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{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = República de Costa Rica
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Costa Rica
|common_name = Costa Rica
|image_flag = Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg
|image_coat = Costa_rica_coa.png
|image_map = LocationCostaRica.svg
|national_motto = ''"Vivan siempre el trabajo y la paz"''<small><br/>"Long live work and peace"</small>
|national_anthem = '']''
|official_languages = ]
|capital = ]
|latd=9 |latm=56 |latNS=N |longd=84 |longm=5 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = Democratic republic
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|area_rank = 129th
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|area = 51,100
|areami² = 19,725 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|percent_water = 0.7
|population_estimate = 4,327,000
|population_estimate_rank = 119th
|population_estimate_year = 2005
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density = 85
|population_densitymi² = 220 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|population_density_rank = 107th
|GDP_PPP = $48.77 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 84th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2006
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $12,000
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 82nd
|sovereignty_type = ]
|established_event1 = from ]<br/>{{spaces|3}}(via&nbsp;])
|established_date1 = <br/>] ]
|established_event2 = from the ]
|established_date2 = ]
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.841
|HDI_rank = 48th
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|HPI = 3rd
|HPI_year = 2004
|currency = ]
|currency_code = CRC
|country_code =
|time_zone =
|utc_offset = -6
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = ]
|calling_code = 506
|footnotes =
}}

'''Costa Rica''' (literally "Rich Coast"), officially the '''Republic of Costa Rica''' (]: ''Costa Rica'' or ''República de Costa Rica'', ]: {{IPA|}}), is a country in ], bordered by ] to the north, ] to the south-southeast, the ] to the west and south, and the ] to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally ]. It is also the only country in which both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen from the same point.

==History==
{{main|History of Costa Rica}}
In ] times the ], in what is now known as Costa Rica, were part of the ] located between the ] and ] cultural regions. This has recently been updated to include the influence of the ] area.

It was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the ], was the southernmost point of ] cultural influence when the Spanish invaders (]) came in the ]. The center and southern portions of the country had ] influences. However, the indigenous people have influenced modern Costa Rican ] to a relatively small degree, as most of the Indians died from ] and mistreatment by the ]s.

Costa Rica was populated with African ]s in the ] and ], although most Caribbean Costa Ricans of African ascent descend from ]n workers brought in during the ] to work in the ] of ]s connecting the urban populations of the ] to the port of ] on the Caribbean coast.

During the nineteenth century, ] and ] ]s came to the country to work on the construction of the railroad system as well, but unlike the slaves, these newcomers did so for monetary gain and ]s acquirement.

==Geography==
]
]
{{main|Geography of Costa Rica}}
Costa Rica is located on the Central American ], 10° North of the ] and 84° West of the ]. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the ] (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometres (802&nbsp;]) of coastline (212&nbsp;km / 132&nbsp;mi on the Caribbean coast and 1,016&nbsp;km / 631&nbsp;mi on the Pacific). It is about the size of West Virginia.

Costa Rica also borders ] to the north (309&nbsp;km / 192&nbsp;mi of border) and ] to the south-southeast (639&nbsp;km / 397&nbsp;mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 ]) plus 589.000 square kilometers of ].

The highest point in the country is ], with 3,810 ]s (12,500&nbsp;]), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the ] (3,431&nbsp;m / 11,257&nbsp;ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is ].

Costa Rica also comprises several islands. ] stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24&nbsp;km² / 9.25&nbsp;sq&nbsp;mi, 500&nbsp;km or 300&nbsp;mi from ] coast), but ] is the biggest island of the country (151.6&nbsp;km² / 58.5&nbsp;sq&nbsp;mi).

Costa Rica protects over 25% of its national territory within national parks. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.&nbsp;

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Costa Rica}}
Costa Rica is a democratic ] with a strong ]. Although there are claims that the country has had more than 115 years of uninterrupted democracy, their ] history shows otherwise (see ]). Nonetheless, the country has had at least fifty-nine years of uninterrupted democracy, which is by far the longest in Latin America. It is one of the most stable countries in Latin America. Costa Rica has avoided the ] that has plagued Central America; it is seen as an example of ] in the region.

