Costa Rica
Natural Riches
Costa Rica-"rich coast"-is the name Christopher Columbus gave this country on his fourth and last voyage to the New World in 1502. The origin of the term is uncertain. He was probably hoping he would find gold here or else he thought the country must be rich because of all the gold jewellery the native chiefs were wearing. Perhaps the country owed its name just to the country's lush and fertile landscape.
With an area of about 51,000 sq km (roughly the same as Switzerland-and indeed it's also known as the Switzerland of Central America), Costa Rica is the third smallest of the seven Central American countries. It is bounded in the north by Nicaragua and in the south by Panama, with the Caribbean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Between the two coasts, the country's numerous mountain ranges have several volcanoes, some of them still active. The high plateau in the middle of the mountains, the Meseta Central, is blessed with a temperate climate and a fertile volcanic soil ideal for growing coffee. Three-quarters of the estimated population of over 4 million live up here, 96% of them of Spanish origin. At the heart of the plateau, the capital San Jose is a modern city with extensive suburbs, lots of parkland and a high standard of living.
Costa Rica is a haven of peace on the Central American map. Since 1949, it has had a well-functioning democracy, an exemplary health service and efficient school system, thanks to which it can claim Central America's highest rate of literacy. Up to now it is the only country in the world to have done away with its army. In 1987, its President Oscar Arias Sanchez won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace.
In a country poor in raw materials and cultural treasures, Costa Rica's natural splendours provide its greatest riches. Its beautiful and varied landscapes with their teeming animal and plant life scattered across rainforest, volcanoes and beaches are protected by a plethora of national parks and nature reserves-particularly impressive following one of the world's highest rates of clear-fell logging still prevailing here in the 1980s. Costa Rica is putting all its cards on eco-tourism, that is, for visitors interested in nature and a unique travel experience off the beaten tourist-track.
