|
 For years, Costa Rica was
the well-kept secret of a few biologists, backpackers, and beachcombers, but that's all changed. Today, the country
is a major international vacation destination. Despite this newfound popularity, Costa Rica remains a place rich
in natural wonders and biodiversity but relatively young in infrastructure and luxurious beach resorts and hotels.
Costa Rica is a great gateway to Central America and a good choice, when the Caribbean and Mexico have become old
hat. Here, you can still find uncrowded and unpoiled beaches that stretch on for miles, small lodgings that haven't
attracted hordes of tourists, jungle rivers for rafting and kayaking, spectacular scuba diving , and cloud and
rain forests with ample opportunities for bird watching and hiking.
Costa Rica extends majestically from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and its distance is barely 200 miles.
Its land portion  ocuppies
only 20 thousand square miles.
Costa Rica’s territorial division includes 7 provinces which are: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia,
Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. Together they offer an many exciting tourist destinations, with nearly
unlimited possibilities, including extense rainforests, volcanoes, rivers travelling through the mountains, beaches
and natural resources safeguarded by an important organization of national parks and forest reserves.
If you travel throughout these provinces of Costa Rica, it’s easy to notice that in no other place will you find
fields with so many variations in their landscape and climate as here.
Costa Rica´s year round climate is pleasant with naturally occurring breezes cooling down most of the coastal
areas. Temperatures in the highlands and the mountains are warm by day and brisk at night giving an "eternal
spring" feeling. The average annual temperatures range from 31.7°C (89°F) on the coast to 16.7°C
(62°F) inland. The rainy, or green, season lasts from May to December with noticeably drier days during the
rest of the year.
Background
Costa Rica is a Central American success
story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development.
Although still a largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism
sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
The Ticos, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, are a mix of races. Though most of the country’s 3.3 million inhabitants
descend from Spanish immigrants, many families originated in other parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and, within Central
America.
You may be surprised by the number of fair-skinned people you’ll see in the country, especially in the Central
Valley.
In the lowlands, more people are mestizos -that is mixture of European and Indigenous blood- whereas most along
the Caribbean coast belong to an African lineage, and much of the Talamanca Mountain Range is inhabited by full-blooded
Indians of various tribes.
Costa Rica At a Glance
Language: Spanish (official), English
Government: Democratic republic
Capital: San Jose
Size: total: 51,100 sq km, coastline: 1,290 km
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and
Panama
Climate: Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Electricity: Outlets are 110 V, with standard US two prong plugs.
Currency: Costa Rican colon (CRC)
Driving: You are allowed to drive with your normal drivers license for three months.
Rentals: Many international and local companies are found throughout the country.
|
