Terrain

Several mountain ranges run through the country from north-west to south-east. These include the Cordillera de Talamanca, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera de Guanacaste. The highest mountains are the Chirripó Grande (3,819 m) and the active volcano Irazú (3,432 m). The country's main settlement area is the central plateau, the Meseta Central, located between the ranges.

The pacific coastline is longer than the Caribbean and is marked by numerous bays, peninsulas, headlands and gulfs with cliffs and rocky areas, such as the Gulf of Nicoya, the Gulf of Dulce and Coronado Bay. The east coast lies lower and is covered by lagoons.

Climate

Costa Rica has a tropical climate with only two seasons: rainy and dry. However, there is a great variety of microclimates depending on the region and altitude.

Its capital San José, at 1,150 m, is the city of "eternal spring", according to Costa Ricans, with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 26°C. At the coast temperatures are much higher, with a minimum of 21°C at night and an average of 30°C in the daytime. The Pacific coast sometimes sees even higher temperatures. The dry season is from December to April and the rainy season is from June to November, but on the Caribbean coast it rains throughout the year.

Fauna/Flora

Costa Rica's original vegetation consists of ebony, balsa, mahogany, and cedar. The country's rainforests are the habitat of countless plants and animals. So far over 1,400 species of tree and more than 1,000 species of orchid have been found there. The diverse fauna consists of numerous insects, including colourful butterflies.

Furthermore, there are primates, leopards, jaguars, tapirs, and around 725 species of bird, which include tiny humming birds, toucans, and rare quetzals. In order to preserve these unique habitats, the Costa Rican government has turned almost 12% of the country into national parks; and a further 15% of Costa Rica into reservations for the country's indigenous peoples.

History/Politics

In 1502, Christopher Columbus sailed along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and gave the country its present name. The Spanish Colonization did not however take place until much later, since precious metals were not found. From 1570 on, Costa Rica was part of the General Captaincy of Guatemala. Costa Rica developed into a purely agrarian region with little importance to the Spanish crown. It was only through the cultivation of tobacco and cocoa and through exports of these commodities, that a more well-to-do society emerged in Costa Rica. In the early 19th century, the Costa Ricans gained importance in the intellectual and political life of Central America.

Spanish rule ended in 1821 and the country was part of Mexico until 1823. From 1824 to 1840, Costa Rica belonged to the United Provinces of Central America. Costa Rica declared its independence in 1848, going on to enjoy a relatively stable political climate. The National Republican Party came to power and its candidate León Cortes Castro won the presidential elections in 1936. Its candidate Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia then won the elections in 1940 and went on to improve the situation of the lower classes through labour and social legislation. The election of opposition candidate Otilio Ulate in 1948 was declared invalid by the government and annulled. The civil war which followed saw the National Liberation Party (PLN), led by José Figueres Ferrer, gain the upper hand and become the country's most powerful party. In the following years, under the rule of moderate governments, Costa Rica gradually became the most democratic country in Latin America.

Figueres was president between 1952 and 1958 and again between 1970 and 1974. In 1974 the candidate of the PLN, Daniel Oduber, won the presidential elections. However, quarrels between Oduber and Figueres put a coalition of the opposition into power. In 1982, the PLN came to power again with Luis Alberto Monge Alvarez as president. He was succeeded by Oscar Arias Sánchez (also member of the PLN) in 1986, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his attempts to reach a consensus among Latin America's political leaders about a plan for peace and stability in Central America.

Rafael A. Calderón junior, son of former president Rafael Calderón, won the 1990 presidential elections as candidate of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC). In 1994 José Maria Figueres Olsen of the PLN, son of former president José Figueras Ferrer, was elected president. In 1998, the Social Christian Unity Party's Miguel Ángel Rodriguez took office as president, and he was succeeded in 2002 by Abel Pacheco (PUSC).

Economy

Costa Rica's economy is based mainly on agriculture and the processing of agricultural commodities, such as coffee and bananas. The gross national product amounts to approx. 7.58 billion US dollars, which means an income of around 2,300 US dollars per capita. The most important branches of industry are food, drink and tobacco, and there are, for example, coffee processing plants, wood processing plants, breweries and distilleries. In the early 1990s, 98% of the electricity produced in Costa Rica came from hydroelectric power stations, but this only covers about 30% of the country's own requirements. The inflation rate in 2003 was 9.7%, unemployment 6.7%.

Culture

Costa Rica has been greatly influenced by Spanish culture and traditions. Festivals in honour of patron saints are a colourful part of village and town life. The guitar, accordion, and mandolin have traditionally been the most popular musical instruments, reflecting Spanish influence on music. Traces of indigenous culture survive in designs used in jewellery, leather goods and clothing.

The following holidays are held in Costa Rica: New Year's Day; San José's Day (19 March); the memorial day of the battle of Rivas against Walker (11 April), in which the national hero Juan Santamaria lost his life; the Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Easter; Labour Day (1 May); the annexation of Guanacaste by Costa Rica (25 July); Peter and Paul (29 June); the festival of the Mother of God (2 August); the Central American Independence Day (15 September); Columbus Day (12 October); the festival of Immaculate Conception (8 December); and Christmas (25 December).