[133] The expression is used in various contexts in conversation. While the country has only about 0.03% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. Ticos, as the people of Costa Rica are called, use the phrase pura vida (pure life) in their everyday speech, as a greeting or to show appreciation for something. The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27C (81F), 20C (68F) in the main populated areas of the Cordillera Central, and below 10C (50F) on the summits of the highest mountains. Costa Rica experiences a tropical climate year-round. Aside from the Caribbean Coast, the Coco River makes up a section of the eastern border. Land boundaries: total: 661 km. Agriculture is the largest water user demanding around 53% of total supplies while the sector contributes 6.5% to the Costa Rica GDP. About 7% of GDP is allocated to the health sector, and over 70% is government-funded. Other significant lakes include Lake Cote and Lake Bonilla. Northeasterly trade winds on the Caribbean provide ample year-round precipitation for the countrys east coast, with the heaviest amounts occurring in the Barra del Colorado region. The conflict was won by the Republicans and, as a consequence, the city of Cartago lost its status as the capital, which moved to San Jos.[32][33][34]. [76] Similarly, Costa Rica has a tax on water pollution to penalize businesses and homeowners that dump sewage, agricultural chemicals, and other pollutants into waterways. There are two seasons. Spaniards brought many new ingredients to the country from other lands, especially spices and domestic animals. Many countries are reopening their borders for international travel. Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 82 cantons (Spanish: cantn, plural cantones), each of which is directed by a mayor. [citation needed]. territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm . Because of its location, warm weather predominates, but many different microclimates are found throughout . [127], A Creole-English language, Jamaican patois (also known as Mekatelyu), is an English-based Creole language spoken by the Afro-Carib immigrants who have settled primarily in Limn Province along the Caribbean coast. Flugh.) [141][142][143], Football is the most popular sport in Costa Rica. For this purpose, in the 1870s, the Costa Rican government contracted with U.S. businessman Minor C. Keith to build a railroad from San Jos to the Caribbean port of Limn. [26] The name may also have come from conquistador Gil Gonzlez Dvila, who landed on the west coast in 1522, encountered natives, and obtained some of their gold, sometimes by violent theft and sometimes as gifts from local leaders. A new border crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua over the Rio San Juan, which forms part of the border between the two countries, is scheduled to be open in 2014. Freshwater withdrawal is 5.77km3/year (15%/9%/77%), or per capita: 1,582 m3/year. Mexico borders it to the north and Guatemala to the south and west. International Union for Conservation of Nature, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, "Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica, Volcn Arenal, Map, Eruptions", "Klimatafel von San Jos (Int. The wetlands, which include the Tortuguero and Cao Negro wildlife refuges, are other vital geographical features. The impact of indigenous peoples on modern Costa Rican culture has been relatively small compared to other nations since the country lacked a strong native civilization, to begin with. Coffee production remained Costa Rica's principal source of wealth well into the 20th century, creating a wealthy class of growers, the so-called Coffee Barons. In the 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Costa Rica ranked 44th in the world and second among Latin American countries after Mexico in 2011. ", "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity Supplementary Material", "Global Finance Magazine - Costa Rica GDP and Economic Data", "Costa Rica Economy GDP, Inflation, CPI and Interest Rate", "IMF Mission Concludes Visit to Costa Rica", "Costa Rica "Playing With Fire" By Delaying Fiscal Reform Says Intl Expert Costa Rica Star News", "Major Business Success for Costa Rica Free Trade Zones Costa Rica Star News", "Okay Industries Expands Operation in Costa Rica and Reinvests US$ 2 Million", "Costa Rica employment by economic sector Statistic", "Costa Rica records lowest poverty figures in seven years", "Costa Rica's Healthcare: One of the Best at a Low Cost The Costa Rica News", "The Structure of the Educational System in Costa Rica - CostaRicaLaw.com", "Costa Rica - Import Tariffs - export.gov", "OEC Costa Rica (CRI) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners", "Costa Rica's Fruits Exports Beyond Pineapples And Bananas", Costa Rica sustainable resource management: Successfully tackling tropical deforestation, "Costa Rica taxing firms that dump wastewater into rivers", "Bright Green: Costa Rica and New Zealand on Path to Carbon Neutrality", "Costa Rica uses 100 pct. The bureaucracy is "often slow and cumbersome". Because of the countrys peaceful reputation and its commitment to human rights, several nongovernmental organizations and pro-democracy foundations have their headquarters in San Jos. In exchange for completing the railroad, the Costa Rican government granted Keith large tracts of land and a lease on the train route, which he used to produce bananas and export them to the United States. Costa Rica ( UK: / kst rik /, US: / kost / ( listen); Spanish: [kosta rika]; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Repblica de Costa Rica ), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast,. What countries do Italy border? Factbook > Countries > Costa Rica > Geography. [114] In 2016, the country was called a "magnet" for migrants from South and Central America and other countries who were hoping to reach the U.S.