Costa Rica — map and facts

About Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a Central American nation bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It covers approximately 51,100 square kilometres and has a population of around 5.2 million people. The capital and largest city is San José, located in the Central Valley at approximately 1,170 metres above sea level. Costa Rica is a unitary presidential constitutional republic and is widely celebrated as one of the most stable and prosperous democracies in Latin America. Notably, the country abolished its military in 1948 and has maintained a permanent army-free status ever since, enshrined in its constitution. This has allowed significant investment in education and healthcare, giving Costa Rica exceptionally high human development indicators for the region. The economy relies on tourism, agriculture — particularly coffee, pineapples, and bananas — and a thriving technology and medical device export sector. Spanish is the official language, and the Costa Rican people are known as Ticos.

Geography and Landscape

Costa Rica's landscape is defined by dramatic contrasts within a small area. The country is divided by a central mountain range running northwest to southeast, dominated by the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca. The Talamanca range contains Cerro Chirripó at 3,821 metres, the highest peak in Central America outside Guatemala. Several active volcanoes punctuate the landscape, including Arenal, Poás, Irazú, and Turrialba, all of which have been active in recent decades. The fertile Central Valley, surrounded by these ranges, is home to the majority of the population and the country's main urban centres. The Pacific coast features distinct dry and wet seasonal changes and includes the Nicoya Peninsula and the Osa Peninsula, the latter home to Corcovado National Park, regarded as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The Caribbean coast receives rainfall year-round. Costa Rica's rivers include the Río Reventazón and the Río Tempisque, important for hydroelectric power and agriculture respectively.

History

Costa Rica's pre-Columbian history included indigenous peoples such as the Bribri, Cabécar, Boruca, and Chiriquí cultures. Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in September 1502 during his fourth voyage, and Spanish colonisation followed. The region was part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala within the Spanish Empire. Relative geographic isolation and a lack of large indigenous labour pools meant Costa Rica developed differently from other Central American colonies, with a tradition of smallholder farming rather than large plantation estates. Independence from Spain came on 15 September 1821 as part of the broader Central American independence declaration. Costa Rica briefly joined the First Mexican Empire and the Federal Republic of Central America before becoming fully independent in 1838. A significant civil war erupted in 1948 following a disputed election; it ended with José Figueres Ferrer's victory. Figueres subsequently abolished the military on 1 December 1948 and oversaw the drafting of the 1949 constitution, which established the foundations of the modern democratic state.