Costa Rica is located on the Central American Isthmus, between 8° and 11° north latitude and 82° and 85° west longitude. Including its islands, it covers an area of 51,100 square kilometers (50,660 square kilometers of land and 440 square kilometers of water). Along with Belize and El Salvador, Costa Rica is one of the smaller republics in Central America. It is bordered to the north by Nicaragua, with which it shares a 309-kilometer border, and to the south by Panama, with which it shares a 639-kilometer border. It is bordered to the east by the Caribbean Sea and to the west by the Pacific Ocean.
The coastline stretches 1,228 km, of which 1,016 km are on the Pacific coast and 212 km on the Caribbean coast. The Pacific coast features irregularities such as peninsulas, gulfs, and bays, creating conditions conducive to the development of port areas and tourism.
Political Map
It is divided into seven provinces:
– San José (the capital) (4,959 km2),
– Alajuela (9,752 km2)
– Heredia (2,656 km2)
– Cartago (3,124 km2)
– Puntarenas (11,276 km2)
– Limón (9,188 km2)
– Guanacaste (10,140 km2)
– Coco Island, a national sovereignty in the Pacific Ocean,
the position is: 5°30′ north latitude and 87°06′ west longitude.
The last population estimate was made in the year 2000; which gives a result of 3,824,593 inhabitants and 50% of these lives in the great metropolitan area.
The metropolitan area includes the central part of the country and an average altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level. Costa Rica, due to its location in a tropical zone, is characterized by high temperatures and rainfall for much of the year.
On the other side of the Caribbean coast, the weather is more regular but less suitable for these services. The country has sovereignty over 200 nautical miles of its exclusive economic zone and 12 nautical miles of its territorial waters.
From its origins, Costa Rica has been a biological bridge where species of flora and fauna arrive from the Neo-Arctic, the Neotropics, and some other regions of the Antilles. Due to this biodiversity, life zones range from coastal landscapes to desert landscapes at 3,000 meters above sea level.
Biodiversity allows the country to have only around 360 species (150 amphibians and 210 reptiles), approximately 850 species of birds (625 nesting and 225 are migratory), 205 species of mammals, including non-flying mammals and bats.
Classic white and black sand beaches, clean and inviting, are a popular tourist destination. The mountain range slopes from northwest to southeast. The highest peak, Cerro Chirripó, also impresses everyone, reaching a height of 3,820 meters.
Costa Rica has two different seasons, the rainy or winter season, from May to November, and the dry or summer season, from December to April.
Light rain may occur in June and July, but especially at night.
In Costa Rica, you can find contrasting climates in very close proximity. You can reach the scorching beach or the coldest mountain in just two hours.
Mountain ranges run from NW to SE. There are four major ranges in our country: Guanacaste, Tilarán, Central, and Talamanca.
