HumptyDumpty: Creating Draft:Costa Rica

2026-09-26T11:09:24Z

Creating Draft:Costa Rica

New page

{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Costa Rica
| common_name = Costa Rica
| native_name = República de Costa Rica
| image_flag = Flag of Costa Rica.svg
| image_map = Costa Rica location map.svg
| capital = [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]]
| largest_city = [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]]
| official_languages = [[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| demonym = Costa Rican
| government_type = Unitary presidential republic
| president = [[Laura Fernández Delgado]]
| legislature = [[Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica|Legislative Assembly]]
| area_km2 = 51,100
| population_estimate = 5,152,950
| population_estimate_year = 2025
| currency = [[Costa Rican colón]]
| currency_code = CRC
| time_zone = CST
| utc_offset = −6
| drives_on = Right
| calling_code = +506
| cctld = .cr
| website = https://www.presidencia.go.cr/
}}

'''Costa Rica''', officially the '''Republic of Costa Rica''' (Spanish: ''República de Costa Rica''), is a country in [[Central America]]. It is bordered by [[Nicaragua]] to the north and [[Panama]] to the southeast, with the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the east and the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the west and south. Its capital and largest urban centre is [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]]. The country covers about 51,100 square kilometres and had an estimated population of about 5.15 million in 2025.<ref name="UNData">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica |url=https://data.un.org/en/iso/cr.html |website=UNData |publisher=United Nations |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="WorldBankData">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica – Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/country/costa-rica |website=World Bank Open Data |publisher=World Bank |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

Costa Rica became independent from [[Spain]] in 1821 together with other Central American territories and later participated in the [[Federal Republic of Central America]]. It developed as a separate sovereign state during the nineteenth century.<ref name="StateHistory">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica |url=https://history.state.gov/countries/costa-rica |website=Office of the Historian |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref> Following a civil war in 1948, the country adopted a new constitutional order and permanently prohibited a standing army. The symbolic abolition of the army was announced by José Figueres Ferrer on 1 December 1948 and was incorporated into the constitutional system in 1949.<ref name="ArmyMuseum">{{cite web |title=Las Fuerzas Armadas en Costa Rica |url=https://www.museocostarica.go.cr/el-museo/cuartel-bellavista/fuerzas-armadas-en-costa-rica/ |website=Museo Nacional de Costa Rica |publisher=National Museum of Costa Rica |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

Costa Rica is known internationally for its democratic institutions, environmental policies, extensive protected areas and biological diversity. Forest covered about 60.4% of its land area in 2023 according to World Bank data.<ref name="WorldBankData" /> The country has four properties on the [[UNESCO World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage List]], including three natural properties and one cultural property.<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cr |website=UNESCO World Heritage Convention |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

Costa Rica has a relatively diversified economy based on services, manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, trade and foreign investment. Medical devices and other high-value manufactured products have become important exports alongside traditional agricultural goods such as bananas and pineapples.<ref name="OECD2025">{{cite web |title=OECD Economic Surveys: Costa Rica 2025 |url=https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-economic-surveys-costa-rica-2025_048cf07b-en/full-report.html |website=OECD |publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |date=11 March 2025 |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref> Costa Rica became a member of the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] in 2021, becoming the first Central American country to join the organisation.<ref name="OECDMember">{{cite web |title=OECD welcomes Costa Rica as its 38th Member |url=https://www.oecd.org/en/about/news/press-releases/2021/05/oecd-welcomes-costa-rica-as-its-38th-member.html |website=OECD |publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |date=25 May 2021 |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

== Name ==

The name ''Costa Rica'' is Spanish for "rich coast". The designation dates from the period of Spanish exploration and colonisation and remained in use after independence. The country's formal Spanish name is ''República de Costa Rica'', or Republic of Costa Rica.

People from Costa Rica are commonly called '''Costa Ricans''' in English and ''costarricenses'' in Spanish. The informal term ''Tico'' for a Costa Rican, and ''Tica'' for a Costa Rican woman, is also widely used within the country.

== Geography ==

Costa Rica occupies the southern part of the Central American isthmus between Nicaragua and Panama. Its territory has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The national surface area is approximately 51,100 square kilometres.<ref name="UNData" />

Much of the country's interior is mountainous. Several mountain systems extend roughly northwest to southeast and include volcanic ranges associated with the tectonically active Central American region. Volcanic landscapes are a prominent feature of the country, and volcanoes such as [[Arenal Volcano|Arenal]], Poás, Irazú and Turrialba are among its best-known natural landmarks.

The Central Valley, where San José and several other major cities are located, is an important population and economic centre. Coastal lowlands extend toward both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.

