Costa Rica at a Glance

• Population: approx. 4 million


• Capital city: San José, 313,000 inhabitants


• Language: Spanish


• Religions: 80% Catholics (state religion)


• Form of government: Presidential system

Economy

Germany is very popular among Costa Ricans, partly because of the rather small but well-assimilated German colony. Germany is Costa Rica's third most important trading partner. Germany's main imports from Costa Rica are bananas, coffee and ornamental plants, and its main exports are machinery as well as chemical and pharmaceutical products. Since 1998, a bilateral investment protection and promotion agreement has been in force. In spite of Costa Rica’s already advanced development, it remains a development cooperation partner. Successfully completed projects include the construction of rural hospitals, the extension of Limón (Moín) port, the improvement of rural water supply and sanitation and the provision of equipment to maintain rural roadways.

Culture and Science

Although Costa Rica’s political and economical, but also cultural, affinities are largely directed northward, cultural relations are an important component of German-Costa Rican relations. Partially in reaction to the growing North American influence, particularly in the mass media, Costa Ricans continue to be very interested in European culture.

An important part of Germany's cultural work is promoting the German Colegio Humboldt, an international school with more than 800 pupils and kindergarten children, ten seconded teachers and five federal programme teachers. There is a Goethe Centre in Costa Rica, which teaches German to about 1,500 students a year at two locations in San José.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has an office in San José which carries out bilateral and regional programmes to promote the exchange of lecturers and students (particularly postgraduate students), as well as university cooperation in the whole of Central America. There are special bilateral agreements on academic and student exchanges with various Costa Rican institutions (the principals association CONARE and the Universidad de Costa Rica), as well as with CSUCA, the confederation of Central American universities. DAAD has a network of contact persons and supports alumni associations in the region. Approximately 80 exchange measures are sponsored with and within the region each year. In March 2005, a Humboldt chair was instituted at the state Universidad de Costa Rica, which will make for more in-depth academic exchange.

Links

www.botschaft-costarica.de (Official representation of Costa Rica in Germany)
www.san-jose.diplo.de (German Embassy in Costa Rica)
www.ahkzakk.com/costarica (German-Costa Rican Chamber of Industry and Commerce)