[115][116], Most Costa Ricans identify with a Christian religion, with Catholicism being the one with the largest number of members and also the official state religion according to the 1949 Constitution, which at the same time guarantees freedom of religion. On 1 June 2007, Costa Rica broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan, switching recognition to the People's Republic of China. [22] The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance. With uninterrupted democracy dating back to at least 1948, the country is the region's most stable.[47][48]. At the countrys narrowest point, the distance between the Pacific and the Caribbean is only about 75 miles (120 km). [104] The BOGA campaign was presented in the COP26 Climate Summit, where Sweden joined as a core member, while New Zealand and Portugal joined as associate members. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from northern Guatemala to central Panama. The above blank map represents the Republic of Costa Rica, a Central American nation. Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side. Despite enormous difficulties with construction, disease, and financing, the railroad was completed in 1890. Area: 51,100 square kilometers (approximately 32,311.3 square miles) Population: 4.560.000 people Population Density: 89.24 per km2 Official language: Opinionator A Gathering of Opinion From Around the Web Borderlines The First Google Maps War By Frank Jacobs February 28, 2012 12:30 pm Comment Borderlines explores the global map, one line at a. An 1858 treaty extended navigation rights to Costa Rica, but Nicaragua denied passenger travel and fishing were part of the deal; the court ruled Costa Ricans on the river were not required to have Nicaraguan tourist cards or visas as Nicaragua argued, but, in a nod to the Nicaraguans, ruled that Costa Rican boats and passengers must stop at the first and last Nicaraguan port along their route. The above map can be downloaded, printed and used for educational purpose like map-pointing activities and coloring. Costa Rica took in many refugees from a range of other Latin American countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 1980s, notably from Chile and Argentina, as well as people from El Salvador who fled from guerrillas and government death squads. Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The name la costa rica, meaning "rich coast" in the Spanish language, was in some accounts first applied by Christopher Columbus, who sailed to the eastern shores of Costa Rica during his final voyage in 1502,[25] and reported vast quantities of gold jewelry worn by natives. Throughout the 1970s and 80s Costa Rica managed to stay relatively peaceful compared with its war-torn neighbours. Costa Rica hosts many refugees, mainly from Colombia and Nicaragua. Since then, Costa Rica has held 15 additional presidential elections, the latest in 2022. [91] The Ethical Traveler group's ten countries on their 2017 list of The World's Ten Best Ethical Destinations includes Costa Rica. Arias announced that both countries would exchange ambassadors. Straddling the Central Valley are the impressive mountain ranges, which include the Cordillera Volcanica to the north and the Cordillera de Talamanca to the south. Two coastal plains - the Caribbean and the Pacific - flank these central mountains. This case was entered in the General List of the Court under the title Certain Activities Carried Out by Nicaragua in the Border Area (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua) (hereinafter the " Costa Rica v. Nicaragua case"). The area is 51,100km2 of which 40km2 is water. The Pacific coastal plain, also known as the Guanacaste Plain, is drier and more agriculturally oriented, supporting vast cattle ranches and fields of sugarcane, while the Caribbean coastal plain, often referred to as the Limn coastal plain, is marked by lush rainforests and extensive banana plantations. [55] The country had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.65/10, ranking it 118th globally out of 172 countries. The nation's coastal plain is separated by the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca, which form the spine of the country and separate the Pacific and Caribbean drainage divides. which forms their shared border. (Geologists and physical geographers sometimes extend the northern boundary to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico.) Until 1849, when it became part of Panama, Chiriqu was part of Costa Rica. The majority of the Afro-Costa Ricans are Creole English-speaking descendants of 19th century black Jamaican immigrant workers.[107][108]. The Department of Culture, Youth, and Sports is in charge of the promotion and coordination of cultural life. While border runs - the process of leaving Costa Rica and returning immediately or in a matter of a day or two to renew one's legal permanence in the country - is not required until June 1,. There are no provincial legislatures. The population includes European Costa Ricans (of European ancestry), primarily of Spanish descent,[2] with significant numbers of Italian, German, English, Dutch, French, Irish, Portuguese, and Polish families, as well a sizable Jewish community. All children under one have access to well-baby clinics, and the immunization coverage rate in 2020 was above 95% for all antigens. [14] Well over half of that type of investment has come from the U.S.[61] According to the government, the zones supported over 82,000 direct jobs and 43,000 indirect jobs in 2015. border countries (2): Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km. Otherwise to the north it's Peas Blancas, to the south and east the Panama border, and to the west the Santa Elena Peninsula. The unpopularity of Tinoco's regime led, after he was overthrown, to a considerable decline in the size, wealth, and political influence of the Costa Rican military. [15] Some of the country's most endangered species are the harpy eagle, the giant anteater, the golden toad and the jaguar. In 1973, the CCSS took over administration of all 29 of the country's public hospitals and all health care, also launching a Rural Health Program (Programa de Salud Rural) for primary care to rural areas, later extended to primary care services nationwide. [READ MORE] Embassy Messages Alerts Weather Alert for U.S. Citizens - Hurricane Season 2023 Tue, 13 Jun 2023 Health Alert: U.S. Embassy, San Jose Thu, 13 Apr 2023