Costa Rica also includes [[Cocos Island]], located hundreds of kilometres southwest of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean. The island and surrounding marine environment form Cocos Island National Park, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref name="UNESCO" />

=== Climate ===

Costa Rica has a mainly tropical climate, although temperature and rainfall vary considerably with elevation and location. Low-lying coastal areas are generally hot, while higher elevations are cooler.

Rainfall patterns differ between the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the country. Many Pacific regions have a more clearly defined dry season, commonly occurring from roughly December to April, while Caribbean areas receive substantial rainfall through much of the year.

The country's varied elevations, rainfall patterns and location between two oceans contribute to a wide range of ecosystems.

== Biodiversity and environment ==

Costa Rica is recognised for its unusually high biological diversity relative to its size. The country's National System of Conservation Areas has reported that Costa Rica contains a significant share of global biodiversity despite occupying only a small fraction of the Earth's land surface.<ref name="SINACBio">{{cite web |title=VI Informe Nacional al Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica |url=https://www.sinac.go.cr/ES/docu/Informe%20pas/VI-Informe.pdf |website=Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación |publisher=Government of Costa Rica |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

Its ecosystems include tropical dry forest, lowland rainforest, cloud forest, wetlands, mangroves, montane forest and marine environments. This variety supports large numbers of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Costa Rica experienced substantial deforestation during parts of the twentieth century, particularly as forests were converted for cattle ranching and agriculture. Later conservation policies, protected areas, forest legislation and financial incentives for landowners contributed to a major recovery of forest cover.<ref name="WorldBankForest">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica's Forest Conservation Pays Off |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/11/16/costa-rica-s-forest-conservation-pays-off |website=World Bank |publisher=World Bank |date=16 November 2022 |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

The country's Payment for Environmental Services programme provides financial incentives for activities that protect or restore environmental services, including forest conservation and carbon storage. The World Bank has described protected areas as covering roughly 26% of Costa Rica's territory, while forests extend across more than half of the country.<ref name="WorldBankForest" />

The World Bank reported forest cover equivalent to 60.4% of land area in 2023.<ref name="WorldBankData" />

Costa Rica has four UNESCO World Heritage properties: the [[Area de Conservación Guanacaste]], [[Cocos Island National Park]], the transboundary [[Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park]], and the [[Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís]].<ref name="UNESCO" />

== History ==

=== Indigenous and colonial period ===

Human communities lived in the territory of present-day Costa Rica long before European colonisation. Different Indigenous societies developed across the region, with cultural connections to both Mesoamerica and northern South America. Archaeological remains in southern Costa Rica include the large stone spheres associated with pre-Columbian chiefdom settlements in the Diquís region. UNESCO inscribed these settlements as a World Heritage Site in 2014.<ref name="UNESCO" />

The territory later became part of the Spanish colonial system in Central America. Compared with some other Spanish American colonies, Costa Rica was relatively distant from the principal political and commercial centres of the empire.

Agriculture became central to colonial settlement, and the Central Valley developed into an important population centre.

=== Independence and nineteenth century ===

Costa Rica and other Central American provinces declared independence from Spain on 15 September 1821. The region was briefly associated with Mexico before the creation of the United Provinces of Central America in 1823.<ref name="CentralAmericanFederation">{{cite web |title=Central American Federation |url=https://history.state.gov/countries/central-american-federation |website=Office of the Historian |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

As the Central American federation weakened, Costa Rica increasingly governed itself independently. It formally separated from the federation in 1838, and the Republic of Costa Rica was formally proclaimed in 1848.<ref name="StateHistory" />

Coffee became a major export during the nineteenth century and contributed to the growth of commercial agriculture and transport infrastructure. Banana production later became an important activity, especially in Caribbean areas.<ref name="StateBackground">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/costarica/98888.htm |website=U.S. Department of State Archive |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

=== Twentieth century and the 1948 civil war ===

Costa Rica developed a comparatively durable system of electoral government, although its political history included periods of conflict and authoritarian rule. Federico Tinoco ruled as a dictator from 1917 to 1919.<ref name="StateBackground" />

A disputed presidential election in 1948 led to an armed conflict lasting several weeks. José Figueres Ferrer led the victorious National Liberation Army. After the conflict, a provisional governing junta introduced a series of institutional reforms.<ref name="StateHistory" />

On 1 December 1948, Figueres publicly announced the abolition of the army at the Bellavista military barracks. The abolition was subsequently embedded in Costa Rica's constitutional order. The former Bellavista barracks became the home of the National Museum of Costa Rica.<ref name="ArmyMuseum" />

A new constitution came into force in 1949. It strengthened the country's civilian political institutions and established the framework under which Costa Rica has subsequently held regular national elections.<ref name="StateHistory" />

== Government and politics ==

Costa Rica is a presidential republic governed under the Constitution of 1949. Executive authority is headed by the president, while legislative authority is exercised by the unicameral [[Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica]]. The Assembly has 57 seats.<ref name="TSE2026">{{cite web |title=TSE da a conocer oficialmente las 57 diputaciones electas para la Asamblea Legislativa |url=https://www.tse.go.cr/comunicado1173.html |website=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones |publisher=Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica |date=23 March 2026 |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

The president and members of the Legislative Assembly serve four-year constitutional terms. Elections are administered by the [[Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica]], which has a constitutionally independent role in the electoral system.

