Costa Rica

Costa Rica

AREA	51,060 sq km (19,720 sq miles).
POPULATION	3,464,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	67.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	San José
CAPITAL POPULATION	329,154 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY	Costa Rica, lying between Nicaragua and Panama, is a complete coast-to-coast segment of the Central American isthmus. Its width ranges from 119 to 282km (74 to 176 miles). A low thin line of hills, that rises between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean in Nicaragua, broadens and rises as it enters northern Costa Rica, eventually forming the high, rugged, mountains of volcanic origin in the centre and south. The highest peak is Chirripó Grande which reaches 3820m (12,530ft). More than half the population live on the Meseta Central, a plateau with an equitable climate. It is rimmed to the southwest by the Cordillera range, and provides the setting for the country's capital, San José. There are lowlands on both coastlines, mainly swampy on the Caribbean coast, with grassland savannah on the Pacific side merging into swamps towards the south. Rivers cut through the mountains, flowing down to both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence in 1840. Head of State and Government: President José María Figueres Olsen since 1994.
LANGUAGE	Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken. Some French, German and Italian are also spoken.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 6.
ELECTRICITY	110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. 2-pin plugs are standard.

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