|
Location…
Located in Central America, Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It has 912 miles of coastline, west Pacific Ocean and east the Caribean Sea. Between the two radically different coastlines is 20,480 square miles of mountainous terrain with nine volcanoes, a couple of which are still active. Costa Rica offers 6% of the world's biodiversity. To accommodate all of that nature, 21% of the countries land is protected, making it a natural sanctuary.
Getting here…
San José is the capital city of Costa Rica, and is easily accessible from many international locations. Several international airports in the United States offer daily flights with prices ranging between $300-$700 (depending on the season). Costa Rica is only a 2.5 hour flight from Miami, Florida. A visa is not necessary to travel to Costa Rica from the United States. The legal stay goes for up to three months. After the three months, a tourist must leave the country for 72 hours before coming back, and can then stay for another three months before repeating this process. For people enjoying extended stays in Costa Rica, residency options are available.
Political division
Provinces
Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas and Limón, each offering distinctive characteristics.
San José is the core of the country. Located in the Central Valley, surrounded by towering green mountains, the capital city is vibrant and not as intimidating as most Central American capitals. Several downtown parks provide serene green oasis among the stresses of city life. Nightlife is exciting and international restaurants are abundant. A variety of museums, including the 100 year-old National Theater and several dance and theater companies make San José a cultural capital as well.
Alajuela stretches from the Central Mountain Range to the productive northern plains, presenting a extraordinary diversity of dazzling landscapes. You may visit two of the most admired active volcanoes in the country, Poas and Arenal. The main crater of Poas, a mile in diameter, displays fumerol and geyser activity that has earned the distinction of the largest geyser in the world. Arenal regularly amazes visitors with its eruptions of ash and
lava. Relaxing in the thermal waters at Tabacon Hot Springs, in the shade of Arenal, is the perfect way to end a day of jungle exploration. The artisan center of Sarchi is home to Costa Rica's famous hand-painted oxcarts.
Cartago. The colonial atmosphere of the area and lunar-like landscape of Irazu , the country's tallest volcano, expect visitors to this historic province. Guayabo National Park exhibits excavations of important pre-Columbian structures here in Cartago.
Heredia. elevated mountains thick with tropical forests, stunning waterfalls, and powerful rivers offer settings for a huge number of nature and adventure activities. The rugged mountains of Braulio Carrillo National Park are characterized by broad forests, deep rivers cutting through abrupt canyons and innumerable waterfalls. Nature is the main point of activities in this province, where you can take a relaxing cable car ride through the rain forest canopy, hike rugged forest trails, or dare white water rapids.
Guanacaste named after the large umbrella-like trees widespread in the zone, include a vast area of diverse topography. From the boiling mud pots of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, to the sunny beaches of the Pacific coast, this area of the country offers much to the adventurous tourist and sun worshipper. Amazing scuba diving with abundant ocean life is unique. This area is world known for its astonishing sport fishing. Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks are vital protected areas for the dry Pacific climatic zone. Santa Rosa is also a very important historic site and protects relics of structures dating from the colonial age and Costa Rica's struggles for independence. The seasonal lake of Palo Verde National Park attracts the major concentration of waterfowl and wading birds in Central America.
Puntarenas is blessed with seemingly endless beaches, Puntarenas stretches along two-thirds of the country's Pacific coast to the southern border with Panama. The always popular Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most beautiful in the country, and a south Pacific paradise. The thick rich green jungle of Corcovado National Park stands as an undamaged display of tropical nature. The private Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the richest in the world. Straddling the Continental Divide, this is the only known habitat of the extremely odd golden toad.
Limon The crystal clear Caribbean Sea province, with 130 miles of sandy beaches and coconut palms. Barra del Colorado offers world-class tarpon and snook fishing. The beach at Tortuguero National park is the most important nesting site in the western Caribbean for the green sea turtle. Cahuita National Park and Manzanillo offer excellent scuba diving throughout the year. The laid-back Afro-Caribbean environment is famous for its typical dishes and European influence.
Natural resources….
Economy
Costa Rica is a non military country, having dissolved its army in 1949. Costa Rica dedicates its money to healthcare and education. The country spends 32% of its year budget on social healthcare. Education is highly regarded in Costa Rica; the literacy rate is 96.5% and 18.5% of residents pursue higher education, which make the country an attractive investing location. The currency used is the colon, which is currently exchanged for the U.S. dollar at 515:1. (¢515 = $1.00)
Costa Rica has many government, private, international and national banks that offer great financing plans for the acquisition of many types of assets.
Recently electronics, pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development and ecotourism, have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy.
Many global high tech corporations have already started developing in the area exporting goods including chip manufacturer Intel and pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline and consumer products company Procter & Gamble. Trade with South East Asia and Russia has boomed during 2004 and 2005, and the country is expected to obtain full Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) membership by 2007 (the country became an observer in 2004).
For the year 2005 the country showed exports increased a 12.8% and the number of visiting tourists increased a 19%, reaching 1.5 million people.October 16, 2006 a new currency exchange system was introduced, allowing the value of the CRC colón to float between two bands as done previously by Chile. The idea is that by doing so the Central Bank will be able to better tackle inflation and discourage the use of US dollars.
Weather
There are two main seasons in Costa Rica: the dry and the rainy season. The dry season extends from December to May with slightly shorter days, since Costa Rica is tropical country; there is a slight chance of rain! The "green" rainy season offers slightly cooler temperatures because of the increase in rainfall, and extends from June to November. The temperature varies between 60º and 100º, depending on the area of the country. The west coast - the Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces are the hottest and driest. The other provinces are much more moderate.
As Costa Rica is only 9° above the equator, it enjoys intense sun exposure. And when the sun sets, usually between 5-6pm, it is very dark. Being so close to the equator prevents long dusks and dawns, and creates astonishing sunsets.
|