Afghanistan

Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

The capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, has a population of 350,000 people. The capital that is closest located is Managua Nicaragua with a distance of 312 kilometers or 194 miles. The capital that is furthest removed from Costa Rica is Jakarta Indonesia with a distance of 18,770 kilometers or 11,660 miles. 

The economy of Costa Rica has shown a steady economic growth in recent decades. One of these factors is the diversification of the economy of Costa Rica where it is reliant on the export of food, tourism as well as manufactured goods. Another factor that contributes to the economy of Costa Rica is the immigration of Nicaraguans that are offering cheap unskilled labour. One of the drawbacks of the economy of Costa Rica is that there have been budget restraints that impact the Social Security of Costa Ricans. Its main export products are fruits, coffee electrical components and medical instruments. These are mainly exported to the United States which is responsible for more than 40 percent of total exports. Most of its imports also come from the United States which is just under 40 percent. 

It is a member of 12 international economic organizations which makes it the 43rd most economically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Alliance for Financial Inclusion 
  • Inter-American Development Bank 
  • International Monetary Fund 
  • World Bank Group 
  • World Customs Organization 
  • World Trade Organization 
  • Central American Bank for Economic Integration 
  • Central American Integration System 
  • International Renewable Energy Agency 
  • International Solar Alliance 
  • Group of 77 
  • Advisory Centre on World Trade Organization Law 

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

 

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration to Costa Rica has been dominated by migrants from Nicaragua. This is mainly due to political instability. A total of 400,000 people has migrated to Costa Rica representing 7.9 percent of the total population. 

Immigration

Literacy

Literacy rates in Costa Rica are fairly high compared to the region and are estimated to be 97.4 percent making it the 67th most literate state in the world. 

Health

Even though Costa Rica is a state with a Catholic majority, it provides freedom of religion towards all religions. However, the Catholic Church is given special privilege in relation to tax exemption as well as legal privileges related to marriage. 

89.6 percent of the population adheres to Christianity with nearly 50 percent belonging to the Catholic denomination. This makes Costa Rica the 17th most Christian state in the world. Other large denominations are Protestants and evangelicals, but many smaller denominations are also present within Costa Rica. 

The number of Muslims in Costa Rica is under 2000 people and is mainly represented by refugees from Arab states. A smaller fraction of these Muslims are native Costa Ricans that have converted to Islam. Due to this low share of Muslims, Costa Rica is ranked as the 182nd most Islamic state in the world. 

Buddhism is represented by 0.07 percent of the population and mainly consists of Chinese immigrants. Many Buddhist temples are located in larger cities. 

There are no official Hindu organizations in Costa Rica. 

Around 0.02 percent of the population adheres to Judaism.  

Healthcare is of sufficient standard with some drawbacks such as waiting lists and additional fees. Because of this there has been an increase in privatized healthcare insurance. The life expectancy is 81 years with women reaching 83.4 years and men reaching 78.5 years. 

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

Costa Rica does not have the military budget and is therefore not ranked. 

Costa Rica has formally abolished its military in 1948. Since then, the budget that was originally spent on its military has gone to education as well as the police to ensure its security. 

Military membership

It is also a member of three international military organizations making it the 154th most militarily interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
  • Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 
  • International Atomic Energy Agency 

Military membership

International wars

Costa Rica has participated in four international wars. These are: 

  • Campaign of 1856–1857 
  • Coto War 1911-1911 
  • Calderonista Invasion of Costa Rica 1955-1955 
  • American occupation of the Dominican Republic 1956-1966 

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

It is a member of 13 international political organizations making it the 64th most politically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Member state of the United Nations 
  • International Labour Organization 
  • Organization of American States 
  • Association of Caribbean States 
  • Community of Latin American and Caribbean States 
  • Organization of Ibero-American States 
  • International Criminal Court 
  • Interpol 
  • Permanent Court of Arbitration 
  • Global Green Growth Institute 
  • Association of World Election Bodies 
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 
  • World Organization for Animal Health 

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

Due to its strong system of checks and balances as well as a strong adherence to the Constitution, Costa Rica is ranked as the ninth most democratic state in the world. 

