Costa Rica: Forest Cover, 2005
| Total Land Area (ha) | 5,106,000 | | Total Forest Area (ha) | 2,391,000 | | Percent Forest Cover | 46.83% | | Primary Forest Cover (ha) | 180,000 | | Primary Forest, % total forest | 7.53% | | Primary Forest, % total land | 3.53% | | Other wooded land (ha) | 10,000 |
Costa Rica : Forest types
| Tropical (% forest area) | 100% | | Subtropical (% forest area) | 0% | | Temperate (% forest area) | 0% | | Boreal/polar (% forest area) | 0% |
Costa Rica: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
| Primary forest (ha | %) | 180,000 | 7.5% | | Modified natural (ha | %) | 1,319,000 | 55.2% | | Semi-natural (ha | %) | 888,000 | 37.1% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 1,000 | 0.0% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 3,000 | 0.1% |
Costa Rica: Change in Forest Cover
| TOTAL FOREST COVER | | Forest 1990 (ha) | 2,564,000 | | Forest 2000 (ha) | 2,376,000 | | Forest 2005 (ha) | 2,391,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (18,800) | -0.73% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | 3,000 | 0.13% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (173,000) | -6.75% | | Change in rate (%) | -117.22% | | PRIMARY FOREST COVER | | Primary 1990 (ha) | 255,000 | | Primary 2000 (ha) | 180,000 | | Primary 2005 (ha) | 180,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (7,500) | -2.94% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | 0.00% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (75,000) | -29.41% | | Change in rate (%) | -100.00% | | OTHER WOODED LAND | | Other 1990 (ha) | 15,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 10,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 10,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (500) | -3.33% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | 0.00% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (5,000) | -33.33% | | Change in rate (%) | -100.00% | | PLANTATIONS | | Other 1990 (ha) | - | | Other 2000 (ha) | 3,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 4,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | - | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | 200 | 6.67% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Change in rate (%) | - | TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations | | Other 1990 (ha) | 2,579,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 2,383,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 2,397,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (19,600) | -0.76% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | 2,800 | 0.12% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (182,000) | -7.06% | | Change in rate (%) | -115.46% |
Costa Rica: Primary
| Primary or "old-growth" vegetation | | Primary Forest 2005 (ha) | 180,000 | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | - | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 180,000 | | Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) | 3.53% |
Costa Rica: Forest designation
| Ownership of forest land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 24.3% | | Private (%) | 75.7% | | Other (%) | - | | Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 40.0% | | Private (%) | 60.0% | | Other (%) | - | | Designated functions of forest – primary function 2005 | | Production (%) | 0.1% | | Protection (%) | 1.9% | | Conservation (%) | 24.5% | | Social Services (%) | - | | Multiple Services (%) | 73.5% | | None of Unknown (%) | - |
Costa Rica: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
| Forest Area annually affected by | | Fire (%) | 0.25% | | Insects (ha) | - | | Diseases (ha) | - | | Other (ha) | - |
Costa Rica: Protected areas
| Protected areas | | Biosphere reserves, 2005 | 2 | Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 | 11 | | World Heritage sites, 2004 | 3 | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land | 9.3% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land | 8.88% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 | 0.46% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 | 14.27% |
Costa Rica: Biodiversity - Wildlife
| Amphibians | | total species | 183 | | endemic species | 47 | | threatened species | 60 | | Birds | | total species | 838 | | endemic species | 17 | | threatened species | 18 | | Mammals | | total species | 232 | | endemic species | 7 | | threatened species | 13 | | Reptiles | | total species | 258 | | endemic species | 34 | | threatened species | 8 | | Wildlife diversity | | total species | 1511 | | endemic species | 105 | | threatened species | 99 |
Costa Rica: Biodiversity - Plants
| Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Number of Native tree species | | | Native tree species | 117 | | Number of tree species in IUCN red list | | Critically Endangered | | 4 | | Endangered | 33 | | Vulnerable | 74 | | Vascular Plant Species, 2004 | | Total | 12119 | | Number endemic | 950 | | Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 | | Species threatened | 110 |
Costa Rica: Value of forests
| Biomass stock in forest, 2005 | | Above-ground biomass (M t) | 224 | | Below-ground biomass (M t) | 161 | | Dead wood (M t) | 42 | | Total (M t) | 427 | | Carbon stock in forest, 2005 | | Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) | 112 | | Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) | 81 | | Carbon in dead wood (M t) | 21 | | Carbon in litter (M t) | - | | Soil carbon (M t) | - | | Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) | | 1990-2000 | -1,940 | | 2000-2005 | 200 | | Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) | | 1990-2000 | 0.01 | | 2000-2005 | -0.05 | | Wood removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) | 1,932 | | Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) | 468 | | Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) | 2,400 | | Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) | 1 | | Plant products 2005 | | Food (t) | - | | Fodder (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) | - | | Ornamental plants (t) | - | | Exudates (t) | - | | Other plant products (t) | - | | Animal products 2005 | | Living animals (units) | - | | Hides, skins and trophies (units) | - | | Wild honey and bee-wax (t) | - | | Bush meat (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Other edible animal products (t) | - | | Other non-edible animal products (t) | - | | Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (US$) | $122,122,000 | | Wood fuel (US$) | - | | Non-wood forest products (US$) | - | | Total value (US$) | $122,122,000 | | Total value ($USD/ha) | $51 | | Employment in forestry 2000 | | Total people employed | 7,000 |
Costa Rica : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
| Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 3,463 | | Imports | - | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 3,463 | | Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 1,687 | | Imports | 5 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 1,692 | | Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 812 | | Imports | 30 | | Exports | 3 | | Consumption | 839 | | Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 65 | | Imports | 26 | | Exports | 33 | | Consumption | 58 | | Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 10 | | Imports | 9 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 19 | | Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 20 | | Imports | 314 | | Exports | 12 | | Consumption | 322 |
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Costa Rica: Environment
| Environment - current issues | deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | | Natural hazards | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
Costa Rica: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 4.41%
permanent crops: 5.88%
other: 89.71% (2001) | | Natural resources | hydropower |
Costa Rica: 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. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate. | | GDP - per capita | $10,000 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 3.2% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 8.6%, industry: 28.3%, services: 63.1% (2005 est.) | | Industries | microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products | | Population below poverty line (%) | 18% (2004 est.) | | Debt - external | $3.633 billion (30 June 2005 est.) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.) |
Costa Rica: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 4,016,173 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 1.48% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 79.3 | | Percent rural (2003) | 39.4% | | Median age (years) | total: 26.03 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 2.28 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
Largest Cities in Costa Rica
Cities and urban areas in Costa Rica with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 357600 | 1370800 |
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World’s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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