Long-form name: Republic of Costa Rica

Type: democratic republic

Capital: San Jose

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Constitution: 9 November 1949

Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Branches: executive--president (head of government and chief of state), elected for a single four-year term; two vice presidents; legislative--57-delegate unicameral Legislative Assembly elected at four-year intervals (legislator may not serve consecutive terms); judiciary--Supreme Court of Justice (17 magistrates elected by Legislative Assembly at eight-year intervals)

Leader: @m5Chief of State and Head of Government--President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 1986); First Vice President Jorge Manuel DENGO Obregon (since 8 May 1986); Second Vice President Victoria GARRON de Doryan (since 8 May 1986)

Suffrage: universal and compulsory age 18 and over

Elections: every four years; last held in February 1986

Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Party (PLN), Carlos Manuel Castillo; Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel Calderon Fournier; Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto Vargas Carbonell; New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick Ardon; Socialist Party (PS), Alvaro Montero Mejia; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin Chacon Vargas; Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose Echeverria Brealey

Voting strength: (1986 election) PLN 29 seats, PUSC 25 seats, PVP 1 seat, PPC 1 seat, other 1 seat

Communists: 7,500 members and sympathizers

Other political or pressure groups: Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD; Liberation Party affiliate), Confederated Union of Workers (CUT; Communist Party affiliate), Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers (CATD; Communist Party affiliate), Chamber of Coffee Growers, National Association for Economic Development (ANFE), Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL; rightwing militants), National Association of Educators (ANDE)

Member of: CACM, Central American Democratic Community, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Danilo JIMENEZ; Chancery at Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-2945 through 2947; there are Costa Rican Consulates General at Albuquerque, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa, and Consulates in Austin, Buffalo, Honolulu, and Raleigh; US--Ambassador Dean R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida 3 and Calle I, San Jose (mailing address is APO Miami 34020); telephone �506� 33-11-55

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Costa Rica on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Costa Rica Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Costa Rica Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.