sibility of Australia; visited regularly by
the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities
of visitors

________________________________________________________________________

COSTA RICA

@Costa Rica:Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total area: 51,100 sq km
land area: 50,660 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
note: includes Isla del Coco

Land boundaries: total 639 km, Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

Coastline: 1,290 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May
to November)

Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Natural resources: hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 7%
meadows and pastures: 45%
forest and woodland: 34%
other: 8%

Irrigated land: 1,180 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of
land for cattle ranching; soil erosion
natural hazards: occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic
coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active
volcanoes
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

@Costa Rica:People

Population: 3,419,114 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 585,976; male 617,456)
15-64 years: 60% (female 1,013,491; male 1,036,195)
65 years and over: 5% (female 88,050; male 77,946) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.24% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 24.88 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 3.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.11 years
male: 76.21 years
female: 80.1 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican

Ethnic divisions: white (inc