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Costa Rica Geography 1996

Location:

Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total area:

51,100 sq km

land area:

50,660 sq km

comparative area:

slightly smaller than West Virginia

note:

includes Isla del Coco

Land boundaries:

total 639 km, Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

Coastline:

1,290 km

Maritime claims:

exclusive economic zone:

200 nm

territorial sea:

12 nm

International disputes:

none

Climate:

tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)

Terrain:

coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

Natural resources:

hydropower potential

Land use:

arable land:

permanent crops:

meadows and pastures:

45%

forest and woodland:

34%

other:

Irrigated land:

1,180 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:

current issues:

deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching; soil erosion

natural hazards:

occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes

international agreements:

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

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