[[Laura Fernández Delgado]] became president in May 2026 for the 2026–2030 term. Before becoming president, she served in senior government positions including Minister of the Presidency and Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy.<ref name="President2026">{{cite web |title=Presidente de la República |url=https://www.presidencia.go.cr/su-presidente/presidente-de-la-republica |website=Presidencia de la República de Costa Rica |publisher=Government of Costa Rica |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

In the February 2026 legislative election, five political groupings won representation in the 57-seat Legislative Assembly. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported 31 seats for Pueblo Soberano, 17 for Liberación Nacional, seven for Frente Amplio, and one each for Unidad Social Cristiana and Coalición Agenda Ciudadana.<ref name="TSE2026" />

Judicial authority is headed by the Supreme Court of Justice. Costa Rica also has a specialised constitutional chamber responsible for constitutional review.

=== Abolition of the army ===

Costa Rica does not maintain a permanent army. The decision to eliminate the military followed the 1948 civil war and became one of the most distinctive features of the country's political system.

José Figueres Ferrer carried out the symbolic abolition ceremony on 1 December 1948 at the Bellavista barracks. The decision was later given constitutional force in 1949. Public security responsibilities were transferred to civilian police organisations rather than a permanent military establishment.<ref name="ArmyMuseum" />

Costa Rica retains police, border, coast guard and other security services for domestic security and law enforcement.

== Administrative divisions ==

Costa Rica is divided into seven provinces:

* [[Alajuela Province|Alajuela]]
* [[Cartago Province|Cartago]]
* [[Guanacaste Province|Guanacaste]]
* [[Heredia Province|Heredia]]
* [[Limón Province|Limón]]
* [[Puntarenas Province|Puntarenas]]
* [[San José Province|San José]]

The provinces are further divided into cantons and districts.

San José Province contains the national capital and forms part of the country's most densely populated metropolitan region.

== Economy ==

Costa Rica has an upper-middle-income economy with a large service sector and significant international trade and foreign investment. According to World Bank data, gross domestic product was approximately US$102.9 billion in 2025, with GDP per capita of about US$19,970.<ref name="WorldBankData" />

The country's economic structure has changed substantially from its earlier dependence on agricultural commodities. Coffee, bananas, pineapples and other agricultural products remain important, but manufacturing and service exports have expanded.

High-value manufacturing, particularly medical devices, has become a major part of the export economy. Business services and other knowledge-intensive activities have also attracted foreign investment. The OECD has described trade and foreign direct investment as important drivers of Costa Rica's economic growth and noted the increasing importance of medical devices and services in the country's export structure.<ref name="OECDTrade">{{cite web |title=Maximising trade benefits: OECD Economic Surveys: Costa Rica 2025 |url=https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-economic-surveys-costa-rica-2025_048cf07b-en/full-report/maximising-trade-benefits_25f4db8b.html |website=OECD |publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |date=11 March 2025 |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

The OECD's 2025 economic survey described the economy as growing solidly while also identifying long-term challenges including fiscal sustainability, labour-market informality, infrastructure gaps, inequality and skills shortages.<ref name="OECD2025" />

Costa Rica became the 38th member of the OECD on 25 May 2021.<ref name="OECDMember" />

== Tourism ==

Tourism is an important part of the Costa Rican economy and is closely associated with the country's national parks, beaches, wildlife, forests and volcanic landscapes.

Popular destinations include the Arenal region, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio National Park, Tortuguero, the Nicoya Peninsula, Guanacaste, Corcovado National Park and the Caribbean coast.

Ecotourism has developed alongside Costa Rica's protected-area system and conservation policies. Visitors are drawn by activities such as wildlife observation, hiking, surfing, birdwatching, rafting and visits to volcanoes and tropical forests.

