Some basic facts about Costa Rica

The Republic of Costa Rica is located in Central America and is the southernmost of the five countries that form the region.

It is bounded to the North by Nicaragua and to the south by Panama (which is not a Central American country): the Eastern shore (225 km or 140 miles long) belongs to the Caribbean Sea and the Western shore (1103 km or 684 miles long) is bounded by the Pacific Ocean. Both coastlines boast extremely beautiful beaches surrounded by palm trees.

Costa Rica is a small country: There are, from West to East, a maximum of 246 km (152 miles) from Puntarenas to Limón, and 534 km (331 miles) from Peñas Blancas, at the Nicaraguan border, to Paso Canoas (Panamanian boundary) at the south. Total surface of the country is 51,100 sq km (19,730 sq mi) for about four and a half million people. The highest peak is Cerro Chiripó, 3819 m (11000 ft) high.



Its geographical position places Costa Rica in the tropical region, although due to the rugged terrain there is a great amount of microclimates that makes out of Costa Rica a world class wildlife sanctuary. Actually, one fourth of the country’s territory is protected and belongs to one of the many National Parks. And even more impressive is the fact that, although the country’s extension is only a mere 0.03% of the earth’s surface, it boasts being home of no less than 6% of the known animal species.

Main agricultural products are: coffee, tropical fruits such as pineapple and banana, sugarcane, corn, rice, beans and potatoes; cattle raising and timber growing are also of importance.

The country is administratively divided in seven provinces: San José, where the capital is located, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia (all of them inland provinces), Guanacaste and Puntarenas (in the Pacific Coast) and finally Limón, on the shores of the Caribbean Sea.