Compare Costa Rica (2007) - Singapore (2006)

Compare Costa Rica (2007) z Singapore (2006)

	Costa Rica (2007)	Singapore (2006)

Administrative divisions	7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose	none
Age structure	0-14 years: 27.8% (male 587,395/female 560,408) 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 1,388,114/female 1,357,157) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 111,758/female 129,052) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 15.6% (male 362,329/female 337,964) 15-64 years: 76.1% (male 1,666,709/female 1,750,736) 65 years and over: 8.3% (male 165,823/female 208,589) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber	rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish
Airports	151 (2007)	9 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 36 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 11 (2007)	total: 9 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 115 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 96 (2007)	-
Area	total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco	total: 692.7 sq km land: 682.7 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than West Virginia	slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.	Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
Birth rate	18.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	9.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $3.129 billion expenditures: $3.282 billion (2006 est.)	revenues: $18.67 billion expenditures: $18.21 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.1 billion (2005 est.)
Capital	name: San Jose geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Singapore geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 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; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
Coastline	1,290 km	193 km
Constitution	7 November 1949	3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
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: Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore local long form: Republic of Singapore local short form: Singapore
Death rate	4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$6.332 billion (2006 est.)	$23.76 billion (2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 519-2000 FAX: [506] 519-2305	chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340
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, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC consulate(s): San Francisco	chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 consulate(s) general: San Francisco consulate(s): New York
Disputes - international	in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty	disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
Economy - overview	Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has remained at roughly 20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled) labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising import prices, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. The current administration has made it a priority to pass the necessary reforms to implement the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). CAFTA implementation would result in an improved investment climate.	Singapore, a highly-developed and successful free-market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the four largest West European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the technology sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004, with real GDP rising by 8% - by far the economy's best performance since 2000 - but growth slowed to 5.7% in 2005.
Electricity - consumption	7.776 billion kWh (2005)	33.2 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports	70 million kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports	81 million kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - production	8.349 billion kWh (2005)	36.8 billion kWh (2004)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m	lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m highest point: Bukit Timah 166 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	industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%	Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)
Exchange rates	Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002)	Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010) election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%	chief of state: President S. R. NATHAN (since 1 September 1999) note: uses S. R. NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Minister WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004) cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; last appointed 17 August 2005 - see note (next election to be held by August 2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN appointed president in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified three other would-be candidates; scheduled election not held
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment	machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels
Exports - partners	US 27.4%, Netherlands 12.2%, China 11.7%, UK 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2006)	Malaysia 14.7%, US 11.5%, Indonesia 10.7%, Hong Kong 10.4%, China 9.5%, Japan 6%, Thailand 4.5%, Australia 4.1% (2005)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
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	two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 8.7% industry: 28.9% services: 62.4% (2006 est.)	agriculture: 0% industry: 33.9% services: 66.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7.9% (2006 est.)	6.4% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	10 00 N, 84 00 W	1 22 N, 103 48 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	focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 37.4% (2003)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines	as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money laundering
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum	machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners	US 41.2%, Venezuela 5.4%, Mexico 5.2%, Ireland 5%, Japan 4.9%, Brazil 4.3%, China 4.1% (2006)	Malaysia 14.4%, US 12.4%, China 10.8%, Japan 10.1%, Indonesia 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2005)
Independence	15 September 1821 (from Spain)	9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
Industrial production growth rate	8.4% (2006 est.)	9.5% (2005 est.)
Industries	microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products	electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade
Infant mortality rate	total: 9.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 2.29 deaths/1,000 live births male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	11.5% (2006 est.)	0.4% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	1,080 sq km (2003)	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)	Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals
Labor force	1.874 million note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2006 est.)	2.28 million (September 2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 20% industry: 22% services: 58% (1999 est.)	manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 39%, other 26% (2003)
Land boundaries	total: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 4.4% permanent crops: 5.87% other: 89.73% (2005)	arable land: 1.47% permanent crops: 1.47% other: 97.06% (2005)
Languages	Spanish (official), English	Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000 census)
Legal system	based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, other 4	unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member elections: last held 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%, SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.21 years male: 74.61 years female: 79.94 years (2007 est.)	total population: 81.71 years male: 79.13 years female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.5% male: 96.6% female: 88.6% (2002)
Location	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama	Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and 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: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
Merchant marine	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,058 GRT/255 DWT by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)	total: 1,063 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,033,735 GRT/49,715,650 DWT by type: bulk carrier 155, cargo 87, chemical tanker 136, container 214, liquefied gas 53, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 353, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40 foreign-owned: 592 (Australia 7, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 12, China 23, Denmark 52, Germany 9, Greece 9, Hong Kong 50, India 5, Indonesia 56, Italy 2, Japan 100, South Korea 17, Malaysia 35, Netherlands 2, Norway 90, Philippines 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Taiwan 59, Thailand 22, UAE 7, UK 9, US 7) registered in other countries: 285 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 12, Belize 6, Bolivia 3, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1, Dominica 9, France 2, Honduras 11, Hong Kong 24, Indonesia 17, Isle of Man 7, North Korea 1, Liberia 28, Malaysia 44, Marshall Islands 6, Mongolia 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 67, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Thailand 6, Tuvalu 6, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)
Military branches	no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2006)	Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$4.47 billion (FY01 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.4% (2006)	4.9% (FY01)
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)	National Day, 9 August (1965)
Nationality	noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican	noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore
Natural hazards	occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes	NA
Natural resources	hydropower	fish, deepwater ports
Net migration rate	0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	9.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	refined products 242 km (2006)	gas 139 km; refined products 8 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; 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 Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis FILMAN]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]	People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee Lian] note: SDA includes National Solidarity Party or NSP, Singapore Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore People's Party or SPP
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); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]	NA
Population	4,133,884 (July 2007 est.)	4,492,150 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	18% (2004 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	1.412% (2007 est.)	1.42% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)	AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)
Railways	total: 278 km narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge note: none of the railway network is in use (2007)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%	Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.023 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.866 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal and compulsory	21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system	general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service; state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the demand for new lines, resulting in long waiting times 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; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)	general assessment: excellent service domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless service in February 2005 international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct connection to more than 100 countries; 4 satellite earth stations, supplemented by VSAT coverage
Telephones - main lines in use	1.351 million (2006)	1.848 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1.444 million (2006)	4.385 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations	20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)	1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception of numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia; note - digital TV for reception in public spaces and transportation is transmitted from 10 sites (2006)
Terrain	coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes	lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Total fertility rate	2.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)	1.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	6.6% (2006 est.)	3.1% (2005 est.)
Waterways	730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2007)	-

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