Information About Costa Rica

• Costa Rica Country Overview
• 1. People of Costa Rica
• 2. Transportation in Costa Rica
• 3. Economy of Costa Rica
• 4. Banks and Money in Costa Rica
• 5. Political Conditions in Costa Rica
• 6. Natural Resources in Costa Rica
• 7. Healthcare in Costa Rica
• 8. Property Taxes in Costa Rica
• 9. Liability Insurance in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Country Overview

Costa Rica consists of about 20,000 square miles in the southern part of Central America, and includes small islands on the Pacific side as well. Costa Rica has two long coastlines, similar to that of Florida. It is located in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama.

Because of the growing tourism and travel industry in Costa Rica, there has been an unprecedented level of technological growth. Recently new hard phone lines and Fiber Optic lines have been installed, and cell phone networks have been updated and approved. There has also been explosive growth in the residential market, new residential real estate development projects are popping up all over Costa Rica's Southern Pacific Coast.

Just a few of the Interesting Features of Costa Rica:

• Contains 5% of the world biodiversity
• Home to more than 500,000 species
• Over 890 bird species have been identified
• Canal networks through jungles
• Cloud forests
• Coral reefs
• Deciduous forests
• Mangrove swamps
• Rain forests
• Tropical dry forests
• Volcanoes White, black, and pink shell beaches on both coasts
• Extensive networks of rivers

Costa Rica is regarded as one of the safest and most stable countries in the world.

1. People

The population of Costa Rica is currently about 4.1 million. The populations of Costa Rica consists largely of European rather than mestizo descendants. Literacy rates in Costa Rica are at about 96%, representing a very educated country.

The life expectancy rivals that of United States at 76% with a crime rate that is among the lowest in the world.

2. Transportation

The Costanera highway from Dominical Costa Rica to Palmar Norte Costa Rica has been completely improved and repaved, and the major highway improvement project has started from Quepos Costa Rica to Dominical Costa Rica. This particular highway is an essential part of transportation in our developments’ regions.

There are also many airports in Costa Rica. There is a directory of airport phone numbers in our important phone number pages, listed here (click here). The Tico Times has reported that a new international airport is being constructed in the southern zone of Costa Rica; the full article is featured here (click here).

3. Economy of Costa Rica

The economy of Costa Rica heavily depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been reduced over the past 15 years, and a social safety net put into place. Costa Rica's major economic resources are its fertile Costa Rica land and frequent rainfall, its well-educated Costa Rican population, and its location in the Central American isthmus, which provides easy access to North and South American markets and direct ocean access to the European and Asian Continents.

4. Banks and Money

There are many state owned and privately held banks in San Jose, and throughout the Costa Rica. The official currency of Costa Rica is the colon; however U.S. dollars and credit cards are widely accepted as well.

5. Political Conditions

Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong constitution. Politics of Costa Rica takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Costa Rica is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system.

Costa Rica is known for having the longest chain of uninterrupted democracy in Latin America.

Information on President Oscar Arias:

Founder of the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress

President of Costa Rica, 1986-1990

Nobel Peace Laureate, 1987

Dr. Oscar Arias is Founder of the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress and a spokesperson for the causes of worldwide peace and disarmament. Educated at the University of Costa Rica and the University of Essex, England, he earned a seat in the Costa Rican congress in 1978, became Secretary-General of the National Liberation Party in 1981, and was elected President of Costa Rica for the term 1986-1990. Assuming office at a time of regional discord, Dr. Arias worked throughout his Presidency to promote peace in Central America. In 1987, Dr. Arias developed the Arias Peace Plan to halt regional conflict. This culminated in the signing of the Esquipulas II Accords which helped establish a firm and lasting peace in Central America.

In 1987 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Using the monetary award from the Nobel Prize, he established the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress - a foundation that promotes gender equality, the strengthening of civil society in Central America, and demilitarization and conflict resolution throughout the world.

More information can be found from the source: United Nations Development Program

6. Natural Resources

Costa Rica is considered an ecological sanctuary, because of its great variety of natural treasures. 78 % of the territory is covered by forests. In the present time, it counts with 80 protected areas: 20 National Parks, 9 Wildlife Refugees, 13 Biological Reservations, 12 Forest Reservations, 1 National Monument, 25 Protected Zones.

Hydropower, is the force or energy of moving water, is a huge natural resource found in Costa Rica, notably in Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica.

7. Healthcare

Costa Ricans harbors one of the best, low-cost medical care systems in the world when preventative and curative medicines are considered. Costa Rica Hospitals, clinics and complete medical services are available in all major cities and throughout the country. The United Nations consistently ranks Costa Rica’s public health system as the best in Latin America.

A new Costa Rica hospital and medical complex, has been constructed in Cortes in close proximity to Discover Costa Rica developments

The hospital is 8,000 square meters in size and it is located at the 194 KM marker on the Costanera Highway.

8. Property Taxes

Yearly property taxes in Costa Rica are 0.25%.

9. Liability Insurance

There are two forms of liability coverage in Costa Rica:

Coverage A – covers injury and loss of life

Coverage B – covers damage and loss of property

It is recommended in Costa Rica that you have both. The premium is determined based on the amount you want to be insured for.

Back to Information