imports	128 million kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - production	6.839 billion kWh (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
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	loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation	-
Ethnic groups	white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates	Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 398.663 (2003), 359.817 (2002), 328.871 (2001), 308.187 (2000), 285.685 (1999)	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002); Second Vice President Luis FISHMAN (since 8 May 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since NA May 2002); Second Vice President Luis FISHMAN (since NA May 2002); note - the 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 3 February 2002; run-off election held 7 April 2002 (next to be held NA February 2006) election results: Abel PACHECO elected president; percent of vote - Abel PACHECO (PUSC) 58%; Rolando ARAYA (PLN) 42%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports	NA (2001)	$NA
Exports - commodities	coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment	phosphate
Exports - partners	US 14.2%, Guatemala 3%, Nicaragua 2.7% (2003)	Australia, NZ (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA	territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
GDP	purchasing power parity - $35.34 billion (2003 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 8.5% industry: 29.4% services: 62.1% (2003 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $9,100 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.6% (2003 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	10 00 N, 84 00 W	10 30 S, 105 40 E
Geography - note	four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65	located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Highways	total: 35,892 km paved: 7,896 km unpaved: 27,996 km (2000)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 36.8% (2002)	-
Illicit drugs	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	-
Imports	NA (2001)	$NA
Imports - commodities	raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum	consumer goods
Imports - partners	US 23.2%, Mexico 4.7%, Venezuela 3.2% (2003)	principally Australia (2006)
Independence	15 September 1821 (from Spain)	none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate	8% (2003 est.)	-
Industries	microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products	tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate	total: 10.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	9.4% (2003 est.)	-
International organization participation	BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	none
Irrigated land	1,260 sq km (1998 est.)	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)	Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	1.758 million (2003)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 4.41% permanent crops: 5.88% other: 89.71% (2001)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
Languages	Spanish (official), English	English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system	based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Legislative branch	unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 February 2002 (next to be held 3 February 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUSC 19, PLN 17, PAC 14, PML 6, PRC 1; note - seats by party as of January 2005 - PUSC 19, PLN 16, PAC 8, PML 5, PRC 1, Patriotic Union 3, Homeland First 1, Authentic Member from Heredia 1, Democratic National Alliance 1, independent 2	unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 76.63 years male: 74.07 years female: 79.33 years (2004 est.)	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.)	NA
Location	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,716 GRT/ DWT by type: passenger 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of Australia
Military branches	no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$64 million (2003)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.4% (2003)	-
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 1,101,887 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 736,007 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 41,709 (2004 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality	noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican	noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards	occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources	hydropower	phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate	0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	NA
Pipelines	refined products 242 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Juan Carlos CHAVES Mora]; Democratic National Alliance [Emilia RODRIGUEZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First [Juan Jose VARGAS]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Victor GONZALEZ]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Rescue Party or PRN [Carlos VARGAS Solano]; Patriotic Union [Humberto ARCE]; Popular Vanguard [Trino BARRANTES Araya]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	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]	none
Population	3,956,507 (July 2004 est.)	1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	20.6% (2002 est.)	-
Population growth rate	1.52% (2004 est.)	0% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006)
Railways	total: 950 km narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified) (2003)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%	Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Sex ratio	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 (2004 est.)	NA
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal and compulsory	-
Telephone system	general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular 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: country code - 506; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)	general assessment: service provided by the Australian network domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use	1.132 million (2002)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	528,047 (2002)	-
Television broadcast stations	20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)	0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)
Terrain	coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes	steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate	2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)	NA
Unemployment rate	6.7% (2003 est.)	-
Waterways	730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2004)	-

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