Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a democratic republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the North, Panama to the South, the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Caribbean Sea to the East. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army, and is positioned to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world by 2021. Costa Rica is among the safest countries in Latin America, and is currently the least impoverished Spanish speaking country in the world, with poverty percentage levels lower than that of Spain itself, and other developed countries. The levels of urbanization here near those of countries such as Finland and Norway.

Costa Rica, despite these levels of urbanization, protects 23% of its national territories within its Protected Areas system, and possesses the greatest species density in the world.

According to the CIA World Factbook, Costa Rica’s GDP is US$13,500 per capita. Its growth rate in 2006 was about 5%, due partly to the fact that the central government offers tax exemptions to foreigners willing to invest here. Among the big businesses that have recently set up operations in Costa Rica are Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline, Proctor & Gamble, and Intel. In addition to electronics, pharmaceuticals, and software development, financial outsourcing and ecotourism have become prime industries in Costa Rica’s economy. High levels of education and expanding use of English among its residents make the country an attractive investing location.

The official currency is the colon, currently trading at around 500 to the U.S. Dollar and 750 to the Euro. Costa Rica’s location provides easy access to American markets since it has the same time zone as the central United States. Direct ocean access to the United States, Europe, and Asia provide easy trading routes to these regions. In addition, on October 7, 2007, the voters in Costa Rica approved a free trade agreement with the U.S. This agreement has bolstered trade, and has made a significant impact on the economy.

With a $2 billion per year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in Central America, attracting almost 2 million foreign visitors in 2007. This translates to approximately $1000 spent per visitor per trip, a relatively high expenditure level. The rate of foreign visitors per capita is 0.46, one of the highest in the Caribbean Basin. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. (54%) and the E.U. (14%). In 2005, tourism contributed 8.1% of the countries GNP and represented 13.3% of the direct and indirect employment.

Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is one of the few with real ecotourism. In 2008, Costa Rica ranked first among Latin American countries in tourism. This tourism is based on the rich variety of flora and fauna found here. While the country has only 0.1% of the world’s land area, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity.

One park internationally known among ecologists for its biodiversity and where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife is the Corcovado National Park. Tortuguero National Park is home to spider, howler, and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloths, 320 species of birds, and a variety of reptiles, but is best known for the annual nesting of the endangered green turtle. Giant leatherback, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles are also known to nest there.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to about 2,000 plant species including numerous varieties of orchids. Over 400 types of birds can be found there, along with over 100 species of mammals. As a whole, over 800 species of birds can be found in Costa Rica, making it a birdwatcher’s paradise. The Insituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBIO) is permitted to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance.

Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as tico (masculine) or tica (feminine). “Tico” comes from the popular local usage of “tico” and “tica” as diminutive suffixes (i.e. “momentico” instead of “momentito"). The phrase “Pura Vida” (literally “Pure Life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. Many youths use mae (meaning “guy/dude"), a contraction of “maje”, to refer to each other, although this may be construed as being somewhat insulting to elders, as “maje” was a synonym for “tonto” (stupid).

Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya Peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern parts of the country had Chibcha influences.

The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most Costa Ricans of African descent, however, derive from the nineteenth-century Jamaican workers, brought in to the railroads connecting the Central Plateau and the port town of Limon on the Caribbean Coast. Italian and Chinese immigrants also arrived at this time to built these railways.

The literacy rate in Costa Rica is 96%, one of the highest in Latin America. There are elementary and high schools throughout the country, in virtually every community. Universal public education is guaranteed by the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both pre-school and high schools are free. There are both state and private universities.

The social, economical, and environmental aspects of Costa Rica, along with the pleasant weather, rich history, and close proximity to the U.S. creates a thriving expat population and culture within this wonderful tropical paradise. We extend to you an invitation to visit and see for yourself the many reasons Costa Rica is the right place to live and invest!
(Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia)