Compare Guatemala (2007) - Costa Rica (2007)

Compare Guatemala (2007) z Costa Rica (2007)

	Guatemala (2007)	Costa Rica (2007)

Administrative divisions	22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa	7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Age structure	0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,641,179/female 2,556,397) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,426,376/female 3,642,157) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 213,801/female 248,201) (2007 est.)	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.)
Agriculture - products	sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens	bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber
Airports	402 (2007)	151 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)	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)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 390 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 301 (2007)	total: 115 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 96 (2007)
Area	total: 108,890 sq km land: 108,430 sq km water: 460 sq km	total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Tennessee	slightly smaller than West Virginia
Background	The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.	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.
Birth rate	29.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	18.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $3.847 billion expenditures: $4.435 billion (2006 est.)	revenues: $3.129 billion expenditures: $3.282 billion (2006 est.)
Capital	name: Guatemala geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009	name: San Jose geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands	tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Coastline	400 km	1,290 km
Constitution	31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993	7 November 1949
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: Republica de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala	conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica
Death rate	5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$5.175 billion (2006 est.)	$6.332 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador James M. DERHAM embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City mailing address: APO AA 34024 telephone: [502] 2326-4000 FAX: [502] 2326-4654	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
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952 FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Providence, San Francisco	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
Disputes - international	annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States	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
Economic aid - recipient	$253.6 million (2005 est.)	-
Economy - overview	Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered in to force between the US and Guatemala. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 56% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit. Remittances from a large expatriate community that moved to the United States during the war have become the primary source of foreign income, exceeding the total value of exports and tourism combined.	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.
Electricity - consumption	6.361 billion kWh (2005)	7.776 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	339 million kWh (2005)	70 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	23 million kWh (2005)	81 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	7.281 billion kWh (2005)	8.349 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution	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
Environment - international agreements	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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	Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)	white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Exchange rates	quetzales per US dollar - 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002)	Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 September 2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011) election results: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%; note - COLOM will take office 14 January 2008	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%
Exports	15,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom	bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment
Exports - partners	US 44.6%, El Salvador 11.9%, Honduras 7.2%, Mexico 5.2% (2006)	US 27.4%, Netherlands 12.2%, China 11.7%, UK 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath	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
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 22.2% industry: 19.1% services: 58.7% (2006 est.)	agriculture: 8.7% industry: 28.9% services: 62.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.6% (2006 est.)	7.9% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	15 30 N, 90 15 W	10 00 N, 84 00 W
Geography - note	no natural harbors on west coast	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
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4% (2002)	lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 37.4% (2003)
Illicit drugs	major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem	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
Imports	72,960 bbl/day (2006 est.)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity	raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
Imports - partners	US 33.3%, Mexico 8.8%, China 6.5%, El Salvador 5.3%, South Korea 4.9% (2006)	US 41.2%, Venezuela 5.4%, Mexico 5.2%, Ireland 5%, Japan 4.9%, Brazil 4.3%, China 4.1% (2006)
Independence	15 September 1821 (from Spain)	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	3.6% (2006 est.)	8.4% (2006 est.)
Industries	sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism	microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Infant mortality rate	total: 29.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 32.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	6.6% (2006 est.)	11.5% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	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
Irrigated land	1,300 sq km (2003)	1,080 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)	Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)
Labor force	3.86 million (2006 est.)	1.874 million note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 50% industry: 15% services: 35% (1999 est.)	agriculture: 20% industry: 22% services: 58% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 1,687 km border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km	total: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Land use	arable land: 13.22% permanent crops: 5.6% other: 81.18% (2005)	arable land: 4.4% permanent crops: 5.87% other: 89.73% (2005)
Languages	Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)	Spanish (official), English
Legal system	civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held in September 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18 note: in the 2003 election, the number of congressional seats increased from 113 to 158	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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.69 years male: 67.94 years female: 71.52 years (2007 est.)	total population: 77.21 years male: 74.61 years female: 79.94 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.1% male: 75.4% female: 63.3% (2002 census)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
Location	Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize	Central 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: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,058 GRT/255 DWT by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)
Military branches	Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force	no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.4% (2006)	0.4% (2006)
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality	noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan	noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican
Natural hazards	numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms	occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
Natural resources	petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower	hydropower
Net migration rate	-2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	oil 480 km (2006)	refined products 242 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Edgar DE LEON Sotomayor]; Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Alfredo VILLA]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector NUILA]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Ruben Dario MORALES]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvaro COLOM Caballeros]; National Well-Being or BIEN [Fidel REYES]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [Pablo MONSANTO]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Libertarian Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES]; Reform Movement or MR [Juan Jose CABRERA Alonso]; Unionista Party or PU [Fritz GARCIA]; Unity of National Change or UCN [Sidney SHAW]; Social Democratic Party of Guatemala or PSG [Roger VALENZUELA]	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]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM	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]
Population	12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)	4,133,884 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	56.2% (2004 est.)	18% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	2.152% (2007 est.)	1.412% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)	AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)
Railways	total: 886 km narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)	total: 278 km narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge note: none of the railway network is in use (2007)
Religions	Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.861 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	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.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day	18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system	general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity 11 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 60 per 100 persons international: country code - 502; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	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)
Telephones - main lines in use	1.355 million (2006)	1.351 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	7.179 million (2006)	1.444 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)	20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
Terrain	mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau	coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Total fertility rate	3.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)	2.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	3.2% (2005 est.)	6.6% (2006 est.)
Waterways	990 km note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2007)	730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2007)

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