Costa Rica - MC Grecof

Introduction

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Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has achieved a relatively high standard of living. Land ownership is widespread. Tourism is a rapidly expanding industry.

Geography

Position:

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

Geographic coordinates:

10° 00' N, 84° 00' W

Bereich:

Gesamtmenge: 51.100 Quadrat-Kilometer
Land: 50.660 Quadrat-Kilometer
Wasser: 440 Quadrat-Kilometer
Anmerkung: schliesst Isla Del Coco ein

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 51,100 sq km
land: 50,660 sq km
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco

Map references:

Gesamtmenge: 639 Kilometer
Nachbarländer: Nicaragua 309 Kilometer, Panama 330 Kilometer

Land boundaries:

total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

Coastline:

1,290 km

Maritime claims:

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:

tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Terrain:

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

People

Population:

3,773,057 (July 2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican

Ethnic groups:

white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Languages:

Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Government

Country name:

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

Government 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)

Flag description:

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

Regierungsart:

demokratische Republik

Hauptstadt:

San Jose

Economy

Economy - overview:

Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. However, traditional export sectors have not kept pace. Low coffee prices and an overabundance of bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal debt and with the need to modernize the state-owned electricity and telecommunications sector.

Industries:

microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Industrial production growth rate:

4.3% (2000)

Electricity - production:

5.805 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber

Exports:

$6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment

Currency:

Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Currency code:

CRC

Ports and harbors:

Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas

Coffee

Costa Rica hard bean, european preparation

Tarrazu

Tarrazu

Jan. - March

Palmares
San Ramon
Naranjo

Can a coffee be
too perfect?

That's the criticism leveled at the coffees from Costa Rica - too balanced, too clean. But there's a lot more to Costa Rican than that. They are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavours in the acidity ...and in the best cups they fade into chocolate or spice flavour in the aftertaste...
While particular Costa Rican farms (fincas) receive an undue amount of attention, coffee drinkers are wise to remember there are 130,000 large and small farms. The chance that any one will be the best from year to year is remote. The problem in Costa Rica is they have promoted a system where coffee is sold as "brands" developed by the mill (beneficio) rather than by distinct lots of coffee from particular farms. We evaluate every coffee by the cup quality, not the route to market ... Another problem: Catimor, the coffee varietal that has great yield per tree but inferior cup. It is used in Costa Rica in the cultivars "Costa Rica 95" and "Catimor 5175"
You are going to notice that a lot of our Costa Ricans come from Tarrazu in the southern pacific region, as is Volcan Poas. The fact is, Tarrazu is the most densely planted high altitude region, although the south central region abutting Panama is producing more each year. But Tarrazu is celebrated as the region in Costa Rica for the best soils and highest altitudes. It just happens that there are streaks where the Tarrazu's seem to beat the all others in blind cupping. Not only that, but the coffees from Tarrazu show a wide range of flavour in the cup. There are decent Tres Rios or Tres Volcanes out there, even a very nice coffee from the Atlantic side (the Juan Vinas Estate, Orosi). While the verity of an origin is of great concern, the cup character is of greater concern.

Port of Export:

Puerto Limon, Puntarenas, Caldera, Golfito

Shipment:

in container in bags (275 bags of each 69,- kos net)

Production:

2.188.000 bags

Export figures:

1.643.810 bags

Caffeine content:

1.22 / 1.45 %