luding mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%,
Chinese 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Languages: Spanish (official), English; spoken around Puerto Limon

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1984)
total population: 93%
male: 93%
female: 93%

Labor force: 868,300
by occupation: industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services
33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)

@Costa Rica:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica

Digraph: CS

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)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Jose Maria FIGUERES
Olsen (since 8 May 1994); First Vice President Rodrigo OREAMUNO Blanco
(since 8 May 1994); Second Vice President Rebeca GRYNSPAN Mayufis
(since 8 May 1994); election last held 6 February 1994 (next to be
held February 1998); results - President FIGUERES (PLN party) 49.7%,
Miquel Angel RODRIGUEZ (PUSC party) 47.5%
cabinet: Cabinet; selected by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa): elections last held 6
February 1994 (next to be held February 1998); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (61 total) PLN 28, PUSC 29, minority parties
4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Party (PLN), Manuel
AGUILAR Bonilla; Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel
CALDERON Fournier; Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto
VARGAS Carbonell; New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick ARDON
Ramirez; Progressive Party (PP), Isaac Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos;
People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin CHACON Vargas; Radical
Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey

Other political or pressure groups: Costa Rican Confederation of
Democratic W