| Location: |
Costa Rica borders on Nicaragua to the north, Panamá to
the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the
east. |
| Size: |
Costa Rica is 20,000 square miles (about the size of West
Virginia in the U.S.) |
| Capital: |
San José (population 1.2 million) offers sight-seeing,
shopping, dining and day tours. |
| Climate: |
Costa Rica has essentially two seasons: the green season
from May to October and the dry season from November to April. In the
Central Valley, the climate is referred to as one of perpetual spring. The
average temperature in the highlands is 72º F, while along the coast the
temperature ranges from the 70's to the 90's. San José has an average
temperature of 75º F. |
| Language: |
The language of Costa Rica is Spanish; however, English is
widely spoken. |
| Government: |
Free and independent republic with a democratic government
elected by popular vote; executive, legislative, and judicial branches as
in the USA. In 1949 Costa Rica formally abolished its army. |
| Currency and Exchange: |
The local currency is called the colón. Current exchange
rates can be found in the local newspaper. Credit cards and US. dollars
are widely accepted in the main towns. |
| National Parks, Reserves, and
Refuges: |
Twenty-seven percent of Costa Rica has been designated
national parks, biological reserves, wildlife refuges, or some other
category of protected area, both private and public. That is more than a
quarter of the country, protecting somewhere between 500,000 and one
million total species of flora and fauna. |
| Entry Requirements: |
Citizens of the United States need to present a valid
passport or proof of citizenship in conjunction with a photo
identification. |
| Time: |
Costa Rica's time is the same as USA Central Standard
Time. |
