Jaco Beachfront Hotel
Sea Turtle Poll
COSTA RICA'S GOVERNMENT
Costa Rica is a democratic republic. Under the 1949 constitution, all citizens are guaranteed equality before the law, the right to own property, the right of petition and assembly, freedom of speech and the right of habeas corpus. The constitution also divides the government into independent executive, legislative and judicial branches. The executive branch is composed of the president, two vice presidents and a cabinet. The legislature is the National Assembly, composed of 57 members.
Costa Rica has a very strong system of constitutional checks and balances. Executive responsibilities are vested in a president, who is the country's center of power. There also are two vice presidents and a 15-member cabinet. The president and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies are elected for 4-year terms. In April 2003, the Costa Rican Constitutional Court annulled a 1969 constitutional reform which had barred presidents from running for reelection. As a result, the law reverted back to the 1949 Constitution, which permits ex-presidents to run for reelection after they have been out of office for two presidential terms, or eight years. Deputies may run for reelection after sitting out one term, or four years. In October 2007, the country ratified the U.S.-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) by a slender margin in its first national referendum.
The electoral process is supervised by an independent Supreme Electoral Tribunal--a commission of three principal magistrates and six alternates selected by the Supreme Court of Justice. Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of 22 magistrates selected for renewable 8-year terms by the Legislative Assembly, and subsidiary courts. A Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV), established in 1989, reviews the constitutionality of legislation and executive decrees and all habeas corpus warrants. The next national elections will take place in February 2010.
The offices of the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Solicitor General, and the Ombudsman exercise oversight of the government. The Comptroller General's office has a statutory responsibility to scrutinize all but the smallest public sector contracts and strictly enforces procedural requirements. Along with the Sala IV, these institutions are playing an increasingly prominent role in governing Costa Rica.
There are provincial boundaries for administrative purposes, but no elected provincial officials. Costa Rica held its first mayoral elections in December 2002, whereby mayors were elected to 4-year terms by popular vote through general elections. Prior to 2002, the office of mayor did not exist, and the president of each municipal council was responsible for the administration of his/her municipality. The most recent nationwide mayoral elections took place in December 2006. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the telecommunications and electrical power monopoly, the state petroleum refinery, the nationalized commercial banks, the state insurance monopoly, and the social security agency. Costa Rica has no military and maintains only domestic police and security forces. A professional Coast Guard was established in 2000.
Below are just a few of the top governement agencies and all in Spanish, some have English translations.
GOVERNMENT
Government of Costa Rica - Gobierno de Costa Rica
Legislative Assembly - Asamblea Legislativa
Judicial System - Poder Judicial
Supreme Court of Elections (TSE) - Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones
Comptroller General of the Republic(CGR) - Contraloría General de la República
Attorney General of the Republic - La Procuraduría General de la República
MINISTRIES
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto de Costa Rica - Ministry of External Relations and Worship
Ministry of External Commerce (COMEX) - Ministerio de Comercio Exterior
Ministry of Public Education (MEP) - Ministerio de Educación Pública
Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) - Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología
National Institute of Insurances (INS) - Instituto Nacional de Seguros
Ministry of Agriculture and Cattle (MAG) - Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería
Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) - Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio
Ministry of Finance and Tax Collecting - Ministerio de Hacienda
Ministry of Health (MS) - Ministerio de Salud
Ministry of Environment and Energy - Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía
Ministry of National Planning and Economical Politics (MIDEPLAN) - Ministerio de Planificación Nacional y Política Económica
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS
Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) - Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
SUTEL - The Superintendency of Telecommunications
Costa Rica Social Security System (C.C.S.S.) - Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social
National Commission of Prevention of Risks and Attention of Emergencies (C.N.E.) - Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias
Public Register of Properties - Registro Nacional
Costa Rican System of Legal Information - Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica
The Learning Institute (INA) - Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje
Institute of the Coffee (ICAFE) - Instituto del Café
Institute of Cooperatives (INFOCOOP) - Instituto Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo
National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT) - Consejo Nacional para Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas
National Council of Production (CNP) - Consejo Nacional de Producción
National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) de Costa Rica
DIPLOMATIC
Embassy of Costa Rica in the USA - Embajada de Costa Rica en los E.E.U.U
Embassy of the United States in Costa Rica - Embajada de E.E.U.U. en Costa Rica
United Nations - Costa Rica
Most Common Asked US Embassy Questions
PR: 6
