About Costa Rica
Costa Rica, in Central America is bordered by Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South with the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Caribbean Sea to the East.
Abolishing its army in 1948, it is the only Latin American country included in the list of the world's 22 older democracies. Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index, ranked 62nd in the world in 2010, and is cited by the UNDP as one of the countries that has attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels. The country is ranked 3rd in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index.
In 2007 the Costa Rican government announced plans for Costa Rica to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021. According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the "greenest" country in the world.
The highest regions of Costa Rica are found in the center of the country while the lowlands, which are more extensive and flat, extend to the Caribbean Coast on the northeast and to the northwest on the Pacific side. The Pacific Coast is more dissected, forming many bays, capes, cliffs and inlets. The Costa Rican mountain ranges form an independent group, part of the Central American massif. Three of these ranges run roughly from northwest to southeast, with a fourth (The Central Range) crossing them at the widest part of the country, thus forming a huge cross. Two volcanic ranges dominate northwestern Costa Rica. The first is the Guanacaste Volcanic Chain with its Orosi, Miravalles, Tenorio, Rincón de la Vieja and Arenal volcanos. Arenal offers fairly constant eruptions, especially breathtaking at night, while Rincón de la Vieja's activity keeps natural mud pots in its foothills, bubbling permanently. The second range is the Tilarán Volcanic Chain in the northwest, formed by the hills of Abangares, Aguacate and Catedral. In the transverse chain of the central highlands, Poás, Barva, Irazú and Turrialba Volcanos are more accessible. Finally, to the south, are Costa Rica's highest mountains, those of the non-volcanic Talamanca Range. Of these, Chirripó Mountain is the most impressive, being the highest mountain in the country, 3,821 meters above sea level.
The Caribbean coastline stretches for 212 km in a generally north-south direction. It is divided into two distinct sections; the San Juan River on the Nicaraguan border to the city of Limón and that which extends from the city of Limón to the Sixaola River on the border with Panamá. The first section consists of a long stretch of coastline that separates a series of estuary lagoons and waterways, fed by numerous rivers, from the sea. These make up the famous Tortuguero Canals, over 100 km long. These navigable canals are the habitat of seven species of turtles.
The Pacific Coast extends over 1,016 km from one border to the other and offers a wide variety of geological features. From Salinas Bay in the north to the tip of Burica Point in the south, the Pacific Beaches of Costa Rica offer an almost infinite number of beaches for tourist enjoyment.
The Santa Elena, Nicoya and Osa Peninsulas are the principal ones on the Pacific side.
Two ferries cross the Nicoya Gulf, shortening the route to the isolated beaches of the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The shoreline of the gulf has many bays and promontories and is dotted with small islands.
The Osa Peninsula, covered by great tracts of virgin forest with the most extensive variety of native species to be found in the country, lies on the western side of the Golfo Dulce.
