At a Glance

Official Name: Republic of Costa Rica

Continent: North (Central) America

Area: 19,560 square miles (50,660 sq km)

Population: 3,773,057

Capital City: San Jose

Largest City: San Jose (318,765)

Unit of Money: Costa Rican colon

Major Language: Spanish (official)

Literacy: 93%

Land Use: 6% arable, 7% crops, 45% meadow, 34% forest, 8% other

Natural Resources: Hydropower potential

Government: Democratic republic

The Place

Costa Rica is in southern Central America. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica also governs Cocos Island, located about 300 miles to the southwest.

Costa Rica has three major mountain chains that run through it—the Cordillera de Talamanca, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera de Guanacaste. These chains divide the country into three regions, including the Caribbean Lowlands, the Central Highlands, and the Pacific Coastal Strip.

The Caribbean Lowlands are a large area of tropical swamps and jungles that extend down the eastern coast of Costa Rica. This region reaches an average daily high temperature of 100° F (38° C). In the interior, the fertile Central Highlands are divided into the Meseta Central and the Valle del General. To the west, the Pacific Coastal Strip consists of lowlands that average between 75° F to 100° F (25° to 38° C) each day.

The People

The Costa Rican population is evenly divided between rural and urban areas. The population density is 175 people per square mile (70.5 people per sq km). Approximately 75% of the population has settled in the country's central plateau. This fertile area provides excellent farming, and about 27% of the work force is employed by agriculture. Another 35% of Costa Ricans are employed in the service industry, and 33% work for the government. Life expectancy is 71 years.

In the rural areas, many farming families live in bright wooden houses or adobe cottages. In the cities, most people live in row houses. Many wealthy people live in large Spanish-style homes with fancy gardens. These wealthy citizens are usually plantation owners.

Most Costa Ricans enjoy playing sports and attending sporting events. Some favorites include soccer (the national sport), basketball, baseball, bullfights, and tennis.