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Country Fact File : Costa Rica
Wildlife Expedition in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Flag Costa Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbors and an ecotourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. Costa Rica's enlightened approach to conservation has ensured that lush jungles are home to playful monkeys, languid sloths, crocodiles, countless lizards, poison-dart frogs and a mind-boggling assortment of exotic birds, insects and butterflies. Meanwhile, endangered sea turtles nest on both coasts and cloud forests protect elusive birds and jungle cats. Thrill seekers can fly through forests on zip lines, peer into boiling volcanoes, surf oversized waves and dive with dolphins and whales – all in the course of a normal day. Then again, if you have some serious chilling to do, you can always lounge in a hammock and enjoy the pure life, or pura vida – a national expression that sums up the desire to live the best, most hassle-free existence.

Location	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Area	51,100 sq km
Border Countries	Nicaragua and Panama
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 volcanoes
Highest Point	Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
Natural Hazards	Occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
Environmental Issues	Deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution
Population	3,956,507 (July 2004 est.)
Ethnic Groups	White (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Languages	Spanish (official), English
Type of Government	Democratic Republic
Capital	San Jose
Independence Day	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Chief of State/ Head of Government	Chief of State: President Oscar Arias (since 8 May 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Currency	Costa Rican colon (CRC)
Time	GMT -6

Useful Numbers & Web Addresses

International dialing code: +506 (From April 2008 need to add new prefix after country code and before number; 2 for landline numbers and 8 for mobile numbers)

Police tel: 911

Ambulance tel: 911

British Embassy: Apartado 815-1007, Edificio Centro Colón, (Piso/floor 11) San José. Tel: (506) 2 258 2025. Email: britemb@racsa.co.cr

Embassy in UK: Flat 1, 14 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3LH. Tel: (020) 7706 8844. Email: costaricanembassy@btconnect.com