Executive responsibilities are vested in a ], who is the country's center of power. There also are two ]s as well as a ] designated by the ]. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven ] ]s are elected for four-year terms. A ] approved in ] limited presidents and delegates to one term, although delegates were allowed to run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.

In ] ], the constitutional ban on presidential re-election was reversed, allowing ] (] laureate, ]) to run for President for a second term. In ], ] was re-elected in tight and highly contested elections, running on a platform of promoting ]. He took office on ], 2006. On ], 2006, he met ] at the ].&nbsp;
The seven provinces are divided into 81 corners ("cantón" in spanish, plural "cantones"), each directed by a major. Majors are choosen democratically every four years by each corner's people. There are no provincial ]s. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the ] and ] ], the nationalized ]s, the state ] monopoly, and the ] agency. Costa Rica has no military by constitution but maintains domestic ]s for internal ].

{{seealso|Military of Costa Rica}}

==Administrative divisions==
]
{{main|Provinces of Costa Rica}}
Costa Rica is divided into ]:
{| class="wikitable"
| 1. ||width="85px"| ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| Political, technological and economical center of Costa Rica.
|-
| 2. || ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| Central and north of capital ]; agriculture and industrial manufacturing.
|-
| 3. || ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| Former colonial capital.
|-
| 4. || ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| Central and north of capital; industrial manufacturing.
|-
| 5. || ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| North-west; important tourist and agricultural area.
|-
| 6. || ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| Reaches along most of Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
|-
| 7. || ]
|style="font-size:90%;"| On Caribbean coast; agricultural and eco-tourism area.
|}

==Economy==
], Costa Rica.]]
]
{{main|Economy of Costa Rica}}
In recent times ], ], financial outsourcing, software development and ], have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's ]. High levels of ] among its residents make the country an attractive ] location.

The economy has been expanding for Costa Rica in part because the Government had implemented a seven-year plan of ] in the ] industry. The central government offers ]s for those who are willing to invest in the country. Several global high tech corporations have already started developing in the area ] goods including chip manufacturer ] and pharmaceutical company ] and consumer products company ]. Trade with ] and ] has boomed during ] and ], and the country is expected to obtain full ] (APEC) membership by ] (the country became an observer in 2004).

For the ] 2005, the country showed a government ] of 2.1%, ] increased an 18%, exports increased a 12.8% and the number of visiting tourists increased a 19%, reaching 1.5 million people. Revised economic figures released by the ] indicate that ] stood at 5%, nevertheless the country faced high ] (14%) and a ] of 5.2%. For ] the economy is expected to grow a 6.8%

The unit of ] is the ] (]), which trades around 518 to the ]; currently about 675 to the ]. On ], 2006, a new ] system was introduced, allowing the value of the CRC colón to float between two bands as done previously by ]. The idea is that by doing so the Central Bank will be able to better tackle inflation and discourage the use of US dollars. Since that time, the value of the colon against the dollar has stabilized.

Costa Rica's location provides easy access to American markets as it has the same ] as the central part of the United States and direct ocean access to ] and ].

==Foreign affairs==
Costa Rica is an active member of the ] and the ]. Costa Rica is seat of the ] and seat of the ] and many other international organizations related to ] and ].

Costa Rica's main ] objective is to foster human rights and sustainable development as a way to secure stability and growth.

Costa Rica is also a member of the ], without a ] of protection for the ]-military (as covered under ]).

==Flora and fauna==
] drying its feathers.]]
{{seealso|Wildlife of Costa Rica|List of birds of Costa Rica}}
Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of ]s and ]s. While the country has only about 0.1% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's ]. Over 25% of Costa Rica is composed of protected ]s and reserves.

One national park that is internationally-renowned among ] for its biodiversity (including big cats and ]) and where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife is the ].

