Costa Rica is a small country situated on the Central American Isthmus, between Nicaragua to the north, and Panamá to the south. It is a tropical country, lying just 8º north of the equator at its most southerly mainland point, and the offshore territory of Isla del Coco (25 sq km) lies even closer, at 5º30' north.

Despite its tiny size (51,000 sq km), Costa Rica is an incredibly varied country. This is due in part to it's location, but also, more importantly, to it's topography and varied climates. Bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and the east by the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean), with a mountainous, volcanic interior, Costa Rica is recognised as one of the most bio-diverse countries on the planet. Changing altitudes in Costa Rica play an important part in this bio-diversity. The Pacific and Caribbean coasts are only 119 km apart at Costa Rica's narrowest point, yet the country boasts more than 17 mountains or volcanoes with peaks in excess of 3000m, the highest being Cerro Chirripó at 3820m.

Costa Ricans (Ticos) are generally fully aware of how important their country is, in terms of it's bio-diversity, and this is why about 27% of Costa Rica is protected in some way or another, with over 13% of the countries land lying within the national park system. Costa Rica is THE country to explore tropical rainforests, lie on beautiful beaches, view active volcanoes, and also to see monkeys, sea turtles, and exotic birds aplenty!

Costa Rica has a population of around 4, 000,000 people, of whom 1.2 million live in and around the capital city, San José. San José lies in an area called the Valle Central (Central Valley), which is in fact, a plateaux lying between 1000 and 1500 m above sea level in the centre of the country. Surruonded by mountains, the Valle Central is incredibly fertile and houses 60% of Costa Rica's total populace. The other principal cities in the Valle Central are Cartago, Heredia, and Alajuela. Outside of the Valle Cental, population is relatively sparse, with only Puntarenas on the Pacific coast, Puerto Limón on the Caribbean coast, and Liberia in the northern plains of Guanacaste making any real indent on the urban landscape. The population density of Costa Rica as a whole, is more than 70 people per square kilometer, which is about a quarter of the population density of the United Kingdom, but around 2.5 times higher than that of the United States. The  vast majority of Costa Ricans are white, of Spanish descent. Other ethnic groups in Costa Rica include a 2% Afro-Caribbean population (mainly concentrated in the Caribbean province of Limon, where around 35% of the populace trace their roots back to Jamaica), a 1% Asian (mainly Chinese) population, and a further 1% indigeneous Indian population.

As in many other Latin Amerivan countries, Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, and Roman Catholicism is the official religion.

Costa Rica is a democratic country, which for many years now has been able to boast of having the most stable political climate in Latin America. Elections have been held since the 19th century, and the armed forces were abolished in 1948, after a brief civil war. Since then, Costa Rica has lived quietly, and at peace, known throughout the world as the "Switzerland of Central America". Costa Rica has not only managed to avoid the wars, dictatorships, and internal strifes that have torn apart other countries in the region; it has worked to promote peace in the area, a fact recognised by the world in the 1990 bestowment of the Nobel Peace Prize to the then president, Oscar Arias.

With the highest literary rate in Latin America, one of the highest standards of health care in the region (in a World Health Organization study ranking the life spans of the world, Costa Rica was rated third, after Japan and France respectively), a safe and democratic tradition, not to mention the cosmopolitan-ess of San José, the friendlyness of the Ticos, and the outstanding natural beauty of the countryside and beaches, Costa Rica really is the place to live as an exchangee in..... to learn Spanish in.... or  to volunteer for environmental work in....

Come to Costa Rica! Become a Tico!

Dangers and Annoyances in Costa Rica:

Costa Rica is generally considered one of the safest countries to visit in Latin America. Compared to other countries in the region, the crime rate is low, but unfortunately rising. Violent crime towards foreigners is rare, but it pays to (especially in the cities of the Central Valley) be very careful with your belongings whilst on the streets. Watch your bags, cameras, jewellery etc, and keep important documents and money somewhere safe, such as in a moneybelt.

Healthwise, Costa Rica is also generally very safe. Tapwater in the Central Valley is drinkable, there is no malaria, and hospitals are of a high standard. The main hazzard that you are likely to face is sunburn on the beach! Be careful of the tropical sun, and never under-estimate it's power. Another danger in Costa Rica is the abundance of rip-tides on many beaches, which are responsible for many drownings each year. Take local advice when at the beach. Rabies is prevalent throughout the America's, but a rabies vaccination is not neccesary unless spending a large amount with wild animals. Other vaccinations are just those of common sense; be up to date on your tetanus and hepetitus shots.