Geography of Costa Rica

Costa Rica lies in Central American isthmus 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It shares boundaries with Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the south-southeast. In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 sq. mi) plus 589.000 square kilometers of territorial waters.

Costa Rica also enjoys a long coastline of 1390 km with the Pacific Ocean towards the west and south and the Caribbean Sea towards east. Both the coastlines of Costa Rica are lined with numerous mesmerizing beaches. However, the Pacific coast has generally less developed and less spacious beaches.

The interior of the country, sandwiched between the coasts, is shaped by four mountain ranges, which run from North to South. The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, with 3,810 m, which is also the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano while the largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal. Costa Rica also has several islands. Cocos Island stands out because of its distance from continental landmass while Calero Island is the biggest island of the country.

San Jose, the capital city, is situated in the middle of the country within a highland valley. Many of great rivers cascade down from the central mountains of Costa Rica to the Caribbean including the Reventazon. The Pacific end of Costa Rica has two broad peninsulas that protrude out into the Pacific, namely, the Nicoya and the Osa.

Costa Rica protects over 25% of its national territory within national parks. the country is a haven for avid eco-tourists where they can have a spectacle of greatest density of species in the world. Within this small nation, one can find an impressive 5% of the world's biodiversity including more than 800 form of ferns, 1,000 types of orchids, 2,000 kinds of trees, and 200 species of mammals.