Tortuguero National Park &ndash; the name ''Tortuguero'' can be translated as "Full of turtles" &ndash; is home to ], ] and ] monkeys, the ], 320 species of birds (including eight species of ]s), a variety of ]s, but is mostly recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered green turtle and is considered the most important nesting site for this species. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve hosts two thousand plant species, including numerous ]s. Over four hundred types of ]s can be found here, and over one hundred species of ]s. As a whole, around eight hundred species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. The (INBIO) is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance.

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Costa Rica}}
In 2005, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 4.43 million people. The majority of people in Costa Rica are descended from Spanish settlers. In contrast to its neighboring countries populations, little mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations occurred. Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of ] or to a lesser extent of mixed mestizo heritage. In addition, there are significant numbers of Costa Ricans of ], ], ], and ] descent. Together, European and Mestizos descendants make up a full 94% of the population. Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent who are called Afro-Costa Ricans and are English-speaking descendants of nineteenth century black ] immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of ].

As of today, the indigenous population numbers around 1.7%, or around 50,000 individuals. In ], a significant portion of the population descends from a mix of local Amerindians, Africans and Spaniards. There is also an ] community of people of all ages from the ], ], ], ], ], and other countries. There are also many Nicaraguan workers.

] is a major religion in Costa Rica. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are Christian&nbsp; and like many other parts of Latin America, ] denominations have been enjoying rapid growth. However, three in four Costa Ricans still adhere to ]. Due to small but recent immigration from Asia, the ], and other places, new religions have sprung up, the most popular being Buddhism (due to a growing Chinese community of 40,000), and smaller numbers of ], ], and ] adherents.

==Culture==
]
{{main|Culture of Costa Rica}}
Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as '']'' (masculine) or ''tica'' (feminine). "Tico" comes from the popular local usage of "tico" and "tica" as diminutive suffixes (e.g., "momentico" instead of "momentito"). The ''tico'' ideal is that of a very friendly, helpful, laid back, unhurried, educated and environmentally aware people. Visitors from the United States are often referred to as ''gringos'', which is virtually always congenial in nature. The phrase "''Pura Vida''" (literally "Pure Life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. It encapsulates the pervading ideology of living in peace in a calm, unclustered manner, appreciating a life surrounded by nature and family and friends.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}

Some might use ''maje'' or ''mae'' (''maje'' means "dumb") to refer to each other, although this might be perceived as slightly insulting to those of an older generation. Costa Rican traditions and culture tend to retain a strong degree of Spanish influence. Their spoken accent is rather different than its Central American counterparts. "''-ito''" or "''-ita''" are added to many words to make them sound more polite and courteous.

Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of ] cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (]) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had ] influences. However, the indigenous people have influenced modern Costa Rican culture to a relatively small degree, as most of the Indians died from disease and mistreatment by the Spaniards.

The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African slaves during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most Caribbean Costa Ricans of African descent, however, derive from nineteenth-century ]n workers, brought in to work on the construction of railroads between the urban populations of the Central Plateau and the port of ] on the Caribbean coast. Italian and Chinese immigrants also arrived at this time to work on the railroad construction.

==Education==
{{main|Education in Costa Rica}}
The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007), one of the highest in Latin America. Elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal public education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities.

==See also==
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==External links==
*{{dmoz|Regional/Central_America/Costa_Rica}}
; Government and administration
* {{es_icon}} Official presidential site.
* , National Biodiversity Institute.
* {{es_icon}} Costa Rican Constitution

; National anthem lyrics
* {{es_icon}} National Anthem Lyrics

; Travel & tourism
<!-- ********************************************************************
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* {{wikitravel|Costa Rica}}
* , Costa Rican Institute of Tourism.
* , Chibchan Language Trees

{{Template group
|title = Geographic locale
|list =
{{Central America}}
{{North Atlantic Ocean}}
{{Pacific Ocean}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{Latinunion}}
}}


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Revision as of 16:30, 21 March 2007