Political parties and leaders:
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]
International organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime DAREMBLUM Rosenstein
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
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
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945
Diplomatic representation from the US: 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
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
Economy Costa Rica
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. 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.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2002 est.)