Costa Rica General Info
 Costa
Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish:
Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, Spanish
pronunciation: [re'pußlika ðe 'kosta 'rika]),
is a republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua
to the north, Panama to the east-southeast, the Pacific
Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to
the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world
to constitutionally abolish its army. Among Latin American
countries, Costa Rica ranks 4th in terms of the 2007
Human Development Index, and 48th worldwide. Costa Rica
is ranked 5th in the world in terms of the 2008 Environmental
Performance Index, up from the 15th place in 2006. In
2007 the government of Costa Rica stated that they want
to be the first country to become carbon neutral by
2021.
Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th
century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved
unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including:
disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat,
resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not
until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was
established in the cooler, fertile central highlands.
The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries.
In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American
provinces that jointly declared their independence from
Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces
of Central America, but this federation disintegrated
in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty
and independence. Since the late 19th century, only
two brief periods of violence have marred the country's
democratic development. Although it still maintains
a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded
its economy to include strong technology and tourism
industries. The standard of living is relatively high.
Land ownership is widespread.
Climate is 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
Adapted from Wikipedia and World Factbook
|
|
