About Costa Rica

Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama with the Caribbean Sea on east and the Pacific Ocean on the west, Costa Rica is a tropical paradise of seclusion, beauty, and romance. It’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy life.

Costa Rica is Central America’s sparkling jewel. From its emerald forests to its diamond waters to its ruby, amethyst, and topaz sunsets, it is a place of voluptuous beauty.

Flora and fauna

Although it occupies only about .03 percent of Earth’s surface, Costa Rica contains some 6 percent of the planet’s biodiversity. It s home to rare scarlet macaws, morpho butterflies, and leatherback turtles. It shelters more than 850 bird species, more than 200 mammal species, 1,400 orchid varieties, and 13,000 plant species. You may even catch sight of a jaguar or a puma.

Wildlife areas are often protected. More than 25 percent of the country is national parks, wildlife refuges, and biological reserves, which open to the public, as well as forest reserves, Indian reserves, and protected zones.

The gorgeous oceans are home to exotic marine life and magnificent coral reefs. Dolphins, sea turtles, the endangered West Indian manatee, and migrating whales are among the amazing creatures that share these waters.

Costa Rica is a country of rain forests, dry forests, cloud forests, wetlands, mangroves, hardwood forests, wind-swept mountains, active volcanoes, and beautiful beaches.

• A truly tropical country, annual temperatures average 70 to 81 degrees F (21 to 27 C) with November, December, and January the coolest months.
• Average annual rainfall is about 100 inches.

Infrastructure

• Slightly more than 97 percent national electricity coverage
• Urban potable water coverage of 99 percent (92 percent rural)
• Telephone and broadband Internet service
  Ports and airports
• Roadways and highways that crisscross the country

Economic, political, social
stability

• Costa Rica’s democracy is more than 100 years old. The president, two vice presidents, and legislative assembly members are directly elected every four years.
• The military was abolished in 1949. Resources were redirected to education and health.
• Costa Rica claims the best health indicators in Latin America; indicators are comparable to those of developed nations.
• A recent World Bank survey for political stability ranked Costa Rica second within Latin America and 36th among 209 other countries.

Cost of living

In a Worldwide Cost of Living Survey that compared the cost of a representative basket of goods and services in U.S. dollars across 130 cities worldwide, Costa Rica ranked 117th. The survey uses New York as a base index of 100. Costa Rica’s cost-of-living score of 54 is nearly half that of New York.

Real estate ownership

Real estate law is the same for everyone, both Costa Rican and foreign. The country has no special provisions for acquiring property.

Languages

Spanish is the official language with English second.

Healthcare

Costa Rica has universal healthcare with one of the best health systems in Latin America. In addition, private care providers are reasonably priced with many physicians educated in Europe, Canada, and the U.S.

Literacy

Education levels are high with a literacy rate of 96
percent.

Financial information

Local bank accounts

Two kinds of banks operate in Costa Rica: state or national banks and private banks. Deposits in national banks deposits are insured; deposits in private banks are not.

Currency

Currency is the Costa Rican Colon. U.S. dollars are widely accepted.

Money transfers

Wire transfers usually take two to three days. Most
banks in Costa Rica offer Internet banking. Money
transfer agencies are also an option.