Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
10 00 N, 84 00 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 51,100 sq km
land: 51,060 sq km
water: 40 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco
slightly smaller than West Virginia
total: 661 km
border countries (2): Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km
1,290 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,819 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 746 m
hydropower
agricultural land: 37.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 6.7% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 25.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 51.5% (2018 est.)
other: 11.4% (2018 est.)
1,015 sq km (2012)
113 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
roughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one-fifth of the population
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
volcanism: Arenal (1,670 m), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (3,432 m), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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
NOTE: The information regarding Costa Rica on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Costa Rica 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Costa Rica 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 16 Dec 23, Copyright © 2023 ITA all rights reserved.