Costa Rica Facts

The official name of Costa Rica is the Republic of Costa Rica. It is located in Central America. It shares its borders with Panama, the Caribbean Sea, Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean. The geographical area of Costa Rica is 31,900 sq. miles, which is the combined size of the states of Vermont and New Hampshire in the US. San José is the capital of Costa Rica and Spanish is the official language of the country.

Interesting Costa Rica Facts

The facts about Costa Rica are divided into sub categories. The facts have been divided into government, people, national flag, culture, etc. -

Government
Costa Rica is a democratic republic. The country is divided into seven geopolitical structures, namely San Jose, Heredia, Limon, Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste and Puntarenas. Costa Rica gained its political independence on the 15th of September 1821 from Spain. Therefore, 15th of September is a national holiday and is celebrated as Independence Day. Costa Rican Colon is the official currency of the country. The constitution of the country was adopted on the 7th of November 1949. The executive branch of the government is headed by the President, who is elected for a 4 year term. The country has two Vice Presidents and a cabinet, which consists of 22 ministers, inclusive of the two Vice Presidents. The parliament is unicameral and is elected every 4 years. The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest judiciary power. It consists of 22 magistrates, who are elected by the Legislative Assembly. Their term can be renewed every 8 years.

People
According to the last available census, the population of Costa Rica is 4.516 million. The people belong to various ethic groups. Majority of the population is made of European and mestizo, while there are 3% people of African origin, 1% of Chinese origin, Amerindian and others each. 76.3% of the population are Roman Catholics, while 13.7% are Evangelical Protestants, 4.8% practice various other religions and 3.2% of the population do not practice any religion. Although Spanish is the official language, English is also spoken in the country. To be more precise a dialect of English is spoken. One of the best tradition of Costa Rica is that every child has to have 9 years of compulsory education. The literacy rate of Costa Rica is pegged at 96%.

National Flag
The national flag of Costa Rica has five horizontal bands, which are blue, white, red. The first horizontal band is blue in color, which is followed by white, then there is a red band, which has double width followed by white and blue bands. The coat of arms is placed on the red band. Above the coat of arms, there is a blue ribbon, where 'American Central' are written and below the coat of arms 'Republic of Costa Rica' is written. Each of the colors used in the flag have their own significance. The blue color represents the sky cover, while the white stands for peace, which is a characteristics of the country and also purity. Energy, courage and generosity of the Costa Ricans is represented with the red color.

Culture
Costa Rica culture facts includes facts about three different cultures, which is a part of the country. They are Mesoamerican culture, Nahuatl culture and Chibcha culture. The food of Costa Rica is a blend of Native American, Spanish and African cuisine. Tamal is a traditional dish, which is made using corn. The Costa Rican cuisine has undergone a lot of change, after each ethnic group became a part of the country. Dance forms like salsa, bachata, cumbia, soca and Costa Rican swing, etc. are practiced by the old and the young alike. The most popular musical instrument is the guitar. It is even seen accompanying the folk dancers. However, the national instrument is the marimba.

Travel
Costa Rica travel is popular on the list of many people all around the world. If one has to look at a Costa Rica travel guide, it will certainly mention the pristine and captivating Costa Rica beaches. There are 32 popular beaches and bays in Costa Rica. These beaches are very famous for surfing and scuba diving. The best vacation spots in Costa Rica are the cloud forest of Monteverde, world famous zoos, and not to forget the beautiful beaches. One can also undertake Costa Rica helicopter tours, with which you can see the country from a different angle altogether. Locals like to make the stay of tourists very comfortable. There are a number of Costa Rica vacation spots, which one can include in the itinerary. There are guided tours given to view different species of marine life too, and you can be very sure that a Costa Rica vacation will always be worth every penny..

After reading about the Costa Rica facts, are you not intrigued by this Central American country? As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to a nice vacation in Costa Rica myself, and see this country rich in flora and fauna.