The Costa Rica Portal
Republic of Costa Rica República de Costa Rica (Spanish) | |
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| Anthem: "Himno Nacional de Costa Rica" (Spanish) "National Anthem of Costa Rica" | |
| ISO 3166 code | CR |
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Costa Rica (UK: /ˌkɒstə ˈriːkə/, US: /ˌkoʊstə-/ ⓘ; Spanish: [ˈkosta ˈrika]; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America. Costa Rica is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around five million0 in a land area of 51,060 km2 (19,710 sq mi). An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José, with around two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.
The sovereign state is a unitary presidential constitutional republic. It has a long-standing and stable democracy and a highly educated workforce. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, corporate services for foreign companies, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism. Many foreign manufacturing and services companies operate in Costa Rica's Free Trade Zones (FTZ) where they benefit from investment and tax incentives.
Costa Rica was inhabited by indigenous peoples before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century. It remained a peripheral colony of the empire until independence as part of the First Mexican Empire, followed by membership in the Federal Republic of Central America, from which it formally declared independence in 1847. Following the brief Costa Rican Civil War in 1948, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army. (Full article...)
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Costa Rica is divided into three major drainage basins encompassing 34 watersheds with numerous rivers and tributaries, one major lake used for hydroelectric generation, and two major aquifers that serve to store 90% of the municipal, industrial, and agricultural water supply needs of Costa Rica. Agriculture is the largest water user demanding around 53% of total supplies while the sector contributes 6.5% to the Costa Rica GDP. About a fifth of land under cultivation is being irrigated by surface water. Hydroelectric power generation makes up a significant portion of electricity usage in Costa Rica and much of this comes from the Arenal dam.
Total water usage is very high in comparison to other Central American countries, but when measured against available freshwater sources, Costa Rica uses only 5% of its available supply. Urbanization is increasing and as it does, demand for water is expected to rise exponentially in the coming decades. There exists ample water but the threat of widespread contamination to the aquifers is legitimate as untreated wastewater, stormwater, and industrial effluents infiltrate subterranean supplies. (Full article...)Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that footballer Alexandra Pinell scored the Costa Rica U20 team's only goal at the FIFA tournament hosted by their country?
- ... that to animate conquistadors in Jungle Cruise, frogs were recorded in a Costa Rican forest?
- ... that while Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Barrios was exiled from Nicaragua and living in Costa Rica in the 1980s, his sister Claudia was there as Nicaragua’s ambassador?
- ... that Marita Camacho Quirós, who was First Lady of Costa Rica (1962–1966), is the oldest former first lady in the world and a supercentenarian?
- ... that in August 2021 Sheika Scott became the youngest player to score in the Costa Rican Women's Premier Division, at just 14 years old?
- ... that goalkeeper Daniela Solera had the most touches of any Costa Rican player in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup?
More Did you know -
...that Pancha Carrasco became Costa Rica's first woman in the military by joining the defending forces at the Battle of Rivas in 1856 with a rifle and a pocketful of bullets?
Related portals
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Arenal Volcano, located in northwestern Costa Rica
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A wave at Punta Cocles, Costa Rica
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The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Cartago, located in the city of Cartago, Costa Rica
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A view of Heredia
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A detailed map of Costa Rica (1987)
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The fort in Heredia, Costa Rica in 2010, after its 2009 restoration
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Beachgoers and an air show at Puntarenas, 2013
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Costa Rica 1897 20 Colones (proof) from the first year of issue for coinage
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A Costa Rican breakfast with gallo pinto
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The Jenaro Valverde Marín Tower in San José, Costa Rica, an example of brutalist architecture
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Costa Rica news
- 1 August 2023 –
- The Public Prosecutor of Costa Rica launches an influence peddling investigation into President Rodrigo Chaves Robles and several other government officials. (AFP via New Vision)
- 7 June 2023 –
- In a report published in Biology Letters, researchers reveal the first-known case of facultative parthenogenesis or a "virgin birth" in a crocodile, where a female American crocodile living in isolation at a Costa Rican zoo laid an egg of a fully formed stillborn crocodile that exhibited parthenogenesis. Researchers suggest that the findings could provide insights into the reproduction of crocodile ancestors, including dinosaurs and pterosaurs. (USA Today)
- 19 April 2023 – Crime in Costa Rica
- President Rodrigo Chaves orders a series of measures to fight increasing crime in Costa Rica, including the deployment of more police, tougher juvenile laws, extradition of foreign criminals, and restrictions on the sale of ammunition. (Reuters)
WikiProjects
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Gallo Pinto (from Culture of Costa Rica)
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The 1849 national coat of arms was featured in the first postal stamp issued in 1862. (from History of Costa Rica)
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Gregorio José Ramírez was the most notable political chief of the province of Costa Rica, leading republican forces victorious in the Battle of Ochomogo. (from History of Costa Rica)
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José María Castro Madriz formally declared Costa Rica as independent from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1848. (from History of Costa Rica)
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Costa Rican Women in traditional dress (from Culture of Costa Rica)
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José Figueres Ferrer's symbolic act of the army's abolition on December 1st, 1948 at Cuartel Bellavista, today the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. (from History of Costa Rica)
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Typical settlement of the Diquis indigenous people before the arrival of Columbus. (from History of Costa Rica)
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Costa Rican kids. (from Culture of Costa Rica)
Topics
| Province of San José de Costa Rica | ||
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Armed conflicts involving Costa Rica | ||
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Mountains of Costa Rica | ||
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