Costa Rica Fact Sheet:
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Size:
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19,730 sq mi (51,100 sq km)
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Population:
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4 million habitants
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Geographical Location:
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Tropical country located in Central America, between Nicaragua (to
the north) and Panama (to the south) and the Pacific Ocean (to the west)
and the Caribbean - Atlantic (to the east).
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Capital:
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San José
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Official Language:
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Spanish
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Currency:
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Costa Rican Colon (CRC). Although U.S. dollars are generally accepted in the tourist areas of Costa Rica we recommend exchanging your money for Costa Rican Colones. Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) and traveler's checks are widely accepted by larger businesses. ATM machines are also increasingly common in urban areas.
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Ethnic group:
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Most habitants are of European (mainly Spanish) descendant.
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Religion:
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Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholic); also Protestant, among others. Freedom of religion exists.
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Geography and climate:
The geography of
Costa Rica includes
beaches of black and white sand,
a great quantity of rivers, volcanoes and mountain ranges with zones of protected
forests where an enormous variety of fauna and flora exists. Consequently, the practice
of the
ecotourism and
adventure tourism are among favorites in the
country.
- Climate:
Costa Rica is a tropical and subtropical country with a dry season (December to April) and rainy season (May to November). The temperature in the central highlands is cooler.
- Temperature:
Depends more on the height than of the season.
- Average Temperature in San José:
Between 14 and 27°C (57 to 81°F)
- Average temperature in the Coast:
Approximately 30ºC (86º F) during the day and 21ºC (70ºF) at night.
- Time Zone:
Costa Rica is in the Central time zone (like Chicago, Houston, and Mexico City). It does not observe daylight savings time.
Stability and development:
Costa Rica is worldwide known as a peaceful country. The abolishment of their
army in 1948 has brought great economical and political stability to the country.
Also, Costa Rica is a country that loves its
nature, and protects it. This
makes it a great place for
investments and by far excellent
vacation
destination worldwide. Costa Rica has a very high human development index that includes
an average life expectance of 77,2 years and a literacy index of 96%. It is uncommon
to find serious sanitary problems in
Costa Rica. The country counts on
an excellent public system of security and social health, such as modern clinics
and private hospitals.
In
Costa Rica you can find two international airports. The most important
one is located in Alajuela (a few kilometers from San José – Santamaria
International Airport) and another one is located in Liberia (Daniel Oduber
International Airport),
Guanacaste,
which is one of the main tourist destinations on the Pacific Coast.
VISA Requirements:
Citizens of the United States, Canada, most Western European countries, and several Latin American countries do not need a visa for a stay of 90 days or less. Everybody will need a valid passport to enter
Costa Rica.