Costa Rica is in Central America, bordered on the north by Nicaragua and on the south by Panama. To the east is the Caribbean coast and to the west is the Pacific Ocean. This small country measures just under 20,000 square miles and is in the Central Time Zone.
Geographically, it is divided into seven provinces; the capital, San Jose, is located in the San Jose province. Costa Rica’s elevation ranges from sea level at the coasts, to up to 12,000 feet above sea level at Cerro Chirrapo
Economically, the main industries are tourism, food processing, construction materials, and microprocessors -– Intel and HP are among the major corporations doing business here. Costa Rica is a large producer of beef and timber-–some of the most beautiful exotic woods in the world.
In 1848, the First Lady, Pacifica Fernandez Oreamuno, designed the flag of Costa Rica. The flag was designed after the ideals of the French Revolution - freedom, equality, and brotherhood - and the colors of the French National Flag…Each color represents important aspects of Costa Rica: Blue means the sky, opportunities at reach, intellectual thinking, perseverance to accomplish a goal, infinite, eternity, and ideals of the religious and spiritual desires. White means clear thinking, happiness, wisdom, power and beauty of the sky, the driving force of initiatives to search for new endeavors, and the peace of Costa Rica. Red means the warmth of Costa Rican people, their love to live, their blood shed for freedom, and their generous attitude (taken from www.costarica.com).
Their currency is the colon, however the U.S. dollar is their second currency and is
accepted in many places. At this time (October 2010), the exchange rate is about 500 colones to the dollar.
Be sure to visit Costa Rica’s official tourism site for more information.
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