| Costa Rican System of Legal Information - http://www.pgr.go.cr/scij/ Costa Rican System of Legal Information, is part of the Legal Informatics Program for the Modernization of the Administration of Justice, developed through the loan agreement between 859/OC-CR American Development Bank (IDB) and the government Republic of Costa Rica. - Read more |
PR: 2
| Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica - Fire Department - http://www.bomberos.go.cr/Bomberos/ Costa Rica Fire Department - Information related to human security, fire prevention, laws, rules, regulations and manuals, national statistics of incidents. Locations of fire departments .Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica - Read more |
PR: 5
| Dirección General de Tributación - Costa Rica Tax Collector - http://dgt.hacienda.go.cr/Paginas/inicio.aspx Dirección General de Tributación is Costa Rica's the tax collecting agency. Info on filing taxes, online forms and filing of forms on the website. Owners, business and foreigners business info - Read more |
PR: 5
| Direccion de Registro Nacional de Costa Rica - http://www.rnpdigital.com/index.htm El Registro de Personas Jurídicas tiene como fin la inscripción y publicidad de ciertos actos y contratos relacionados con la existencia, vigencia y representación de diferentes clases de personas jurídicas, así como de ciertos actos y afectaciones relativos a personas físicas; todo esto, con el objeto de dar seguridad jurídica a la sociedad. - Read more |
PR: 5
| Direccion General Policia de Transito - MOPT CR - http://www.transito.go.cr Official website of the Direccion General Policia de Transito. Transite police. Traffic updates, road closures, enforcement of traffic laws. Traffic and Road Conditions in Spanish and Costa Rica Road Condition in English - Read more |
PR: 6
| Director of Immigration in Costa Rica - http://www.migracion.go.cr/ Director of Immigration in Costa Rica. Legal resident requirements, visa and passport information. Servicios en Línea, Sedes Regionales, Contraloría de Servicios - Read more |
PR: 7
| El Instituto Nacional de EstadÃstica y Censos (INEC) - http://www.inec.go.cr/Web/Home/pagPrincipal.aspx The National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) is the technical lead agency the National Statistical System of Costa Rica. El Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos - Read more |
PR: 6
| Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington DC - http://www.costarica-embassy.org The Embassy of Costa Rica in the United States of America is part of the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Worship of Costa Rica. The Embassy coordinates and manages political affairs, trade, tourism, education, health and international relations between both countries and concurrent Embassies - Read more |
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| Hydroelectric Plants in Costa Rica - http://www.industcards.com/hydro-costa-rica.htm Costa Rica’s multiuse Proyecto de Riego Arenal-Tempisque (PRAT) scheme was developed between 1975 and 1978 and is administrated by the Servicio Nacional de Aguas Subterráneas, Riego y Avenamiento (SENARA). PRAT channels water from the Arenal Lake, which originally used to flow down the Caribbean basin, towards the Pacific basin through a hydroelectric complex of three power plants built in cascade: Arenal, Corobici, and Sandillal (ARCOSA), illustrated above from left to right - Read more |
PR: 5
| Institute of Cooperatives (INFOCOOP) - http://www.infocoop.go.cr/ The Institute of Cooperatives (INFOCOOP) is the new strategic partner of COOCAFE R.L.. Shared interest enables Infocoop, on behalf of the Costa Rican government, to help develop those cooperatives that given their special conditions, require special support to consolidate their operations. - Read more |
PR: 6
| Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) - http://www.grupoice.com Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad or Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) is a statewide organization, government owned and operated monopoly of services for markets in the electrical industry, telecommunications and information. - Read more |
PR: 4
| Instituto Nacional de Seguros – National Insurance de Costa Rica - http://portal.ins-cr.com/ Costa Rica monopoly insurance company, the INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros – National Insurance Institute), a mixed public/private capital enterprise with majority government ownership. - Read more |
PR: 6
| Judicial Investigation Department of Costa Rica - http://www.poder-judicial.go.cr/ The Judicial Investigation Department is a unit of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica. It was founded in the year 1973 as a subsidiary body of the Criminal Courts of Public Prosecutions in scientific discovery and verification of the crimes and their responsible. Its Organic Law stipulates that act on their own initiative, by denunciation or by order of competent authority in the investigation of crimes of public action in identifying and apprehension prevention of alleged offenders. - Read more |
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| Junta de Protección Social - http://www.jps.go.cr The Junta de Protección Social is the government run organization in charge of Costa Rica legal gaming. Lottery winnings posting, bingo, and betting. Information, directors, and events. - Read more |
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| La Gaceta - Government Newspaper - http://www.gaceta.go.cr The official Government of Costa Rica digital newspaper was established as a means to ensure legal certainty given the Costa Rican people of what is happening in government. Laws and Practices and current court rulings - Read more |
Costa Rica Real Estate & Classifieds
If you search classifieds or Costa Rica Real Estate Listings, in Encuentra24.com you can find ton of listings with photos, video and property map.
Rent to Buy, Buy, or Rent in Costa Tica
Spacious, 3 bd., 2.5 bath, modern 3 story townhouse, in a gated and guarded community with an international flavor, very near tennis court, pools, and casa club. Convenient to major shopping areas, the Multiplaza mall, restaurants, civic center, CIMA