Costa Rica Guide and Resources

Check for available hotels in Costa Rica

Location
Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Size Comparison To U.S-located Area
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Geographic Coordinates
10 00 N, 84 00 W

Capital
San Jose

Nationality
Costa Rican(s)

Currency
Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Languages Spoken
Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Population
3,834,934 (July 2002 est.)

Total Population Ratio Based On Gender
1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Migrant Ratio
0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic Groups
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Religion Demographics
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, other Protestant 0.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Geographic Areas
Total :: 51,100 sq km
Land :: 50,660 sq km
Water :: 440 sq km
Coastline :: 1,290 km

Bordered By
Nicaragua, Panama

Argentina Climate
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Terrain
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

Natural Resources
hydropower

Natural Hazards
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes

Brief Geography Notes
four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65

Government
democratic republic

Administrative Districts
7 provinces