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Costa Rica

North America · 5.2 million

About Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a sovereign country located in North America, specifically within the Central America subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is San José, and the country is home to approximately 5.3 million people. In its native language, the country is known as “Costa Rica”. Spanish serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Costa Rica. The official currency in circulation is the Costa Rican colón (₡), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Costa Rica is widely recognised for its biodiversity, eco-tourism and abolishing its army in 1948. People from Costa Rica are referred to as Costa Rican.

Geography & climate

Costa Rica covers approximately 51,100 km² of territory, making it a relatively compact country by land area. It shares land borders with 2 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Costa Rica sits in the Northern and Western Hemisphere, at roughly 10.0° N, 84.0° W. Standard civil time follows UTC-06:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Costa Rica can be summarised as: central american mountains & coast with tropical with regional variation. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 5.3 million inhabitants, Costa Rica is a modestly populated country. The principal spoken language is Spanish, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Citizens are formally known in English as Costa Rican, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Costa Rican colón (₡) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Costa Rica should familiarise themselves with the capital, San José, the local time zone (UTC-06:00), the local currency (Costa Rican colón). The international dialling prefix is +506, which is required when phoning a Costa Rica number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .cr, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Costa Rica is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Costa Rica is generally classified within the North America region and more specifically the Central America subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties.

Bordering countries

Costa Rica shares land borders with 2 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

The army was disbanded in 1948, military spending redirected to education and health — while just 0.03% of Earth's surface here harbors 5% of all known species.

Costa Rica in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Costa Rica appears as a moderately challenging puzzle, suited to players who already know the major continents. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Costa Rica carries the personality tags “🐒 Pura Vida” and “🦥 Biodiversity Haven”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Costa Rica to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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