Costa Rica
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- San José
- Population
- 5,304,932 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 51,100 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 47.5%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 19.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Protestant 1.2%, other 3.1%, none 27% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- White or Mestizo 83.6%, Mulatto 6.7%, Indigenous 2.4%, Black or African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)
- Currency
- Costa Rican colones (CRC)
- Life Expectancy
- 80.3 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .cr
- Climate
- tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
- Terrain
- coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes
- Natural Resources
- hydropower
- Major Exports
- medical instruments, integrated circuits, orthopedic appliances, bananas, tropical fruits (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
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 from Indigenous populations, and pirate raids.