Welcome to Costa Rica
About Costa Rica
Officially we are the Republic of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is bounded on the north by Nicaragua, on the east by the Caribbean Sea, on the southeast by Panama, and on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. The capital and largest city is San José. In addition to the capital, other important cities are Alajuela, Heredia, Puntarenas, Liberia, and Cartago.
Fun facts about Costa Rica
It’s one of the happiest countries in the world. There are over 500,000 species of wildlife and of that 500,000, 900 of them are birds. We have sanctuaries that protect millions of turtles. There are over 200 volcanic formations. 25% of the land is protected through conservation. Costa Ricans have a high life expectancy. As one of the most stable countries in Latin America, Costa Rica has a long democratic tradition, a literacy rate of over 90%, and no army. The population is largely of Spanish descent, and the official language is Spanish. About 95% of the people are Roman Catholics.
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The country has evolved from an economy that once depended solely on agriculture, to one that is more diverse, based on tourism, electronics and medical components exports, medical manufacturing and IT services. Corporate services for foreign companies employ some 3% of the workforce Coffee, bananas, sugar, and beef are exported, as well as manufactured goods such as textiles. petroleum, machinery, consumer durables, chemicals, and foodstuffs. Tourism is the second biggest money-earner, after agriculture.
Government
The country is governed under the 1949 constitution. The president, a strong executive, serves a four-year term and may not be immediately reelected. The unicameral legislature is also elected for four years. There is universal adult suffrage, and voting is compulsory. The country is divided into seven provinces.