Costa Rica Government

Costa Rica is a democratic, independent and free republic. It gained its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Costa Rica has a well-organized government, with a president who is elected by the popular vote. The government runs its operations using three supreme arms that are distinct and independent, namely the executive, legislature, and judiciary. In Costa Rica, anyone elected in office can only serve for one four year period. This rule applies to everyone, including the position of the president and the deputies.

Costa Rica sees an election after every four years. The body that oversees these elections is called the Supreme Elections Tribunal. The Tribunal has the same rank and independence as the other powers. It is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and monitoring the elections. It is the duty of every Costa Rican who has attained the age of 18 years and above to participate in the elections every four years.

The location of Costa Rica’s parliament is in the El Carmen District in San José. The building that houses the parliament is popularly known as “Edificio Central”, or the "Central Building". Construction of the Central Building began in 1937 with materials imported from Germany and Czechoslovakia. Due to interruptions from World War II, the building was not completed until 1958. The president’s residence is meant to be the “Casa Presidencial” which is located in southeast San José.

The Republic of Costa Rica has two major political parties, the largest of which is the National Liberation Party. The second party is the Social Christian Unity Party. Many smaller political parties also exist.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	San Jose
Languages	Spanish (official), English
Ethnic Groups	White or mestizo 83.6%, mulato 6.7%, indigenous 2.4%, black of African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Area	51,100.00 km²
Water Area	40.00 km²
Land Area	51,060.00 km²
Population	4,872,543.00 Roughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one-fifth of the population
Location	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km
GDP(PPP)	$79,260,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$16,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, China, and Mexico.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are bananas, pineapple, coffee and melons.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the United States, China, and Mexico.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include raw materials, consumer goods, and capital equipment.
Climate	Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Terrain	Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes
Learn More	Costa Rica

Costa Rica Government

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