Micronesia, Federated States of (2001) | Costa Rica (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years: 30.1% (male 600,812; female 573,375)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 1,269,667; female 1,241,097) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 98,156; female 112,985) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens | coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber |
Airports | 7 (2000 est.) | 151 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 30
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 8 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 121
914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 93 (2002) |
Area | total:
702 sq km land: 702 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Truk (Chuuk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae |
total: 51,100 sq km
land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco |
Area - comparative | four times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
Background | In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$161 million ($69 million less grants) expenditures: $160 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $1.91 billion
expenditures: $2.35 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | Palikir | San Jose |
Climate | tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage | tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
Coastline | 6,112 km | 1,290 km |
Constitution | 10 May 1979 | 7 November 1949 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Federated States of Micronesia conventional short form: none former: Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) abbreviation: FSM |
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 | US dollar (USD) | Costa Rican colon (CRC) |
Death rate | - | 4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $111 million (1997 est.) | $4.8 billion (2002 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Diane E. WATSON embassy: address NA, Kolonia mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941 telephone: [691] 320-2187 FAX: [691] 320-2186 |
chief of mission: Ambassador John J. DANILOVICH
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 | chief of mission:
Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383 FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391 consulate(s) general: Honolulu and Tamuning (Guam) |
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, 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 |
Disputes - international | none | legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on border with Nicaragua |
Economic aid - recipient | under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001 | - |
Economy - overview | Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development. In 1996, the country experienced a 20% reduction in revenues from the Compact of Free Association - the agreement between the US and Micronesia in which Micronesia receives $1.3 billion in financial and technical assistance over a 15-year period until 2001 - as a result of the second step-down under the agreement. Since these revenues accounted for 57% of consolidated government revenues, reduced Compact funding resulted in a severe depression. While Micronesia's economy appears to have bottomed out in 1999, the country's medium-term economic outlook remains fragile due to likely further reductions in external grants made under the US Compact funding. Geographical isolation and a poorly developed infrastructure remain major impediments to long-term growth. | 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. At the same time, distribution of income remains severely unequal. 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, with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and telecommunications sector, and with the problem of bringing down inflation. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 6.109 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 379 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | - | 128 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 6.839 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
fossil fuel: 1.5%
hydro: 81.9% nuclear: 0% other: 16.6% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Totolom 791 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
Environment - current issues | overfishing | 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:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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 | nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups | 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 - 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001), 308.19 (2000), 285.69 (1999), 257.23 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Leo A. FALCAM (since 21 July 1999); Vice President Redley KILLION (since 21 July 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Leo A. FALCAM (since 21 July 1999); Vice President Redley KILLION (since 21 July 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators-at-large for four-year terms; election last held NA May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2003) election results: Leo A. FALCAM elected president; percent of Congress vote - NA%; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent of Congress vote - NA% |
chief of state: 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
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% |
Exports | $73 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | fish, garments, bananas, black pepper | coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment |
Exports - partners | Japan, US, Guam | US 31.5%, Netherlands 8.9%, UK 4.5% (2002) |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
Flag description | light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern | 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 | purchasing power parity - $263 million (1999 est.)
note: GDP is supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually |
purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
19% industry: 4% services: 77% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 9%
industry: 30% services: 61% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.3% (1999 est.) | 2.8% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 55 N, 158 15 E | 10 00 N, 84 00 W |
Geography - note | four major island groups totaling 607 islands | 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 |
Highways | total:
240 km paved: 42 km unpaved: 198 km (1996) |
total: 35,892 km
paved: 7,896 km unpaved: 27,996 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 34.6% (2001) |
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 | $168 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages | raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum |
Imports - partners | US, Japan, Australia | US 36.7%, Japan 4.4%, Mexico 4.2% (2002) |
Independence | 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2.9% (2002 est.) |
Industries | tourism, construction, fish processing, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls | microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 10.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.6% (FY98/99) | 9.1% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO | BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, 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), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 3 (of which only one is legal) (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 1,260 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly) |
Labor force | NA | 1.9 million (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | two-thirds are government employees | 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:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 4.41%
permanent crops: 5.48% other: 90.11% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean | Spanish (official), English |
Legal system | based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws | based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Congress (14 seats; members elected by popular vote; four - one elected from each of state - to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population - to serve two-year terms)
elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003); elections for two-year term seats last held 6 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14 |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 76.43 years
male: 73.87 years female: 79.11 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 91% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia | Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,716 GRT/ DWT
ships by type: passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a sovereign, self-governing state in free association with the US; FSM is totally dependent on the US for its defense | - |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; Air Section, Ministry of Public Forces (Fuerza Publica) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $69 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.6% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 1,080,254 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 722,043 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 41,453 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 10 May (1979) | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
Nationality | noun:
Micronesian(s) adjective: Micronesian; Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese |
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican |
Natural hazards | typhoons (June to December) | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
Natural resources | forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals | hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | 0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | - | refined products 421 km (2003) |
Political parties and leaders | no formal parties | Agricultural Labor Action or PALA [Carlos Alberto SOLIS Blanco]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; 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 - until the 3 February 2002 election in which the PAC captured a significant percentage, forcing a run-off in April 2002 |
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] |
Population | 134,597 (July 2001 est.) | 3,896,092 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 20.6% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 1.56% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Colonia (Yap), Kolonia (Pohnpei), Lele, Moen | Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 50, FM 43, shortwave 19 (1998) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 950 km
narrow gauge: 950 km 1.067-m gauge (260 km electrified) (2002) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other and none 3% | 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: 1.05 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 (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
Telephone system | general assessment:
adequate system domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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 | 11,000 (2001) | 450,000 (1998)
note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were in use in 1998 |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 143,000 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk | coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes |
Total fertility rate | - | 2.38 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 16% (1999 est.) | 6.3% (2002 est.) |
Waterways | none | 730 km (seasonally navigable) |