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 1 February 1998 (next to be held NA February 2002) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PUSC 27, PLN 23, minority parties 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC
[Miguel Angel RODRIGUEZ Echeverria]; National Liberation Party or PLN
[Jose Miguel CORRALES Bolanos]; National Integration Party or PIN
[Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Independent Party or PNI [Jorge
GONZALEZ Marten]; People United Party or PPU [Norma VARGAS Duarte];
National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Alejandro MADRIGAL
Benavides]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ de
Lemos]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Federico MALAVASI Calvo];
Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Sherman Thomas JACKSON]; New
Democratic Party or PDN [Rodrigo GUTIERREZ Schwanhauser]; National
Rescue Party or PRN [Marina VOLIO Brenes]; Democratic Party or PD
[Alvaro GONZALEZ Espinoza]; Independent Party or PI [Yolanda GUTIERREZ
Ventura]
note: mainly a two-party system-PUSC and PLN; small parties share only
5% of population's support
Political pressure groups and leaders: Costa Rican Confederation of
Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Confederated
Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Authentic
Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party
affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; National Association for
Economic Development or ANFE; Free Costa Rica Movement or MCRL
(rightwing militants); National Association of Educators or ANDE;
Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP
International organization participation: AG (observer), BCIE, CACM,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, UN, UN
Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jose THOMPSON chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chicago, Durham, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa consulate(s): Austin
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. DODD embassy: Pavas Road, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939 FAX: [506] 220-2305
Flag description: five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white disk on the hoist side of the red band
@Costa Rica:Economy
Economy-overview: Costa Rica's basically stable and progressive economy depends especially on tourism and the export of bananas, coffee, and other agricultural products. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put in place. Recent trends, however, have been disappointing. Economic growth slipped from 4.3% in 1994 to 2.5% in 1995, and to 0.9% in 1996, and then rebounded in 1997 to 3%. Inflation rose to 22.5% in 1995 from 13.5% in 1994, receded to 17.5% in 1996, then dropped to 11.2% in 1997. Unemployment appears moderate at 5.7%, but substantial underemployment continues. Furthermore, substantial government deficits have undermined efforts to maintain the quality of social services. The government thus faces a formidable set of problems: to curb inflation, reduce the deficit, encourage domestic savings, and improve public sector efficiency while increasing the role of the private sector, all this in harmony with IMF agreements. One important positive development-the infusion of more than $200 million in 1997 by microchip giant Intel and the anticipated attraction of other high-tech firms to Costa Rica will help stimulate growth and employment over the next several years.