ABOUT COSTA RICA
Costa Rica is home to one of the oldest democracies in the Americas. The country has been noted for its friendliness and preoccupation with peace. Its policy of active neutrality has twice earned it the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1987 this prestigious award was presented to then-president of the Republic Dr. Oscar Arias. This, the fact that over a quarter of its territory enjoys protection in the ever-growing network of national parks and reserves, its continued dedication to environmental protection, and many other reasons answer why Costa Rica has repeatedly been referred to as the Switzerland of the Americas.

GEOGRAPHY
Located on the isthmus between North and South America.
Situated between 8 and 11 degrees North Latitude.
Bordered to the north by Nicaragua; to the south by Panama; to the west by the Pacific Ocean; to the east by the Caribbean Sea.
Land area of 19,730 square miles
288 miles maximum length.
161 miles maximum width along northern border.
74 miles minimum width along southern border.
631 miles of Pacific coastline.
132 miles of Atlantic coastline.
Four major mountain ranges run roughly northwest to southeast, all of volcanic origin,the highest peak is Cerro Chirripó at 12,536 feet.
Over two hundred volcanoes have been identified; around 5 are classified as active.

CLIMATE
Two recognized seasons; commonly called the Dry Season (December to April) and the Wet Season (May to November). We prefer to call the "wet" season the Green Season because the countryside comes alive like the springtime in temperate climates.
The Atlantic coast has no well-defined dry season.
The Pacific coast, the Guanacaste area, is drier. North of Tamarindo, the summers are very dry and windy. South of Tamarindo, the climate gets more comfortable due to a richer forestation.
The Wet Season (Green Season) brings daily afternoon rains to the country.
Temperatures remain nearly constant all year round with variations primarily related to altitude.
Lowlands temperatures average between 25 and 33 degrees Celsius; Central Valley temperatures average around 26 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures in the mountains can drop to 17 degrees Celsius and below.
San José temperatures can be hot during the day, but usually cool off to sweater weather in the evening.
The coastal waters are an almost constant 25 to 28 degrees on both coasts.

HISTORY
The Spanish first came to Costa Rica in the 16th century, after Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) landed near Limón on the Atlantic coast in 1502. Costa Rica gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. The Pacto de Concordia, the first constitution, was adopted. This led to the celebration of the first elections in December of 1821.

The direct vote was established in 1913 and secret balloting began in 1925.

A declaration of absolute independence as a sovereign State was issued in 1848.

After a brief civil war in 1948, a new constitution was initiated on
November 7, 1949.

The constitution of 1949, still in effect today, included the prohibition of a standing army.

CULTURE
There are 31 museums located throughout the country, preserving all aspects of Costa Rican heritage and culture. 14 theaters, plus numerous art galleries. The country's first bastion of culture, the 99-year-old National Theater (it celebrated 100 years in October, 1997), continues to host the finest performances from around the world. There are three symphony orchestras; choral groups More than sixty movie theaters provide entertainment in all corners of the country.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
There is a democracy similar to the United States.
Three branches of government: -Executive- president and two vice presidents, plus advisors. -Legislative- 57 deputies. -Judicial- 17 magistrates on the Supreme Court; plus the lower courts.
The President and deputies are elected by popular vote to a four-year term.
Magistrates are appointed by the Legislature for an eight-year term.
The elections Tribunal is an independent organization to oversee elections.
Political candidates generally belong to two major parties, the PLN and PUSC. However, there are several smaller parties active in politics and elections.

ECONOMY
An agricultural country by tradition.
Exports and tourism are the mainstays of the Costa Rican economy.
Coffee and bananas comprise 50% of the country's exports and are at the top of the list for national revenue earners.
Tourism is rapidly becoming the number one economic earner. In the first trimester of 2008, 640,000 tourists visited Costa Rica.
Non-traditional exports such as ornamental and cut flowers have given the economy a big boost in recent years.
The system of State and private banks is stable and modern. It includes most contemporary services like credit cards, automatic teller machines and computerized banking. Independent banking is on the rise as well as the implementation of the Free Trade agreement with the USA.
Official currency is the colon. As of june 2, 2009, the official rate was 565 colones to one US dollar.
The Costa Rican Central Bank issues all currency in the country and regulates the exchange rate of the colon. The rate is currently on a controlled continual devaluation.

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
A State-funded, compulsory system of education was established in 1869.
The State system includes learning institutions at all levels.
The State currently spends about 27% of the national budget on education. Seventy percent of secondary education is provided by public schools. There are 3,879 educational centers educating more than 680,000 students, including 60,000 university level students. 93% of the population has at least basic reading and writing skills.

NATURAL HISTORY
A bio-geographical land bridge between the North and South American continents. scientists claim that Costa Rica has, for its size, more species than any other terrestrial habitat in the world.
Twelve distinctive life zones harbor an abundant variety of floral and faunal life forms.
Over 10,000 species of higher plants (4% of the earth's total) have been identified to date.
As for fauna, consider: there are over 200 species of mammals, including six species of wild cat, 160 species of amphibians, over 200 of reptiles, 1000 of butterflies, and 650 species of birds (more birds than in the entire North American continent).
Dedication to the preservation of its natural treasure has led to the governmental protection, through the National Parks and Forestry Services, of nearly 1,2 million hectares (25% of the national territory), in 74 protection units throughout the country.
Several dozen private preservation areas and protection zones encompass thousands of additional hectares.

UTILITIES
A modern system of hydroelectric generating plants provides abundant electricity. In 1994 the first geothermal generating station came on line providing an additional 22 megawatts of low cost energy.
Electrical service is the same as in the US: 120V, 60Hz and use the same type of wall plug. In 2008, 90 percent of the countries electricity was generated by water/wind power. Water supplies are chlorinated and the quality is controlled by the State. Water is safe to drink in all cities.

There are two general guidelines to help you in all situations. The first is simple, be observant and take your cues from the behavior of the locals around you. The second is more difficult for foreigners: "slow down". We are constantly in a hurry and tend to get right to the point. This is not the Costa Rican way. For ‘Ticos’, interpersonal relationships, rapport, respect, and a smile are more important than the business at hand.

Always take things slowly, calmly, and in a friendly manner. Even major disagreements must be handled this way. It can be tough, but if you remember to watch the interactions around you and practice slowing down a little, and accepting their "reality", you'll get along better with your hosts, and you´ll enjoy yourself more.

Pura Vida!