Costa Rica

Costa Rica, with its capital San Jose, is located Central America and borders both the Caribbean Sea and north Pacific Ocean; between Nicaragua and Panama. The total area is 51,100 sq. km. and is compared to being slightly smaller than West Virginia. It has a tropical and subtropical climate with a dry season from December to April. The rainy season is from May to November and is cooler in the highlands. The country's terrain has coastal plains separated by rugged mountains. Hydropower is the main natural resource. Some of their current environmental issues are deforestation and land use change due to a result of cattle ranching and agriculture. In addition, soil erosion, water pollution in rivers, coastal marine pollution, wetlands degradation, fisheries protection, solid waste management, and air pollution are other concerns as well.

In July 2001, the population size was estimated at 3,773,057. Costa Rica's official language is Spanish. However, English is spoken around parts of the country. Some of their industries include: microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, and plastic products. Their agricultural products consist of: coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes, beef, and timber.

Click here for information about the wildlife and habitats of Central and South America.