Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. It also shares a maritime border with Ecuador.

The capital and largest city is San José.

People have lived in Costa Rica since very ancient times. The country became independent in 1847. Before that, it was part of the Spanish Empire and later the Federal Republic of Central America.

Costa Rica is known for its strong democracy and focus on education and nature. It abolished its army in 1949 and spends money on schools instead. The country is a popular place for visitors to enjoy nature, known as ecotourism.

Today, Costa Rica is a high-income economy and is part of the OECD. It ranks well in measures of human development and happiness.

History

Main article: History of Costa Rica

Pre-Columbian period

Main article: Pre-Columbian history of Costa Rica

Long ago, the land that is now Costa Rica was home to many different groups of people. These early people moved around to find food and resources in nature. They used simple stone tools and later learned to farm, growing plants like tubers and roots.

Over time, these communities began to settle in one place and create pottery. They made pots and vases, some decorated with patterns or shaped like animals. Though Costa Rica did not have a large, powerful native civilization like some other places, small groups such as the Bribri and Boruca tribes still live in parts of the country today.

Spanish colonization

The name "Costa Rica," meaning "rich coast," was given by early explorers who thought the area had lots of gold. Costa Rica was a distant and poorer part of the Spanish Empire, far from important cities and with few resources. Because of this, life was hard for many people living there during this time.

Independence

Costa Rica did not fight a big war to become independent from Spain. In 1821, after Spain lost a war in Mexico, the leaders in Central America decided to become independent. Costa Rica celebrated this day as Independence Day on September 15, 1821.

Later, parts of what is now Costa Rica voted to join the country. In 1824, people in a place called Nicoya chose to become part of Costa Rica after discussing the benefits, like better trade and schools.

Economic growth in the 19th century

See also: Liberal State

In the 1800s, coffee became a very important crop in Costa Rica. It was first planted in 1808 and quickly became the main product the country sold to other places. The money from coffee helped improve the country.

To move coffee from the farms to ports for shipping, a railroad was built. This railroad was finished in 1890 and helped connect different parts of the country. Building it was very difficult, but it brought new people to work, including many from Jamaica, who helped lay the tracks.

20th century

See also: Reform State

Costa Rica has been peaceful and stable compared to many other countries in Latin America. But in the 1900s, there were two times when things became difficult.

The first was when a leader named Federico Tinoco ruled with an army from 1917 to 1919. People did not like his rule, and he was eventually forced to leave the country.

The second big event happened in 1948. After a close election, a leader named José Figueres led a group that fought for control of the government. This led to a short conflict called the Costa Rican Civil War. After the conflict, the leaders decided to get rid of the army forever and created new rules for how the country would be run. Since then, Costa Rica has held regular elections and become one of the most stable democracies in the region.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a country in Central America. It touches the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Nicaragua is to the north, and Panama is to the south.

The highest point in Costa Rica is Cerro Chirripó. It is 3,819 metres tall. The country has many volcanoes, including Irazú Volcano. Costa Rica has a tropical climate. It has a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November.

Costa Rica is known for its wildlife. One of its national parks, Corcovado National Park, has many different animals and plants. The country works to protect its forests and animals.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Costa Rica

Costa Rica follows the Costa Rican Constitution of 1949. The President of Costa Rica leads the country and is chosen by voters for four years. The current president is Laura Fernández Delgado, who began her term in 2026. She works with two vice presidents.

Laws are made by the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. The country's highest court is the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is known for its strong democracy.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Costa Rica

Costa Rica has seven provinces. These are split into smaller areas called cantons. Each canton has a mayor chosen by local voters. The cantons are then split into even smaller areas called districts.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Costa Rica

Costa Rica works with many countries and groups around the world, such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States. It supports human rights and sustainable development. Costa Rica is part of the International Criminal Court.

Pacifism

Costa Rica decided not to have a military. Instead, it uses that money for health care and education. For safety, it has a police force called the Public Force of Costa Rica.

Leadership in world governance initiatives

Costa Rica helped start a meeting to create a world constitution.

Environmentalism

In 2021, Costa Rica worked with Denmark to start the "Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance" (BOGA). This group wants to stop using fossil fuels. They shared their idea at the COP26 Climate Summit.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Costa Rica

Costa Rica's economy has been growing in recent years. In 2024, the country's money for each person was about US$17,501, showing steady progress.

The country has been creating more jobs, and the number of people without jobs went down to 6.9% by the end of 2024. This means more people have work. The country has also been helping people live better, with fewer people struggling to afford basic needs. By 2024, only 10% of people were in this situation. In 2025, Costa Rica was named a high-income economy by the World Bank.

