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| Government Type | Democratic Republic |
| Long-Form Country Name | Republic of Costa Rica |
Executive Branch (2006-2010)
| President | Mr. Oscar Arias Sanchez |
| First Vice President | Mrs. Laura Chinchilla Miranda
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| Second Vice President | Mr. Kevin Casas Zamora
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| Cabinet | |
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| Ministers: | |
| Minister of Adolescence & Childhood | Ms. Marta B. Lora Morejón |
| Minister of Agriculture and Cattle | Mr. Alfredo Volio Perez
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| Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports | Mrs. Maria Elena Carballo Castegnaro
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| Minister of Economy, Industry and Foreign Trade | Mr. Marco Vinicio Ruiz Gutierrez
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| Minister of Public Education | Mr. Leonardo Garnier Rimolo
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| Minister of Environment and Energy | Mr. Roberto Dobles Mora
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| Minister of Finance | Mr. Guillermo Zuniga Chavez
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Mr. Bruno Stagno Ugarte
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| Minister of Health | Mrs. María Luisa Avila Aguero
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| Minister of Housing | Mr. Fernando Zumbado Jimenez
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| Minister of Inter-governmental Coordination | Mr. Marco Antonio Vargas Diaz
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| Minister of Justice | Mrs. Laura Chinchilla Miranda
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| Minister of Labor and Social Security | Mr. Francisco Morales Hernandez
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| Minister of the Presidency | Mr. Rodrigo Arias Sanchez
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| Minister of the Interior and Security | Mr. Fernando Berrocal Soto
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| Minister of Science and Technology | Ms. Eugenia Maria Flores Vindas
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| Minister of Tourism | Mr. Carlos Ricardo Benavides Jimenez
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| Minister of Transportation | Mrs. Karla Gonzales Carvajal
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| President of the Central Bank | Mr. Francisco de Paula Gutiérrez Gutiérrez |
| Women's Issues | Ms. Marta B. Lora Morejón |
Judicial Branch
| Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia) | Democratic Republic |
| Legal System | Based on Spanish civil law system |
| Judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court | |
| Costa Rica has not accepted ICJ (International Court of Justice) jurisdiction | |
Legislative Branch
Unicameral (Single Chamber)
Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Assembly Parties
| Assembly Parties | % of Seats |
|---|---|
| Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) | 47.5% |
| National Liberation Party (PLN) | 45.9% |
| Minority Parties | 6.6% |
| Total | 100% |
Important Dates
| Independence from Spain | September 15, 1821 |
| Constitution | November 9, 1949 |
Holidays
| January 1 | New Year's day |
| April 1 | First Day of Passover |
| April 2 | Good Friday |
| April 11 | National Hero's Day |
| May 1 | Labor Day |
| July 25 | Guanacaste Province's Annexation Day |
| August 2 | Virgin of Los Angeles Day |
| August 15 | Mother's Day |
| September 15 | Independence Day |
| October 12 | Columbus Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |