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| Borderline map of Costa Rica | Location map of Costa Rica | Flag of Costa Rica |
Google Maps and Detailed Facts of Costa Rica (CR). This page lets you explore Costa Rica and its border countries (Country Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama) through detailed Satellite imagery – fast and easy as never before Google Maps.
Find comprehensive information about this country’s diversity below: Google Maps, geography, economy, science, people, culture, environment, government, and history – All in One Wiki page.
There is also a Street View and free Driving Directions at your service. Your Google Satellite Map Sightseeing in Costa Rica, Central America, and the Caribbean starts here at Driving Directions and Maps.com.
Costa Rica Google Maps & Satellite Maps
The map below shows Costa Rica with its cities, towns, highways, main roads, streets, and Street Views. To find a location, use the form below, type any city or place, view a simple map, and click the “show map” button.
The Google Maps above shows Costa Rica with its location: Central America, and the Caribbean (geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 84 00 W), and the international borders of Costa Rica; total: 661 km. Border countries (total: 2): Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km; furthermore, it’s inland counties boundaries.
Hint: Look at the Street view in Costa Rica, or Central America, and the Caribbean. All you have to do is drag and pull the little yellow man (named: Pegman) on the Google Maps above the desired location. After that, whenever it is available (more than 50 countries globally), blue stripes will appear to show the photos and details from Google’s regularly updated data image base. In case if you have signed in to your Google account currently, you may have a look at the satellite map of this country/area as well.
The map of Costa Rica, Central America, and the Caribbean is for informational use only. No representation is made or warrantied given any map or its content by Driving Directions and Maps site. The user assumes all risks of using this Costa Rica Google Maps and facts/wiki.
About Costa Rica in detail
Where is Costa Rica?
In case Costa Rica is looking on the map under the Coordinates 9 56 N 84 05 W otherwise in Central America, and the Caribbean, in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama.
What is the capital city of Costa Rica?
The capital city of Costa Rica is: San José.
What is the time in San José?
It is 1 hour behind Washington, D.C. during Standard Time; the timezone of San José is UTC-6.
What is the Internet code for Costa Rica?
The Top Level Domain (TLD) for Costa Rica is: .cr
What is the size of Costa Rica?
The territory of Costa Rica is total: 51,100 sq km; land: 51,060 sq km, water: 40 sq km.
If we want to describe the size of the territory of Costa Rica is somewhat smaller than West Virginia.
If we would like to walk around and discover Costa Rica, we can cover a total distance: 661 km.
What is the water coverage of Costa Rica?
We have already mentioned what percentage of Costa Rica is covered by water (see below), including 1,290 km coastline.
What is the climate like in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica’s climate is tropical and subtropical: the dry season (December to April): rainy season (May to November): cooler in highlands.
Geographical data of Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s elevation; mean elevation: 746 m, elevation extremes; lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m, highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m.
The specific geographical details of Costa Rica include coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes.
Suppose we would like to describe the countries location from a different perspective. In that case, it is safe to say, and easy to read from a map, Costa Rica is four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San José in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65.
Resources and land use of Costa Rica
The country’s main mined products are hydropower. The population partly uses the earlier highlighted land territory and partly left in its natural state: agricultural land: 37.1%; arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 6.7%; permanent pasture 25.5%; forest: 51.5%; other: 11.4% (2011 estimate).
Population data of Costa Rica
The number of inhabitants of Costa Rica is 4,872,543 (July 2016 estimate).
If we examine the proportion of the population distribution, it is safe to say that roughly half of the nation’s population resides in urban areas; the capital of San José is the largest city and home to approximately one-fifth of the people.
If we look at the proportion of the urbanized and barely populated areas, these are the figures: urban population: 76.8% of the total population (2015).
Most of the population in Costa Rica is concentrated in SAN JOSÉ (capital) 1.17 million (2015).
Ethnicity in Costa Rica
According to ethnicity details, the ethnic groups are white or mestizo 83.6%, mulato 6.7%, indigenous 2.4%, black of African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 estimate).
Spoken languages in Costa Rica
The spoken languages in Costa Rica are the following: Spanish (official language), English.
What are the most important religions in Costa Rica?
According to this, during the general census, researchers examine the churches: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah’s Witness 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, additional 4.8%, none 3.2%.
