About Costa Rica

Located in the narrow land bridge joining North and South America, Costa Rica is peacefully tucked between Nicaragua and Panama and borders both the Pacific and the Caribbean oceans. The total area of Costa Rica is just 51,200 square kilometers or 20,480 sqare miles - about the size of the state of West Virginia. The beautiful coastline here reminds many of California’s famous Big Sur country. Temperatures in the coastal regions average between the low 70s to the low 90s. In the Central Valley temperatures range between the low 60s to low 70s, cooler in the mountain regions.

Due to its culture of environmental protection, 28% of the Costa Rican territory is either part of a protected natural area or a National Park, where you can find an extensive variety of plant and animal life. This strengthens the Costa Rican model of sustainable development and places Costa Rica as the preferred destination for those who enjoy eco-tourism and soft adventure tourism.

The amazing biological diversity that exists in Costa Rica, within such a small geographical extension (about the size of West Virginia), is one of the largest in the world, where the flora and fauna are not only precious but also spectacular.

Costa Rica has more than 12,000 species of plants, over 237 species of mammals, more varieties of butterflies than in the entire continent of Africa, and more than 150 species of reptiles and amphibians. There are also more than 1,800 species of orchids native to the country and more than 850 species of birds (more than all of those found in the North American continent).

Costa Rica is a peaceful democracy with no army and very little crime. It is often referred to as the Switzerland of Central America due to its neutrality and stability (the most stable government and best infrastructure in Latin America). The country boasts more school-teachers than police and its literacy rate of 93 percent is one of the highest in the world. With a modern healthcare system, low cost of living, and extensive education system, Costa Rica is a wonderful place to live. Costa Ricans are happy, laid-back souls (they have never been in a war and have never been hungry) and they genuinely like Americans. They will gladly trade two or three words of English for two or three words of Spanish. While the official language is Spanish, many Ticos (native Costa Ricans) also speak English.

The economy has changed substantially in the las few decades. With a growing economy based on services, industry, and agriculture, Costa Rica has achieved a high standard of living and respectable unemployment rate. Most of the industry is involved in the processing of agricultural products, followed by consumer goods. Real estate investments, especially those related to ecotourism are growing quickly and tourism has developed into a very important source of foreign currency.