The Political Map of Costa Rica shows the international and provincial boundaries and the national capital.
Geography of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a hilly nation situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It’s a beautiful place with coastlines made up of mangroves and beaches. The more one enters the inland; the place becomes hilly as the Talamanca Mountain Range splits the country. Cerro Chirripo, situated at 12,000 feet is the highest peak in Costa Rica. The nation is also home to several volcanoes; however, only 5 are known as active. Costa Rica has many rivers, waterfalls, streams, and a few lakes; Lake Arenal, situated ahead of the iconic volcano is the biggest one. Costa Rica is a thin piece of land of Central America bordering Nicaragua towards the North, Panama towards the South, the Pacific Ocean towards the West, and the Atlantic Ocean towards the East.
Demography of Costa Rica
The country’s total population is 5,097,986 and life expectancy at birth is 80.94 years for both sexes. The total landmass of Costa Rica is 51,060 SqKm and approx. 83.8% of Costa Ricans live in urban areas or a neighboring metro location. San Jose is the largest and the capital city with total inhabitants of 333,980.
Culture of Costa Rica
The culture of Costa Rica is a vibrant mix of indigenous tradition and Spanish colonial effect, with a sprint of Chinese, Jamaican, and other migrant cultures sharing customs and character with the city, due to which people here are tolerant, friendly, laid-back, and happy. Even though Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, the majority of people here speak English, creole Mekatelyu, Mandarin Chinese, and Bribri as their main languages.
Costa Rica dispersed their armed forces in 1949 and is without an army at the present. The nation shares its cultural heritage and has a long past of healthcare, education, and other public services.
Places to visit in Costa Rica
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Located beside the Cordillera de Tilarán hilly range in central Costa Rica, this Forest Reserve is one of the most desired tourist destinations because of its astounding natural beauty, amazing biodiversity, and plenty of activities.
Arenal Volcano National Park
The park provides shelter to the landmass covering Arenal Volcano and the inactive Chato volcano. Amazing views of rivers, lakes, rainforests, and mountains are available within the National Park offering huge opportunities for whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, ziplining, horseback riding, caving, canopy tours, and waterfall rappelling.
Manuel Antonio National Park
This is the smallest national park in Costa Rica and is the most visited one since it can easily be visited from San Jose. The park offers a broad array of adventures and outdoor activities including surfing, swimming, diving, snorkeling, whale-watching, sea kayaking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and sport fishing. Various hiking trails offer picturesque views of waterfalls and sights of wildlife including iguanas, parrots, howler monkeys, and hopefully, the rare ‘Titi’ monkeys.
Costa Rica can be best visited from mid of December to April as the season is dry then; you can boast an abundance of sunshine, explore rainforests, and lounge on beaches while away from the busy schedule of your daily life.