Further population data of Costa Rica
The proportion of gender and age tells a lot about the society as follows 0-14 years: 22.82% (male 568,738 / female 543,312) 15-24 years: 16.75% (male 416,046 / female 399,931) 25-54 years: 43.99% (male 1,078,000 / female 1,065,327) 55-64 years: 8.9% (male 211,670 / female 222,183) 65 years and over: 7.54% (male 169,646 / female 197,690) (2016 estimate). It also a significant factor in a society the population growth rate, which in the case of Costa Rica is 1.19% (2016 estimate).
The population growth rate is based on two elements, the birth, and the death rate. In Costa Rica the birth rate is 15.7 births / 1,000 population (2016 estimate), the death rate 4.6 deaths / 1,000 population (2016 estimate).
In this day and age in developed societies, the first child borns later compared to the previous centuries and decades, so childbearing is extended. In Costa Rica, the average age of mothers at the first childbirth is N/A.
Although the children’s birth is postponed in the best-case scenario, the parents can still see their kids grow as life expectancy also extended. In the case of Costa Rica, these figures are. With the introduction of modern medicine, vaccinations, and the proper hygienic conditions, the infant mortality rate is in a steep decline. The infant mortality statistics in Costa Rica are the following: N/A. Relevant data is the budget of healthcare, which is in the case of this country is 9.3% of GDP (2014).
Economic data of Costa Rica
Suppose we would like to describe a country, we also have to mention its economy; Before the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted in 2009 but resumed growth at about 4% per year in 2010-16. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country’s political stability and relatively high education levels, and the incentives offered in the free-trade zones; Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest foreign direct investment levels per capita. Costa Rica’s economy also faces challenges due to a rising fiscal deficit, rising public debt, and relatively low domestic revenue levels. Poverty has remained around 20-25% for nearly 20 years.
GDP is a prominent figure, as all the relevant calculations and statistics are based on it. GDP in Costa Rica is $57.69 billion (2015 estimate).
Another important indicator is the rate of GDP growth, which in Costa Rica is 4.3% (2016 estimate), 3.7% (2015 estimate) 3% (2014 estimate).
These statistics affect the world economy; remember, in 2015, the Chinese real GDP growth rate was worse than expected; The world markets fall, and the Chinese stock exchange was temporarily suspended.
A further major factor of a country’s economy, the GDP per capita. In Costa Rica this is $16,100 (2016 estimate) $15,700 (2015 estimate) $15,300 (2014 estimate).
In the economy, the Trinity is in common places, such as agriculture, industry, and services.
What are the agricultural products Costa Rica produces?
The main agricultural products of Costa Rica are bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes, beef, poultry, dairy, timber.
The essential segments are medical equipment, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, and plastic products. The crucial and regularly mentioned GDP is based on medical equipment, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products.
Drinking water source in Costa Rica
It is essential to mention that – thanks to the development of the infrastructure -, the rate of potable water improved: urban: 99.6% of the population, rural: 91.9% of the population, total: 97.8% of the population. Unimproved: urban: 0.4% of the population, rural: 8.1% of the population, total: 2.2% of the population (2015 estimate).
The average number of childbirth in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, the average delivery number is 1.9 children born / woman (2016 estimate).
Population, median age, migration, and citizenship in Costa Rica
The population’s average age is 30.9 years; male: 30.4 years, female: 31.3 years (2016 estimate). The age of adulthood varies in every country of the world. In Costa Rica, it is 18 years of age, universal and compulsory.
When we are experiencing an unprecedented scale of migration and globalization, it is an important factor in the number of new immigrants. In Costa Rica is 0.8 migrant(s) / 1,000 population (2016 estimate). It is important to know how to apply for citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes. Citizenship by descent: yes. Dual citizenship recognized: yes, the residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years.
Is Costa Rica a safe destination? Healthcare services and infectious diseases in Costa Rica
Many of the travelers are looking into the healthcare services and infectious diseases of their destinations. In Costa Rica, the hospital beds’ density is 1.2 beds / 1,000 population (2012).
According to the WHO rating regarding contagious diseases in Costa Rica, the degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea vectorborne diseases: dengue fever. Note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses a significant risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016).
However, HIV is not curable but maintainable. Let’s do not forget when the disease surfaced; it was a world threatening condition. Unfortunately, in some countries, it is still very high the number of infected patients and fatalities due to the disease.
In Costa Rica, the number of HIV/AIDS deaths: N/A.
Regarding tourism obesity, not an important issue, but we have to mention health statistics, as it is the plague of the 20th and the 21st century. The rate of obese adults in Costa Rica is 24% (2014).
