Fast Facts
A Peaceful Country: In the Western Hemisphere, Costa Rica is the only country without an army or military of any kind.
Location: situated in the Central American isthmus, immediately north of Panama, with ports in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and 153 highway miles between them.
Longevity: Costa Ricans have a life expectancy of 76 years.
Social Plan: The Costa Rican Social Security Service is intended to cover 100% of the population. Currently 90% of the inhabitants are members and the rest are covered by the federal government.
Immense Diversity: Due to its geographical location, Costa Rica bridges the northern and southern most points of the two American contents. This makes Costa Rica the meeting point of a variety of cultures and a density of plant and animal species said to be unlike any other country in the world.
Population:
4.0 million (figure taken in year 2000) Men: 49,86% - Women: 50,14%
Density: 203.5 inhabitants per square mile
Life Expectancy: 76.1 years
Literacy Rate: 96.2%
Student Population: (primary and secondary) 889,306
Educational Institutions: 6147 primary and secondary schools
Education Expenditures: US $980 M (200), or 6.25% of the GDP. Minimum fixed by law at 6% of GDP.
Population Recieving Piped Water: 99%
Public Health Services Coverage: 90.4% of population
Health Expenditures: 27.8% of government total
Access to Telephone Service: 92% of population
Area: 51,000 square kilometers (19,652 sq. miles)
Country Capital: San José
Major Metropolitan Center: San José (1 M)
Government: Constitutional
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
Habitat: Ranges from humid lowland jungles to arid bare mountain peaks.
Length of the Pacific Coastline: 640 miles
Length of the Caribbean Coastline: 132 miles
Highest Point: Mount Chirripó
Hundreds of Birds: Costa Rica has approximately 850 bird species, 600 of which are non-migratory. The other birds migrate during the North American winter, making a stop in Costa Rica before continuing on to South America.
Plant Species: 9000
Insect Species: 34,000
Mammalian Species: 205
Reptilian Species: 220
Amphibian Species: 160
Plethora of Protected Land: Costa Rica is among the countries with the highest amount of protected land in the world; 25% of the national territory is dedicated to the national park system or biological, marine and land reserves, as well as other natural wildlife areas.
Healthy Environs:The best tourist beaches in Costa Rica have been awarded the Ecological Blue Flag which ensures hygenic/sanitary conditions and proper management.
Earthquakes: The tectonic plates under Costa Rica shift from time to time, creating anywhere from 2 to 40 earthquakes in a month's time. These tremors are usually rather slight and barely noticeable. Occasionally one will be a little stronger, registering around 5 on the Richter scale, doing little damage other than shaking your feelings of security.
Tourism Watchdog:Costa Rica has a Sustainable Tourism Certification (STC) program; its goal is to classify and certify tourism companies based on how well their operations match a sustainability model.