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of Costa Rica is in the form of a democratic republic where voting is compulsory. The president of Costa Rica has full executive power and is supported by 15 members. 

The GDP is an estimate of the value that a state adds through its production of goods and servicesThe GDP is an estimate of the value that a state adds through its production of goods and services
The GDP per capita is the GDP of a state divided by its populationThe GDP per capita is the GDP of a state divided by its population
Microstates (les than 1000km2) are excluded from the mapsMicrostates (les than 1000km2) are excluded from the maps
The currency of Afghanistan is the "Afghan afghani" (؋ )The currency of Afghanistan is the "Afghan afghani" (؋ )

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If you want to know more about other states, click on the flag on the right to discover Croatia.

The figure below displays the average amount that inhabitant of other states earn for every 1$ that an average citizen makes.

Rich coast, translated from Spanish, has been the name given to Costa Rica. After its first interaction between the native population and Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Empire expanded its claim to the region in 1522. Two years after its independence in 1821, it became incorporated into the Mexican Empire. After regaining independence in 1848, it became a republic and is known to be one of the oldest democracies in the Americas. .

 Located on the Caribbean plateau in Central America, Costa Rica is known to have several mountain ranges as well as active volcanoes. Earthquakes are also not uncommon in Costa Rica. Most of the landscape is filled with tropical forests as well as some low vegetation. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. To the east it borders the Caribbean Sea and to the west it borders the Pacific Ocean. 

It has a total surface area of 51,300 square kilometres or just under 20,000 square miles. This makes Costa Rica slightly smaller than Bosnia and Herzegovina and slightly larger than Slovakia. Its permanent bodies of water have a total of 40 square kilometres or 15 square miles. 

Groundwater is the main source of drinking water. Because of its volcanoes, a large part of Costa Rica has permeable ground layers. These layers provide a natural filtration system which is used to create drinking water.  

 

Afghanistan's share of water, as well as the other states are displayed below.

The climate of Costa Rica is characterized by its dry and wet season as well as its geography. Due to its proximity to the equator, Costa Rica experiences a tropical climate. Temperatures fluctuate and near the coast it is relatively warmer than in its mountain ranges. The average temperature is around 24.8 degrees Celsius or 76.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The average highest temperature is 29.2 degrees Celsius or 84.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Its average low temperature is around 20.1 degrees Celsius or 68.2 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In the period between December and April, Costa Rica receives very little precipitation. However, in the period from May till November most of its rainfall occurs throughout Costa Rica with the exception of the coast that borders the Caribbean Sea where the precipitation is fairly evenly spread out throughout the year. The average precipitation in Costa Rica is arounds 153.3 centimetres or 60.2 inches per year. 

Its GDP is estimated to be just over US$60 billion which makes it the 80th highest in the world. 

Its GDP per square kilometer is around US$1.2 million or around US$3 million per square mile. 

Its GDP per capita is estimated to be just under $12,000. 

While the purchasing power is just under US$19,000. 

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

Costa Rica has just over 5 million people. Around 80 percent of the population has a Spanish heritage. The remaining 20 percent is a mix between Spanish and indigenous people. Not surprisingly, the official language in Costa Rica is Spanish 

Its population density is 98 people per square kilometer or 255 people per square mile. 

The most popular destination for emigration from Costa Rica has been the United States. The United States represents over 90 percent of total emigration. The main reason for emigration has been the economic prospects that the United States has to offer in comparison to Costa Rica. A total of 430,000 people has migrated from Costa Rica which represents 8.5 percent of the total population. 

Around 0.74 percent of the population adheres to other religions. The largest of which is neopaganism that has become popular in the 1970s. 

Around 5.3 percent of its population do not adhere to any faith.