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Overview of Costa Rica
Home » Costa Rica » History and Overview of Costa Rica » Overview of Costa RicaPosted by Your Guide on May 10, 2006 4:51 PM
Costa Rica, which means “Rich Coast,” is a country in Central America that is just starting to experience a blossoming tourism industry, one that will probably continue to increase in popularity due to the country’s abundant ecological and natural wonders. The beauty here is so captivating that the rest of the world is beginning to discover this ecological and adventure-filled wonderland.
The country, which was the setting for the movie “Jurassic Park,” is as picturesque as they come. The lush rainforests are filled with monkeys, sloughs, crocodiles, lizards, exotic birds, thousands of plant species and several other wonderful living things. In addition to the rainforests, the country is lined with beaches on both the Caribbean coast and the Pacific coast which are only a couple hours apart, both having black and white sand beaches to indulge the most discriminating of traveler. Add the beautiful beaches to the backdrop of four different mountain ranges that run down the middle of the country and the scenery is nothing short of astonishing. If that weren’t enough to intrigue you, Costa Rica is part of the Pacific “Rim of Fire” that has 42 active volcanoes and dozens of extinct volcanoes in a space that is equal to the size of West Virginia.
Costa Rica experiences no winter or summer seasons like most countries do, instead it is divided into a rainy season – from May to December – and a dry season which lasts from December to May. Annual rainfall averages about 100 inches across the country, while some areas get as much as 25 feet of rain! Since Costa Rica is a tropical country, the temperature stays relatively consistent between 75 and 85 degrees. The highest point of the country is Mt. Chirripo, while two thirds of the country’s population lives in the Central Valley that is home to the cities of San Jose, Alajuela and Heredie.
Because of the incredible landscape and natural wonders, Costa Rica has recently turned into a playground for tourists – especially those that are seeking adventure-filled vacations. But why is the country just now experiencing this well-deserved attention? This is mostly because Costa Rica is sandwiched between war-torn nations and has had its own set of political struggles to deal with over the years as well as economical uncertainty. But as word of the peaceful, beautiful country with countless activities at its fingertips emerges, Costa Rica is quickly becoming a welcomed highlight of Central America.
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