 With more than 150 years of independence from Spain, Costa Rica lies in the Central American isthmus, the narrowest portion of the American Continent, as a small territory great in achievements and aspirations.
These decades of stability allowed a steady economic growth that was translated into important social achievements. In this sense, a relevant fact is that in the last 20 years, poverty has been reduced from 40% to less than 20% and the country maintains one of the highest levels in educational attainment in Latin America.
The Costa Rican workforce is considered perhaps the most important attraction for foreign investors, as the population is highly literate and well educated. A nation that long ago realized the importance of education and which currently allocates, by law, more than 6% of its GDP to educational programs is indeed the best guarantee for a successful business environment.
The government has long placed a high priority in investing in public education, which includes the university system as well as the technical and vocational training scheme. As an reflect of these efforts, Costa Rica now has one of the highest Human Development Indexes among developing nations (0.834), and one of the highest literacy rates of the Americas (97%). The country believes that training, along with innovation and technology transfer, are crucial factors to achieve higher levels of productivity and a better competitiveness level in the global economy.
Harvard University has had an extension in Costa Rica since 1964 through INCAE, to prepare middle and upper level managers. INCAE is the best business school in Latin America and it ranked between the top 100 worldwide. INCAE has done pioneering investigations about the factors that determine Costa Rica's competitiveness and the best strategies to take advantage of them.
Furthermore, the country has been able to provide broad access to basic services like health, social security, potable water and basic services for the whole population. The National Public Health system covers the entire population on a basis of equality and solidarity.
The Costa Rican government is ruled by a series of constitutional controls and balances. The executive responsibilities rest on the President, who is at the centre of power, and is supported by two Vice-presidents and his cabinet. The President and Vice-presidents, plus 57 Congressmen, that constitutes the Legislative Assembly, are directly elected every 4 years. In addition, the country has a strong legal system, the Judiciary, which ensures law compliance. An autonomous Elections body is in charge of the organization and surveillance of the Presidential, Legislative and local government elections.
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