Costa Rica - Military

Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational Issues

Costa Rica is located Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama. The climate is tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands. The terrain is coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes.

Military branches

This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and marine forces).
Military branches : no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2008)

Manpower available for military service

This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the military age range for a country (defined as being ages 16-49) and assumes that every individual is fit to serve.
Manpower available for military service - males age 16-49 : 1,134,205
Manpower available for military service - females age 16-49 : 1,095,763 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the military age range for a country (defined as being ages 16-49) and who are not otherwise disqualified for health reasons; accounts for the health situation in the country and provides a more realistic estimate of the actual number fit to serve.
Manpower fit for military service - males age 16-49 : 958,013
Manpower fit for military service - females age 16-49 : 925,727 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

This entry gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually - male : 40,767
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually - female : 38,899 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).
Military expenditures : 0.4% of GDP (2006)

More Information about the country