ers: 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;
Progressive Party (PP), Javier Solis; People's Party of Costa Rica
(PPC), Lenin Chacon Vargas; Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose
Echeverria Brealey

Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18

Elections:
President--last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February
1994);
results--Rafael Calderon Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel Castillo 47%;

Legislative Assembly--last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held
February 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(57 total) PUSC 29, PLN 25, PVP/PPC 1, regional parties 2

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, 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 (vacant); Embassy at Pavas Road, San Jose
(mailing address is APO Miami 34020); telephone p506o 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

- Economy
Overview: In 1988 the economy grew at a 3.8% rate, a drop from the
5.1% of the previous year. Gains in agricultural production
(on the strength of good coffee and banana crops) and in construction,
were partially offset by de