water resources:
112.4 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.68 cu km/yr (29%/17%/53%)
per capita: 619 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
volcanism: Arenal (elev. 1,670 m, 5,479 ft), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (elev. 3,432 m, 11,260 ft), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba
Environment - current issues:
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, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
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
People ::Costa Rica
Population:
4,516,220 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Age structure:
0–14 years: 26.7% (male 581,916/female 555,216)
15–64 years: 67.1% (male 1,443,606/female 1,411,168)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 120,969/female 141,002) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.4 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 28.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.347% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Birth rate:
16.65 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Death rate:
4.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Net migration rate:
1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Urbanization:
urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.72 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 154 male: 10.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.54 years country comparison to the world: 55 male: 74.93 years
female: 80.28 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.93 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,700 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican
Ethnic groups:
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.9%
male: 94.7%
female: 95.1% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2008) country
