Without any doubt, Costa Rica is a unique country. After all, in spite of the small area, it has one of the most diverse nature. It is the country with the lowest unemployment and highest social protection. It is a state of equality and democracy. And finally, this is a country that has something to surprise.
So what do you need to know about Costa Rica?
Geography
Costa Rica is located in Central America. It is about 181 times smaller than the United States of America. In general, its area is 51,100 km² (which is comparable to Lake Michigan). Costa Rica also has borders with Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the south. And in the west and east, it is washed by two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic (Caribbean Sea).
Also, Costa Rica has about 200 volcanoes. Of these, 5 volcanoes are active: Poas, Irazu, Arenal, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba. Moreover, the Poas Volcano has the second largest volcanic crater on the planet.
The highest mountain is Cerro Chirripo. It is located at an elevation of 3810 m above sea level. And the largest lake is Arenal, with a surface of 33 square miles and a depth of 200 feet.
Climate
First of all, Costa Rica is a tropical country. It has a mild, pleasant climate. Since the state is located at 10 degrees north of the equator, there are no strong temperature fluctuations during the year.
In general, Costa Rica has two seasons:
- dry season (from November to late April);
- the green season (from May to November) characterized by almost daily rains.
Nature
The small state of Costa Rica stands out for its geographic location. An interesting fact is that approximately 5% of the world’s diversity is found in Costa Rica. In addition, despite the small territory, 27% of the entire country there are nature reserves. And this is the largest percentage of all other world countries.
Also, Costa Rica offers tourists incredible beach resorts, thermal springs, rainforests, and a wide variety of flora and fauna. For example, the country is home to 279 unique species of birds, about 700 species of reptiles, about 20,000 species of spiders, more than 50 species of hummingbirds, and about 18% of all butterflies in the world.
Political system
Overall, Costa Rica is a democratic, free, and independent republic. In addition, it is one of the oldest democracies in America. Costa Rica is also home to many international organizations such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the United Nations University for Peace, and the Earth Council.
Costa Rica has seven provinces: San José, Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, Puntarenas, Guanacaste and Limón. In turn, each province is divided into 81 cantons, which consist of 463 districts.
Furthermore, Costa Rica includes the volcanic uninhabited island of Cocos. It was filmed in the famous movie “Jurassic Park”.
Capital of Costa Rica: San Jose.
Population
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census, the population of Costa Rica is approximately 4,890,379. Meanwhile, 2,467,829 of them are men and 2,422,551 are women.
Besides, about four-fifths of Costa Rica’s population is of European descent. Unfortunately, the indigenous population is less than 1% of all residents. It is worth noting that Costa Rica has the largest percentage of people of Spanish origin in Central America.
Religion
Most Costa Ricans profess Roman Catholicism (76%). It is the official religion and is funded by the state. However, other religions are not prohibited, because the 1949 Constitution proclaims freedom of religion.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Costa Rica. However, a large part of the population is fluent in English. This is due to the fact that Costa Rica is in great demand from tourists. Therefore, knowledge of the English language is extremely necessary for the tourism sector. In addition, the small country has one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
