Costa Rica

The Republic of Costa Rica is internationally appreciated for its beautiful landscape, relaxed lifestyle, and peaceful democracy. With a population of just over four million in 2012, the mainland of Costa Rica, excluding the offshore Cocos and Calero Islands, boasts a landmass of 19,700 square miles (51,100 square kilometers), of which 25 percent is protected national parks and other protected areas. Costa Rica is in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua in the north, Panama in the southeast, and between the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

The Costa Rican population primarily consists of Europeans and Native Americans, though there is a largely multiethnic community with Spanish the national language. The Costa Rican economy hinges around tourism (it is the most ...