Costa Rica uses clean energy from nature for almost all its electricity. In 2023, about 95% of the electricity came from renewable sources like water, heat from the earth, wind, sun, and plants. However, dry weather caused some problems with electricity in 2024.

The government is focused on keeping the environment safe and plans to stop harming the planet by 2050.

Trade and foreign investment

Costa Rica has agreements to trade easily with many countries, including the US. The country makes it easy for businesses to operate there, especially in special areas called Free Trade Zones. These zones helped create many jobs in 2015. Big companies like Amazon.com have also brought jobs to Costa Rica.

The country’s location makes it easy to send goods to America and reach Europe and Asia by sea. Important things Costa Rica sells include medical tools, bananas, tropical fruits, computer parts, and medical equipment. The country also buys things like fuel, cars, medicine, TV equipment, and computers.

Industries like making medicine, handling money for other companies, creating computer programs, and ecotourism are very important to Costa Rica. The country is also known for its coffee, though it makes less than 1% of the world’s coffee. Tourism has become a big source of money, earning more than some traditional crops.

Costa Rica has special programs to protect its forests and environment. The country aims to use only clean energy and has made big steps toward this goal.

In 1996, laws were made to help protect forests and the environment. These laws give money to people who help take care of nature. This has helped protect forests and the many benefits they provide.

A report in 2016 mentioned some challenges, like needing to improve roads, ports, and water systems. There were also concerns about slow government processes.

Mining in Costa Rica adds a small amount to the country’s economy. In 2018, a small amount of gold was produced.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Costa Rica

See also: List of airports in Costa Rica

In 2016, Costa Rica welcomed 2.9 million visitors from other countries, which was 10% more than in 2015. Tourism helped the country’s money by about $3.4 billion in 2015. Most visitors came from the United States, followed by people from Europe. Popular places for tourists include Tamarindo, Arenal, Liberia, San José, Manuel Antonio, and Monteverde.

By 2004, tourism was making more money than some traditional crops. In 2016, tourism created many jobs directly and even more indirectly.

Costa Rica is known for its ecotourism, with many visitors coming to its national parks and protected areas. The Camino de Costa Rica trail lets people walk across the country. Costa Rica has worked hard to protect its forests and use clean energy, with 93% of its electricity coming from renewable sources.

Demographics

The 2022 census counted 5,044,197 people in Costa Rica. Most people are of European or mixed European and Amerindian descent. There are also Indigenous people, people of African descent, and people from other parts of the world living in the country.

Costa Rica has many different cultures and languages. Spanish is the main language, but several Indigenous languages are still spoken. The country is mostly Christian, with Catholicism being the largest group, though many people do not follow any religion.

Main article: Languages of Costa Rica

Spanish is the main language in Costa Rica. Some people also speak Indigenous languages like Bribri, Maléku, and Cabécar. Along the Caribbean coast, some speak a Creole-English language called Mekatelyu from Jamaican immigrants. About 10.7% of adults speak English as a second language.

Main article: Religion in Costa Rica

Most people in Costa Rica are Christian, with Catholicism being the largest group. Many people do not follow any religion, and there are smaller communities of other faiths, including Buddhism.

Main article: Education in Costa Rica

Education is very important in Costa Rica. Almost everyone can read and write, and children go to school for free from a young age. There are public and private universities, with the University of Costa Rica being the largest. Learning English and other languages is a focus because of tourism.

Main article: Healthcare in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a strong healthcare system where everyone can get medical help. People live long lives, and the country is known for being healthy and happy. Doctors and nurses work in clinics and hospitals all over the country. Costa Rica is also a popular place for people from other countries to come for medical treatment because of the high quality and lower costs.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is where cultures from Mesoamerica and South America met long ago. The northwest part of the country, called the Nicoya peninsula, was influenced by Nahuatl culture when Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s. The central and southern areas had Chibcha influences. The Atlantic coast was home to African workers in the 1600s and 1700s.

Today, Spanish culture from the 1500s still shapes daily life in Costa Rica. The Spanish language and Catholic religion are key parts of the culture. There are special programs like the National Symphony Orchestra that bring together different areas of culture and youth.

Cuisine

Costa Rican food mixes flavors from Native American, Spanish, African, and other groups. Traditional dishes like tamales, made from corn, show the influence of local people. Spanish settlers brought new ingredients, and later, African flavors added to the mix. This makes Costa Rican food very diverse.

Sports

Costa Rica first joined the Summer Olympics in 1936. Sisters Silvia and Claudia Poll have won all of the country’s Olympic medals in swimming.

Football is the most popular sport in Costa Rica. The national team has played in five FIFA World Cup tournaments. Paulo Wanchope, who played in England’s Premier League, helped make Costa Rican football more well-known around the world.

Costa Rica also had a women’s beach volleyball team that competed in the 2018–2020 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.