FACTS

Costa Rica is a small country in Central America measuring nearly 20,000 square miles (about the size of West Virginia in USA) with a population of about 4 million people (2003 estimate).
Costa Rica is well known for its ecotourism and boasts 12 major life zones, over 10,000 kinds of flowering plants, 850 bird species, 3,000 butterfly species and over 200 mammal species.
Thirty percent of the land is protected by national and private reserves, and more than five percent of the world's biodiversity can be found in Costa Rica.
Active volcanoes, rainforests, cloud forests, lowland jungles, dramatic Pacific coastline and tranquil Costa Rican beaches spread across the country's seven provinces.
The climate is subtropical and average temperatures range from 50º F in the mountain areas to 80º F degrees at the beach.
The rainy season or Green Season, runs from May to October while the dry season takes place November through April.
Spanish is the official language and English is second spoken by the Ticos (native Costa Ricans).
San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica. The country is divided into seven Provinces: San Jose, Cartago, Alajuela, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón.
Colón is the monetary unit with an approximate value of ¢500 colones per $1.00 US dollar.