US 32.61%, Netherlands 12.82%, China 11.81%, Mexico 4.2% (2009)
Imports:
$13.69 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $10.87 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 44.72%, Mexico 7.65%, Venezuela 5.56%, China 5.15%, Japan 4.36% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.584 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $4.066 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.126 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $7.972 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$13.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $12.17 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$547 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $539 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 526.68 (2010), 573.29 (2009), 530.41 (2008), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006)
Communications ::Costa Rica
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.493 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 64
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.95 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 134
Telephone system:
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, has been delayed by the nation's telecommunications regulator.
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 points for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American
Crossing submarine cables 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) (2009)
Broadcast media:
multiple privately-owned television stations and 1 publicly-owned television station; cable network services are widely available; more than 100 privately-owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)
Internet country code:
.cr
Internet hosts:
34,024 (2010) country comparison to the world: 97
Internet users:
1.485 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 82
Transportation ::Costa Rica
Airports:
151 (2010) country comparison to the world: 36
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 112
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 94 (2010)
Pipelines:
refined products 796 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 278 km country comparison to the world: 123 narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railway network is in use (2008)
Roadways:
total: 35,330 km country comparison to the world: 95 paved: 8,621 km
unpaved: 26,709 km (2004)
Waterways:
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2010) country comparison to the world: 75
Merchant marine:
total: 1 country comparison to the world: 160 by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Caldera, Puerto Limon
Military ::Costa Rica
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16–49: 1,241,183
females age 16–49: 1,217,037 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16–49: 1,044,923
females age 16–49: 1,026,432 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 42,486
female: 40,745 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 155
Transnational Issues ::Costa Rica
Disputes - international:
the ICJ has given Costa Rica until January 2008 to reply and Nicaragua until July 2008 to rejoin before rendering its decision on the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels on the Rio San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 9,699–11,500 (Colombia) (2007)
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; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008)
page last updated on January 12, 2011
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@Cote d'Ivoire (Africa)
Introduction ::Cote d'Ivoire
Background:
Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September