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Costa Rican Geography
Home » Costa Rica » Costa Rica Major Cities and Regions » Costa Rican GeographyPosted by Your Guide on May 10, 2006 4:48 PM
Although Costa Rica is the second smallest of the Central American nations, over the past couple of decades the country has made more advances in education, government and civic development than its larger and wealthier neighbors. The country is becoming a popular destination for adventure travelers as well as nature lovers and beach combers. Financial and political stability are finally gracing the country, and this has helped transform Costa Rica into a respite among other war-torn nations in Central America.
Costa Rica covers 19,652 square miles, making it a little smaller than the state of West Virginia. The landscape is rugged and diverse with a west coast that borders the Pacific Ocean and an east coast bordering the Caribbean Sea. The landscape includes beautiful beaches, mountains, active volcanoes, coastal plains, plateaus and lush rainforests. You can imagine the variety of climate zones that accompany the various terrains and ecosystems. There are three different mountain ranges that run down the center of the country and the country is part of the Pacific “Rim of Fire” with dozens of volcanoes that are both active and extinct. The highest point of Costa Rica is Chirripo Grande, with an altitude of 12,533 feet, and from its peak you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.
Located at 10 degrees north of the Equator and 84 degrees west of the Prime Meridian, Costa Rica is centered between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the South. The country is divided into seven provinces: Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas and San Jose; and the provinces are then divided into cantons, or cities. Most provinces have cantons with the same name. The majority of the population of the country lives in the province of San Jose which is located in the central portion of the country and serves as the capital of Costa Rica. San Jose is located on a plateau in the Central Valley that has fertile volcanic soil used for great farming.
About 75% of the country is covered in forests, most of which are protected from the logging industry by the government. In fact, the National Park System is a significant player in sustaining the natural beauty and resources of the country. The National System of Conservation Areas protects 160 areas in Costa Rica with 26 National Parks, making up a fourth of the country. The country’s largest national park is Cocos Island, located in the Pacific Ocean about 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica.
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