Geographic  

Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

• Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
  
• Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 84 00 W
  
• Area:
  Total: 51,100 sq km
  Land: 50,660 sq km
  Water: 440 sq km
  * note: includes Isla del Coco
  
• Area - comparative: Slightly smaller than West Virginia
  
• Land boundaries: Total: 639 km
  
• Border Countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
  
• Coastline: 1,290 km
  
• Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm
  
• Climate: tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
  
• Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
  
• Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
  
• Natural resources:
  hydropower
  Land use:
  arable land: 4.41%
  permanent crops: 5.88%
  other: 89.71% (2001)
  Irrigated land:
  1,260 sq km (1998 est.)
  
• Natural hazards: occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
  
• Environment - current issues: deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution
  
• Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands,
• Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
  
• Geography - note: four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65