What are the natural hazards in Costa Rica? Is there any?
The most known natural risk in Costa Rica are occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at the onset of the rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes, volcanism: Arenal (elevation 1,670 m), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (elevation 3,432 m), situated just east of San José, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba.
More interesting facts about Costa Rica
A few words about the past, as every country and society, is connected to its history; Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that Cartago’s permanent settlement was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands.
The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared Spain’s independence. Two years later, it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
In every nation’s memory, some cornerstones placed the country on the timeline of history. The date of declaration of independence of Costa Rica: 15 September 1821 (from Spain).
The flag and other symbols of Costa Rica
The colors, symbols, and animals on the flag usually have a historical background or an important milestone or memory of the nation.
This case is not an exception either; five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double-width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white, elliptical disk placed toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag, and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while a red represents the bloodshed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people. Note: It resembles the flag of North Korea; similar to the flag of Thailand but with the blue and red colors reversed.
Apart from the flag, the symbol of national unity is the national anthem. The anthem’s primary purpose is to share the nation’s core values, endeavors, and patriotic feelings.
National symbols of Costa Rica: yiguirro (clay-colored robin); national colors: blue, white, red.
Constitution of Costa Rica
The existence of the nation is based on the constitution. Some constitutions knew worldwide, like the U.S. Constitution that was accepted on the 17th of September 1787, in Philadelphia, the United States of America’s Constitution.
It is not related to the declaration of independence that was stolen by Nicolas Cage in the movie National Treasure 🙂
What is the legal system of Costa Rica?
Most of the time, the legal system of a country is the focus of lawyers. It is a common fact that there are two main approaches in the world, “the law in books” and “the law in action.”
In the Anglo-Saxon world, the practice is the “law in action,” while in the rest of the world, the law is based on Roman law, the “law in books.”
The legal system of Costa Rica is a civil law system based on the Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court.
It was Aristotle who founded the Theory of 3 separations of powers. In his view, these are the council of public affairs, the magistrates, and the justice system. The age of enlightenment was the time when terminologies have defined the way we still use them. In most democratic countries, the three authorities separated from each other. In dictatorships, the rules usually interweaved in one hand.
About the legislative branch of Costa Rica, we can highlight the following structures unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies – corresponding to the country’s seven provinces – by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms).
About the unemployment rate, labor force, and poverty line in Costa Rica
One of the major problems of the 21st-century economy is unemployment. Governments are struggling to maintain a low level of the unemployment rate. Still, as a result of automation, the cheap 3rd world labor, and the outsourcing of workflow, these attempts fail. In Costa Rica, the labor force is 2.295 million (2016 estimate). Please bear in mind that the population in Costa Rica is total: 8.3 deaths / 1,000 live births; male: 9 deaths / 1,000 live births, female: 7.4 deaths / 1,000 live births (2016 estimate) – as we already mentioned above.
The rate of unemployment in Costa Rica is 9.3% (2016 estimate).
Widely known that the gap between the rich and poor is widening on an enormous scale.
According to the 2017 shocking Oxfam report, the most affluent eight people’s fortune is equal to the wealth of the poorest half of the world’s population.
In Costa Rica, the households’ income and consumption compared to the entire population: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 39.5% (2009 estimate).
Another widely used indicator is the so-called GINI index, which measures the inequalities of statistical dispersion, but is mainly used for measuring the sharing of income and fortune.
The GINI index was named after its founder Corrado Gini, an Italian economist. Gini index has grades between 0-1, but often it is used on a percentage basis. It is 0 if the examined criteria territorial distribution is equal. It is one of the criteria concentrated on the territory. In Costa Rica, the GINI index is .50,3 (2009).
The states usually set up a poverty line, which is more or less, is a subjective measure. It varies by country; its base is often the minimum pension, the incomes of the most deficient 20 percent, the X percent of income per capita Etc.
In Costa Rica, the poverty line people are the lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 39.5% (2009 estimate).
About the budget and central governments debt of Costa Rica
The available budget mainly defines the state’s economy. Costa Rica’s budget is; revenues: $8.115 billion, expenditures: $11.31 billion (2016 estimate). Taxes and other revenues are 14.1% of GDP (2016 estimate).
The budget deficit (Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)) is N/A.
The fiscal year in Costa Rica is the calendar year.
