Costa Rica

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Costa Rica's Information


Capital	San Jose
Languages	Spanish (official), English
Ethnic Groups	White or mestizo 83.6%, mulato 6.7%, indigenous 2.4%, black of African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Area	51,100.00 km²
Water Area	40.00 km²
Land Area	51,060.00 km²
Population	4,872,543.00 Roughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one-fifth of the population
Location	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km
GDP(PPP)	$79,260,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$16,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, China, and Mexico.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are bananas, pineapple, coffee and melons.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the United States, China, and Mexico.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include raw materials, consumer goods, and capital equipment.
Climate	Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Terrain	Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes

Where is Costa Rica?

Located in Central America, and borders both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, Costa Rica has a 661.00 km border with Nicaragua (313 km) and Panama (348 km). It has a 1,290.00 km coastline. Costa Rica and Nicaragua regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River.

San José can be translated to mean Saint Joseph. Costa Rica’s capital was named after Joseph of Nazareth. He was the biblical human father of Jesus Christ. San José is popular for being one of the safest cities in Latin America. The city bustles with many commercial activities and expressions of architecture and art.

Geography

Costa Rica has a mean elevation of 746 m above sea level.

It has a climate that ranges from tropical to subtropical, with a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from December to March. Its terrain is made up of coastal plains, separated by rugged mountains and active volcanoes.

Population

Costa Rica has a population of 4,872,543 making it the 123rd largest in the world. The majority of the country lives in urban areas.

Spanish is the official language. The majority ethnic groups are white or mestizo, mulato, or indigenous. The majority of the country is Roman Catholic.

The official language spoken in Costa Rica is Spanish. It is also the most commonly spoken language. Apart from the Spanish, there are many other Indigenous languages spoken in the country.

Government

Costa Rica is an independent country. It gained independence from Spain in 1821. Its constitution was last ratified in 1949.

Costa Rica’s constitution allows their presidents and all other elected persons in government only one term to serve the people. Costa Rica is a democratic, independent and free republic. It gained its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Costa Rica's GDP is $79,260,000,000.00 (USD) with $16,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 92nd largest economy and its citizens the 98th richest in the world. The currency of Costa Rica is the Colon (CRC).

Its major export partners are the United States, China, and Mexico. Its main exports are bananas, pineapple, coffee and melons. Its major import partners are the United States, China, and Mexico. Its major imports include raw materials, consumer goods, and capital equipment.

Flag

A country's flag is its identification. Designed by First Lady Oreamuno in 1848, the Costa Rican flag is one of the country's symbols of unity. Since 1823, the country has changed its flag over four times before adopting its current flag.