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute publishes monthly and annual statistics on international tourist arrivals and related indicators.<ref name="ICTStats">{{cite web |title=Statistical Reports |url=https://ict.go.cr/en/statistics/statistical-reports.html |website=Instituto Costarricense de Turismo |publisher=Costa Rican Tourism Institute |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

== Energy and sustainability ==

Renewable energy plays a central role in Costa Rica's electricity system. Hydroelectric power has historically supplied a substantial share of generation, while geothermal, wind, solar and other renewable sources also contribute to the electricity mix.<ref name="IEA">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica – Renewables |url=https://www.iea.org/countries/costa-rica/renewables |website=International Energy Agency |publisher=IEA |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

Costa Rica has also pursued policies aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, protecting forests and increasing the environmental sustainability of economic development. The OECD has identified diversification of renewable energy, climate adaptation, and improvements in water and waste management as important elements of the country's green transition.<ref name="OECD2025" />

Conservation policies include protected areas and the Payment for Environmental Services programme, under which landowners may receive incentives for maintaining forests and ecosystem services.<ref name="WorldBankForest" />

== Demographics ==

Costa Rica had an estimated population of 5,152,950 in 2025 according to World Bank data.<ref name="WorldBankData" /> United Nations data for the same year similarly estimated the population at about 5.153 million, with a population density of approximately 100.9 people per square kilometre.<ref name="UNData" />

Most residents live in urban areas, particularly in and around the Central Valley.

Spanish is the official language and the main language of everyday life, government and education. Indigenous languages are also spoken by several Indigenous communities, while varieties of English and other languages are used by some population groups.

Costa Rican society reflects Indigenous, European, African, Caribbean and more recent migrant influences.

== Health ==

Costa Rica has developed broad public health and social insurance institutions. The [[Costa Rican Social Security Fund]] is a central institution in the country's public health system.

The World Health Organization reported a population of approximately 5.1 million for 2023 and classified Costa Rica as an upper-middle-income country. Current health expenditure was equivalent to 7.57% of GDP in the WHO's 2021 data.<ref name="WHO">{{cite web |title=Costa Rica |url=https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/countries/country-details/GHO/costa-rica |website=World Health Organization |publisher=WHO |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

World Bank data placed life expectancy at birth at about 81 years in 2024.<ref name="WorldBankData" />

== Education ==

Education has long played an important role in Costa Rican public policy. The country has public primary and secondary schools as well as state and private universities.

Major public higher-education institutions include the [[University of Costa Rica]], the National University of Costa Rica, the Costa Rica Institute of Technology and the State Distance University.

The concentration of universities, government institutions and private-sector employment in the Central Valley makes the San José metropolitan region the country's principal centre for higher education and professional services.

== Culture ==

Costa Rican culture developed from a mixture of Indigenous, Spanish, African, Caribbean and other influences. Spanish is dominant in national literature, media and public life, while regional cultural traditions differ between the Central Valley, Guanacaste, the Caribbean coast and Indigenous territories.

Traditional foods commonly use ingredients such as rice, beans, maize, plantains, vegetables, meat and tropical fruits. ''Gallo pinto'', a preparation based on rice and beans, is widely associated with Costa Rican cuisine. ''Casado'' meals commonly combine rice, beans and other side dishes with meat, fish or another main food.

Coffee has played an important role in Costa Rica's economic and social history, especially in the Central Valley.

The phrase ''pura vida'', literally "pure life", is widely used in Costa Rican everyday speech as a greeting, expression of approval or description of a positive outlook.

== Heritage ==

Costa Rica has both natural and archaeological sites of international importance. UNESCO lists four World Heritage properties in the country.<ref name="UNESCO" />

The Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís consist of archaeological sites in southern Costa Rica associated with pre-Columbian societies. They are particularly known for large stone spheres produced before European colonisation.<ref name="UNESCO" />

The three natural World Heritage properties protect ecosystems ranging from tropical dry forests and mountain landscapes to remote marine environments.<ref name="UNESCO" />

== International relations ==

Costa Rica is a member of the [[United Nations]]. It joined the organisation on 2 November 1945.<ref name="UNMember">{{cite web |title=Member States |url=https://www.un.org/about-us/member-states |website=United Nations |publisher=United Nations |access-date=26 September 2026}}</ref>

The country also participates in regional and international organisations including the [[Organization of American States]], the [[Central American Integration System]], the [[World Trade Organization]] and the OECD.

Costa Rica's international profile has often included diplomacy related to peace, environmental protection, human rights and sustainable development.

== See also ==

* [[Central America]]
* [[History of Costa Rica]]
* [[Geography of Costa Rica]]
* [[Economy of Costa Rica]]
* [[Politics of Costa Rica]]
* [[San José, Costa Rica]]
* [[List of countries in North America]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.presidencia.go.cr/ Presidency of the Republic of Costa Rica]
* [https://www.tse.go.cr/ Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica]
* [https://www.ict.go.cr/ Costa Rican Tourism Institute]
* [https://www.sinac.go.cr/ National System of Conservation Areas]
* [https://data.worldbank.org/country/costa-rica Costa Rica data at the World Bank]
* [https://www.oecd.org/en/countries/costa-rica.html Costa Rica at the OECD]

[[Category:Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Countries in Central America]]
[[Category:Countries in North America]]
[[Category:Republics]]
[[Category:Spanish-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:United Nations member states]]
[[Category:OECD member countries]]

Draft:Costa Rica - Revision history

HumptyDumpty: Creating Draft:Costa Rica