In the country’s economy, we have to consider the public debt. Public debt is the consolidated sum of the state’s local, federal, and central government debt.
Inflation rate and prime lending rate in Costa Rica
A few further interesting and relevant economic data are the following; Inflation rate: 0.3% (2016 estimate), 0.8% (2015 estimate), and the rate of the Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.5% (31 December 2016 estimate).
Export/import partners and data of Costa Rica
Costa Rica, with the export of products, industrial tools, and other services, generates revenue. The export value in Costa Rica is $9.824 billion (2016 estimate), $9.503 billion (2015 estimate). These activities’ total revenue: bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment.
The most important export partners of Costa Rica are the United States 33.6%, China 6.2%, Mexico 4.6%, Nicaragua 4.3%, Netherlands 4.2%, Guatemala 4% (2015).
The most important imported products are raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials, and the countries from where the import is coming: the United States 45.3%, China 9.8%, Mexico 7.1% (2015).
Renewable energies used in Costa Rica
To suppress the pollution of the environment, renewable energies have to replace the fossil energy. The more the proportion of renewable energies in a country means more effort against pollution. Costa Rica, the indicator of how much of the country’s produced energy is coming from the hydroelectric source, is 55.9% of total installed capacity (2012 estimate).
To indicate how much another renewable energy produced is 13.3% of total installed capacity (2012 estimate).
Telecommunication data of Costa Rica, calling code
To maintain the economy, the development of a reliable and modern telecommunications infrastructure is crucial. We can say the following about Costa Rica; good. Domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available. International: country code – 506; landing points for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American Crossing submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central Am (2015).
Transport infrastructure in Costa Rica
In the 21st century, we often say that the world has become small and there are no distances anymore. With widespread air travel when (sometimes) there are no visa restrictions, it is easy to reach other countries, but if the distance is not too long, we can also use railway or water transportation.
The number of airports in Costa Rica: 161 (2013), and the number of heliports: N/A.
The total length of the roadways in Costa Rica: total: 39,018 km, paved: 10,133 km, unpaved: 28,885 km (2010).
The total length of the waterways in Costa Rica: 730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2011).
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Facts & data about Costa Rica
Name of the country: conventional long way: the Republic of Costa Rica, traditional short form: Costa Rica, local long form: Republica de Costa Rica, local short state: Costa Rica, etymology: the name means “rich coast” in Spanish and was first applied in the early colonial period of the 16th century.
| Abbreviation: Costa Rica | Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 84 00 W |
Country Location: Central America and the Caribbean |
| Capital of Costa Rica: San José | GPS of the Capital: 9 56 N 84 05 W |
Position: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
| Land area: total: 51,100 sq km; land: 51,060 sq km, water: 40 sq km | Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes |
Area comparative: somewhat smaller than West Virginia |
| Population: 4,872,543 (July 2016 estimate) | Population grow rate: 1.19% (2016 estimate) | Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s) / female, 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s) / female, 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s) / female, 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s) / female, 55-64 years: 0.95 male(s) / female, 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s) / female, total population: 1.01 male(s) / female (2016 estimate) |
| Exports: $9.824 billion (2016 estimate), $9.503 billion (2015 estimate) | Imports: $14.76 billion (2016 estimate), $14.38 billion (2015 estimate) | Import partners: US 45.3%, China 9.8%, Mexico 7.1% (2015) |
| Urbanization: urban population: 76.8% of the total population (2015) | Major urban area(s): SAN JOSÉ (capital) 1.17 million (2015) | Median age: total: 30.9 years; male: 30.4 years, female: 31.3 years (2016 estimate) |
| Internet users: total: 2.877 million. Percent of the population: 59.8% (July 2015 estimate) | Telephones (fixed-lines): total subscriptions: 859,514. Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (July 2015 estimate) | Telephones (mobile, cellular): total: 7.536 million. Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 157 (July 2015 estimate) |
| Unemployment rate: 9.3% (2016 estimate) | Nationality: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican | National holidays: Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.6 years. Male: 75.9 years, female: 81.4 years (2016 estimate) | Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born / woman (2016 estimate) | Birthrate: 15.7 births / 1,000 population (2016 estimate) |
| Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write. Total population: 97.8%; male: 97.7%, female: 97.8% (2015 estimate) | Legal system: civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court | Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory |
| Industries: medical equipment, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products | Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2016 estimate) | GDP real growth rate: 4.3% (2016 estimate) 3.7% (2015 estimate) 3% (2014 estimate) |
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