Why Costa Rica?

Interesting facts about Costa Rica

• Costa Rica ranks #1 in the Happy Planet Index.
• Capital City: San Jose
• Type of Government: Democratic unitary multi-party republic with one legislative house
• Currency: Colon.
• Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain).
• Costa Rica is one of 23 countries in the world that doesn't have a standing army. It was abolished in 1948.
• Total area: 51,100 sq km
• Population was recorded at 4.8 million people in 2014
• Income Per capita: $5,839 (2012)
• Population density: urban 63,9% and rural 36,1% per square km.
• It has one of the highest life expectancies in the world: male 76.9 years and female 81.8 years
• Literacy: male 95.7% and female 96.2%
• Language: Spanish (official); English spoken by most in the tourism industry.
• Ethnic groups: White (including mestizo) 93%, black 4%, Amerindian 1%, Asian 1%, others, 1%.
• Religion: Roman Catholic 71%, Evangelical Protestant 14%, Atheism 6%, Buddhism 3%, others 6%.
• Use of Natural Resources for electricity: Hydro-electric, geothermal and eolic-power.
• Over a quarter of the land is dedicated to conservation.
• Flora: 9,000 species, including 1,200 orchids species and 800 fern species, tidal mangrove swamps, tropical rain forest, subalpine forest.
• Fauna: 36,518 species including 34,000 species of insects, and 2,000 species of butterflies.

• Six percent of the world’s species of plants and animals are found in this country.
• Mayor products of exportation: microprocessors, coffee, bananas, pineapples, sugar, cut flowers, and beef.
• Export partners: two-fifths of exports go to USA,other countries include China, Netherlands, Germany, Nicaragua and Guatemala
• Tourism earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined.
• Costa Rica is home of six active volcanoes and 61 dormant or extinct ones. The six active volcanoes are: Arenal, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, Irazu, Tenorio and Turrialba.
• Arenal is still one of the most recognized and well known volcano but it went into a resting phase in 2010.
• Costa Rica is home to 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• The Climate Reality Project declared Costa Rica in the Top 10 Greenest Countries
• Travel weekly 2014 honors Costa Rica the first place on the category The Best Destination in Central and South America at the Readers Choice Awards 2014

WHY PLAN A TRIP TO COSTA RICA: