Introduction to Geography of Costa Rica
Costa Rica, or Republic of Costa Rica, an independent country in Central America. The name is Spanish for “Rich Coast.” Costa Rica lies between Panama and Nicaragua and faces both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. With an area of 19,575 square miles (50,700 km2), or about half that of Virginia, Costa Rica ranks after El Salvador as the smallest republic in Central America.
Facts in brief about Costa RicaCapital: San Jose.Official language: Spanish.Official name: Republica de Costa Rica (Republic of Costa Rica).Area: 19,730 mi2 (51,100 km2). Greatest distances—north-south, 220 mi (354 km); east-west, 237 mi (381 km). Coastline—380 mi (612 km) on the Pacific; 133 mi. (214 km) on the Caribbean.Elevation: Highest—Chirripo Grande, 12,530 ft (3,819 m) above sea level. Lowest—sea level along the coasts.Population: Current estimate—4,550,000; density, 231 per mi2 (89 per km2); distribution, 62 percent urban, 38 percent rural. 2000 census—3,810,179.Chief products: Agriculture—bananas, beef cattle, cacao, coffee, corn, rice, sugar cane. Manufacturing—cement, clothing, computer chips, furniture, machinery, processed foods, textiles.National anthem: "Noble Patria, Tu Hermosa Bandera" ("Noble Homeland, Your Beautiful Flag").Flag and coat of arms: Costa Rica's state flag, used by the government, was adopted in 1848. It has horizontal stripes of blue, white, red, white, and blue (top to bottom) and a coat of arms in the center. The civil flag has no coat of arms. The coat of arms shows volcanoes, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Each star represents a province.Money: Basic unit—Costa Rican colon.Physical Geography
Costa Rica is a country in Central America.A relatively wide plain makes up the Caribbean coast; a narrower one parallels the Pacific shore. Lying between them is a mountain chain, consisting of four ranges and numerous volcanoes, both active and dormant. The mountains are low in the north, but increase to elevations of more than 11,000 feet (3,350 m) in the central and southern sections. The highest peak, Chirripó, rises to 12,533 feet (3,820 m). In the mountains, near the center of the country, is a broad valley called the Meseta Central. It is the most heavily populated part of the country.
Costa Rica's climate is influenced by the country's tropical location, adjacent warm ocean waters, and elevation. Average temperatures vary from about 80° F. (27° C.) in the lowlands to about 65° F. (18° C.) in parts of the mountains. There is little day-to-day or seasonal variation of temperature. Rainfall is abundant and occurs mainly from May through November.
Economy
Manufacturing is the predominant economic activity, engaging roughly a fifth of the working population. Costa Rica's largest export is computer mircroprocessors. Other areas of manufacturing include food-processing and the making of textiles and wearing apparel, wood products, chemicals and fertilizers, pottery, and simple metalwares. Much of the modern industrial development stems from large foreign investments and from increased production for export to other members of the Central American Common Market.
Agriculture is also an important economic activity. Coffee and bananas are the agricultural mainstays and provide most of the country's agricultural exports. The coffee crop comes primarily from small farms in the Meseta Central. Bananas, in contrast, are produced almost entirely on large, foreign-owned plantations, mainly along the southern Pacific coast. Other exports include beef, sugar, and cacao. Foods grown for local consumption include rice, corn, and beans.
The lumbering and fishing industries are small but growing. They are based on extensive tropical forests and bountiful coastal waters. Mining is of little significance.
Costa Rica's currency unit is the Costa Rican colón.
As in much of Central America, transportation is poorly developed. Railways serve primarily the main ports, the banana-growing areas, and the capital. Few of the roads other than those linking the major cities are paved. The Pan American Highway crosses the nation along the Pacific coast, linking Costa Rica with Nicaragua and Panama. The chief ports are Puerto Limón, on the Caribbean, and Puntarenas and Caldera, on the Pacific. San José's airport is the nation's largest.
The People
Costa Rica's population density was about 195 persons per square mile (75 per km2). The population is largely rural. More than 90 per cent of the people are of Spanish ancestry. The largest cities are San José, the capital; Alajuela; and Cartago.
Spanish is the official language of the country. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, but the constitution guarantees religious freedom. Costa Rica has one of the highest literacy rates in Central America. Elementary instruction is free and compulsory, and secondary education is also free. The University of Costa Rica is located in San José.
Government and History
Costa Rica is a democratic republic. It is governed under the constitution of 1871, as amended in 1949. The president, who is elected to a single four-year term. The president, two vice presidents and a cabinet form the council of government. The one-house Legislative Assembly is composed of 57 deputies elected for four years. The supreme court and other tribunals constitute the judicial branch. Costa Rica is divided into seven provinces.
Costa Rica has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. When it was reached by Columbus in 1502, there were only a few scattered Indian tribes. In the mid-16th century, Costa Rica was placed under the captaincy-general of Guatemala. Cartago, the first major Spanish settlement, was founded in 1564. Early colonists, few in number, settled mainly in the central plateau. Coffee cultivation, introduced in about 1800, brought growing numbers of colonists.
With the other Central American countries, Costa Rica declared its independence from Spain in 1821 and helped form the United Provinces of Central America in 1823. The new union was beset by conflict and civil war. In 1838 Costa Rica withdrew from it. In 1848 the country became the Republic of Costa Rica, with Juan Rafael Mora as its first president. In 1856 Costa Rica was threatened by an invasion of Nicaraguan forces under William Walker, a Tennessee adventurer. Walker was defeated by Mora, who became the country's national hero. A period of dictatorship began in 1870. During this time the first railroads were built and banana plantations were established. In 1889 free elections were reinstituted.
Military leaders seized the government in 1917, but were forced from power in 1919. Revolution was again attempted in 1932 and 1948; the second time, the army was abolished. José Figueres Ferrer, head of a provisional government (1948–49) and president (1953–58 and 1970–74), long dominated Costa Rica. Under his leadership, numerous social welfare programs were adopted and banking and other institutions were nationalized. The country experienced rampant inflation in the early 1980's. In 1987 Costa Rica's president, Oscar Arias, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a plan he had devised to resolve civil wars in neighboring countries. In 1994 José María Figueres Olsen, son of José Figueres Ferrer, was elected president.