Costa Rica - about the geography, history, government and economy, the people, history, and tourism.

Essay by foofighter347Junior High, 7th gradeA+, April 2004

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General information

Costa Rica is an exotic country located in Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. It is between Nicaragua and Panama. It is 51,100 square km in size, and it's capital is San Jose. When compared to the United States, it is slightly smaller than West Virginia. It has a coastline that is 1,290 km in length. The population of Costa Rica is 3,710,558 (July 2000 est.), and the Population growth rate is 1.69% (2000 est.).

Geography

Some of the geographical features found in Costa Rica are craters, and mountain ranges. There are coastal plains separated by rugged mountains. Rich soil is also found throughout Costa Rica. The Most famous crater is "Poas Volcano", one of the mountain ranges is "The Cordilleras", and the highest mountain in Costa Rica is Chirripo Grande, which is 19,599 feet tall. The Climate is tropical and subtropical; there is a dry season (December to April), and a rainy season (May to November).

It is mostly cooler in highlands. Temperatures are high 100 degrees F in the Caribbean Lowlands, 77 degrees F in the Pacific Coastal Strip, 80 to 90 degrees F in Valle del General, and 75 to 80 degrees F in Meseta Central. Rainfall amounts are 150 to 200 inches in the Caribbean Lowlands, 70 inches in Meseta Central, 110 inches in Valle del General, and 130 inches in the Pacific Coastal Strip. Some of the natural disasters are occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; and active volcanoes. Some current environmental issues are deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); fisheries protection; and solid waste management. There is 1,200 sq km of irrigated land.

Government and...