Costa Rica is a free and peaceful country, located in Central America and has nearly unlimited tourist potential. It is ranked as a top international travel destination and therefore tourism has become one of Costa Rica’s main sources of income.

     Although the country is small, covering only three one hundredths of one per cent of the surface of the globe, it proudly shelters six percent of the entire world’s existing biodiversity. An amazing statistic is that over twenty-five and one half percent of the country land area is conserved in national parks and protected nature reserves.

     Costa Rica is also an attractive country for investment and it offers great potential for the establishment of important multinational companies. This is due to the outstanding academic level of its population, its centralized location in the hemisphere, the high standard of modern services and its social and political stability.

     The official language is Spanish. The second language for a large portion of the population is English.

     The official religion is Catholic. However it is the most liberal of Catholic countries in all of Latin America and freedom of religious choice is respected and tolerance is part of the national disposition.

     And the official currency is the Colon.

     Costa Rican culture is in many ways a reflection of its racial and social diversity. The predominant influence has long been European, which is reflected in everything from the official language -- Spanish -- to the architecture of the country's churches and other historic buildings. The indigenous influence is less visible, but can be found in everything from the tortillas that are an integral part of a typical Costa Rican meal, to the handmade ceramics sold at roadside stands.

     An important aspect of Costa Rica's cultural legacy is their love for peace and democracy. Ticos, (the name give ourselves) like to point out that their nation is the exception in Latin America, where military dictatorships have long dominated politics.

     Costa Rica has more than one hundred years of democratic tradition, and over half a century without an army. When the army was abolished in 1948, the country designated that the money saved was to be invested in improving the standard of living for all Costa Ricans. This has fostered a culture of peace and social concern that makes it such a pleasant place to live or simply visit.

     Ticos are famous for their hospitality and always live up to their reputation. They are well-educated and hard working people, who are quick with a handshake and a smile. They are well aware of the special land they live in and often help foreigners when they get lost, even explaining things that might seem bizarre to a visitor from another culture; making their stay as enjoyable as possible.

     People say that the Ticos are their nation's greatest asset, and once you've experienced their friendliness and spontaneity, you'll have no doubt to that regard.

     Costa Rica extends majestically from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea though this distance is barely 200 miles. Its land territory occupies only 20 thousand square miles.
Costa Rica is one of most highly valued tourist destinations on the planet. This small piece of land includes all of the necessary components to satisfy the varied taste of more than a million travelers visiting each year.

     Costa Rica’s territorial division includes 7 provinces, which are:

San José	Alajuela	Puntarenas	Guanacaste	Limón
		Click on image to enlarge
Cartago	Heredia

      Together they offer many attractive tourist destinations, with almost limitless possibilities, that include extensive rainforests, volcanoes, mountain, rivers and beaches, of which most are safeguarded by an extensive network of national parks and forest reserves.

     As in most international travel, in order to visit Costa Rica the traveler must show his or her passport. The passport must be valid during the following 6 months from the entry date to Costa Rica.

Political Stability of the Country

     The economic, political and social stability of Costa Rica is one characteristic that has distinguished it through its entire contemporary history and one of its most important attributes, which has enabled Costa Rica to achieve great success in alluring foreign investors.

     The Costa Rican government is based on a series of constitutionally guaranteed checks and balances. The executive responsibilities rest on the President, who is at the center of power and is supported by two Vice-presidents and his cabinet. The President and Vice-presidents, plus fifty seven Congressmen, which form the Legislative Assembly, are directly elected every four years. In addition, the country has a strong legal system that manages the 'judicial power'. This branch ensures compliance to law and applies to foreigners, as well as nationals, within the country's territory.

     The last World Bank survey for Global Governance Indicators puts Costa Rica in first place within Latin America for political stability and absence of violence. This measure includes several indicators, among which it includes a measure for the perception of the likelihood that the government in power will be de-stabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional and/or violent means, including domestic violence and terrorism. Our president was acknowledged internationally in 1987 when Oscar Arias Sanchez, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The constitution was then changed, some 15 years later, to permit a president to serve more than one term in order to give President Arias another opportunity to government Costa Rica once more. So again the country has been able to take advantage of the international status and prestige’s of this great world citizen. Costa Ricans also have another opportunity to benefit from his renowned abilities and experience.

     No doubt that one of the pillars of the Costa Rican economic development has been trade liberalization, which has allowed exports to grow from its previous 30% ratio of GDP in 1980 to a current 50% rate. Furthermore, this trade liberalization has been coupled with a series of structural changes that have pushed Costa Rica towards a transformation in production, leading to remarkable productivity growth, diversification of the economy, and a higher level of investment.

     The Costa Rican economy has maintained a continuous growth, despite and apart from all of the international crisis that have affected other countries like Mexico, Turkey and Venezuela in 1994-95; Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea and the Czech Republic in 1997, Russia and Brazil in 1998, and Argentina in 2002. As a matter of fact, during the turbulent economic times of 1997 and 1998, Costa Rica continued to register growth of above 7% annually.

     These decades of peace and democracy, stability and economic growth have been translated into important social achievements. In this sense, a relevant fact is that in the last 20 years poverty was reduced from 40% to less than 20%. Costa Rica has passed on to occupy one of the highest levels in educational and health attainment in Latin America, which is also one of the best in the world. Furthermore, it has been able to provide broad access to advanced and basic social services like health care, social security and potable water for the entire population. Just as the International Monetary Fund Sub-director, Agustin Carstens has said, "one basic principle that Costa Rica has made is that the ultimate goal of economic politics is to achieve human development."

Info & Photos provided by I.C.T. (Costa Rica Tourism Board)