nventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica

Government type:

democratic republic

Capital:

name: San Jose
geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)

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:

7 November 1949

Legal system:

based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006);
First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second
Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May
2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006);
Second Vice President (vacant)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5
February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010)
election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of
vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%,
Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, PASE 1, PFA 1, PRN 1, PUN 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for
renewable eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or
PAC [Epsy CAMPBELL Barr]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC
[Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Marco
NUNEZ Gonzalez]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto
FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland