25 Incredible Costa Rica Facts That You Won't Believe

Costa Rica is a country that is in Latin America and its capital is San Jose. 

Costa Rica is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean coast to the east, Panama to the south, and Nicaragua to the north. Costa Rica is a sovereign state and has been regarded as one of the countries having a stable democracy with elections taking place every four years. 

The official language of this beautiful small country is Spanish and Catholicism is the state religion. Costa Rica is slightly smaller than Lake Michigan but has a very rich cultural history.

It was inhabited by large groups of indigenous people before Columbus and Spanish colonists. Costa Rica has ranked very well in the Human Development Index and has been cited by the United Nations Development Program for achieving much higher human development than the other countries with a similar income level.

It is also among the world's happiest countries. It ranked 12th.

Costa Rica is home to some of the most beautiful national parks, beaches, and wildlife in the world. It is preferred by tourists from all over the world.

Costa Rica offers not just natural beauty but also a host of outdoor activities which makes it the perfect choice for tourists. The rainy season lasts between May and mid-November so the ideal time to visit here is December to January.

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Costa Rica History

The history of Costa Rica dates back to about 13,000-17,000 years ago. With the influence of many different cultures, it has a rich and cultural history that very few people are aware of.

This place served as the home to as many as 25 indigenous groups. Christopher Columbus was the first European that landed on this island.

After he arrived, he thought of the coast as Costa Rica which means 'rich coast'. Hence, the island was named 'Costa Rica' by the colonists.

The indigenous people have been living in Costa Rica since the 16th century. Once Columbus set foot, the Spanish settlers also started arriving afterward.

Before the arrival of the settlers, the life of the indigenous people was rather simple and it revolved around agriculture as well as hunting. With the advent of Spanish settlers and colonization in the later years, cultural influences and artistic styles from Europe could be seen.

The architecture of San Jose is a big example of this. First Spanish Colony in Costa Rica: Villa Bruselas was founded in 1524.

After the Mexican War of Independence, it became a part of the Mexican Empire. In the year 1813, it became a part of the Federal Republic of Central America and finally became independent a few years later in 1821.

However, in the year 1899, the first free and fair elections were held. Apart from the 44-day long civil war that took place in the year 1948, Costa Rica is considered to be one of the most politically stable countries with elections every four years where one president and two vice presidents are elected democratically by the people.

What is Costa Rica famous for?

Costa Rica's the perfect blend of rich culture, biodiverse wildlife, sprawling beaches, and luxury. From beautiful national parks, beaches, volcanoes to some of the best coffee and food, Costa Rica has a lot to offer to everyone.

But perhaps, the one thing that Costa Rica is the most famous for is happiness. The Costa Ricans or Ticos live by the motto of Pura Vida, meaning enjoying simple things and savoring the moment.

Costa Rica's land in Central America consists of 5% of the world's biodiversity. 30% of the country consists of national parks. It has about 27 national parks. Tenorio Volcano National Park is the most famous national park.

Here you can hike to the beautiful Celeste waterfall. The wildlife in Costa Rica consists of about 500,000 species. Hundreds of species among these are endemic to the island. Snakes, grogs, gophers, finches and many more can be found here.

The beaches here are unique and diverse. Costa Rica has more than 800 mi (1287 km) of shoreline on both the Pacific as well as the Caribbean side. Manuel Antonio Beach is the most popular beach. Apart from this, Tamarindo beach, Conchal beach, and Dominical beach are also a favorite of the tourists.

Apart from being a beautiful destination, Costa Ricans have an amazing food culture. Some amazing dishes that you can binge on here include tropical fruits, arreglados, Gallo pinto, which is a popular dish.

Gallo Pinto is made using black beans and rice. San josé is slowly emerging as a foodie's destination with many young chefs.

This has not only been a very important part of Costa Rican history, it still is a major economic source for the country. Costa Rican coffee is known for its fruity, bright, and crisp taste. It has a robust flavor.

The coffee here is grown in high altitudes which adds to its flavor profile. Some of the most famous coffees from Costa Rica are Cartago coffee, Monte Crisol Coffee, Alajuela and Tarrazu coffee.

It is the top Latin American country in the World Happiness Report. Apart from being home to pristine beaches, diverse wildlife, it is also a very happy country.

They have over a period of time developed strong social bonds that have created a lasting impact. It also has a clean environment and is insistent on building a green future.

They are also trying to make the country completely carbon neutral by 2021. These measures, as well as investments in education, have led to a better quality of life for the Costa Ricans as well as more happiness too.

Costa Rica Population

In 2018, Costa Rica's population was 4,999,441 people. Out of which, 83.4% are comprised of White and Mestizos, 7% are black people, 2.4% are Amerindians, 0.2% Chinese, and 7% others.

Costa Rica's indigenous population today stands at about 60,000 people, which is just a little over 1% of the total population. The population of Costa Rica today included people of European ancestry, primarily of Spanish descent.

Costa Rica Weird Facts

This country is truly fascinating in every sense. Here are some interesting facts as well as some fun facts about this beautiful island and the happiest country.

Costa Rica is famous for its volcanoes. The country has a whopping 121 volcanic formations. Among these, 7 are currently active. The Poas volcano which acts as a powerful symbol of the geothermal forces that formed Costa Rica has the second widest crater in the world.

There are over 500,000 species of wildlife found in Costa Rica. Out of these, about 300,000 are just different types of insects and 900 of them are birds.

Costa Rica consists of about 5% of the total species found all over the world even though Costa Rica only consists of 0.3% of the planet's surface. It is also among the very few countries in the world with the highest biodiversity in the world.

Three to five million years ago, Costa Rica, with the land now known as Panama had formed a bridge that connected the North American and South American continents. This bridge has led to diverse and unique flora and fauna of the two continents mix.

Costa Rica makes substantial efforts for a green future. It consists of 12 ecological zones and has a very high number of parks and protected lands. They make conscious efforts to preserve their eco-diversity.

Costa Rican currency is super colorful. Every different denomination has a picture of the landscape and an animal from Costa Rica. Some of the currency includes pictures of the Capuchin monkey, blue morpho butterfly, sloth, and the white-tailed deer, which is the national animal.

The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is considered to be among the top five blue zones in the world. 'Blue zone' is a term given to certain geographical areas where some of the world's oldest people can be found. Life expectancy in Costa Rica is very high and most Costa Ricans live long lives.

Costa Rica has no standing army. The Costa Rican government has been holding democratic elections every four years and the country had abolished the military in 1948 due to the civil war.

'Pura Vida' refers to 'pure life' in Spanish which truly encapsulates the rich culture of Costa Rica. This term, 'Pura Vida' is used very often by the Costa Ricans in place of greetings.

The country has made significant investments in education. Even in rural areas where access to school is difficult, children and others are taught with the help of national radio.

In Costa Rica, women even after getting married continue to use their maiden names. The children use both the father's as well as the mother's names.

Wearing shorts in Costa Rica was seen as being disrespectful. So up until a few years ago, some of the government offices would not allow visitors to come in until they were wearing long pants.

Cocos Island in the country is the southernmost point of the North American continent.

Apart from coffee, another popular drink that you can get here is Cacique Guaro. This is a sweet liqueur that is made using sugar cane juice.

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