Costa+Rica+Geography

Geography


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Costa Rica is located in Central America, surrounded on either side by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

 Costa Rica is the 130th largest country in the world. It is 51,100 square kilometers and for a comparison, it is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia. Since it is surrounded by water on two sides, there is a threat of natural disasters like hurricanes, flooding and landslides. On the sides of Costa Rica surrounded by land, you'll find Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. (CIA Factbook, 2011).

The highest point in Costa Rica is Cerro Chirripo, located in Chirripo National Park in San Jose. It stands at 3,810 meters tall. The lowest point is sea level, the Pacific Ocean at 0 meters. Costa Rica also has over 300 volcanoes, including Arenal, Irazu, Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja and Turriabla. Arenal erupted in 2010 and Irazu has the potential to spew ash over the entire capital city were it to erupt, since it is located just east of San Jose.

 

Central America is located on the Ring of Fire, and the isthmus contains many active or potentially active volcanoes, with most of them residing in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador (World Atlas, 2011). Here's a map of the most active volcanoes, click on the picture to explore more! 

The terrain of Costa Rica consists of rugged mountains that separate coastal plains. Many of the rugged mountains are volcanic cones, of which several are active, as we learned in the volcanic information above. The country is known for it's picturesque rain forests and waterfalls, as well as the rich ecosystem of the region. If you haven't yet watched the tourism video on the homepage, do so now! You can see why many are eager to visit Costa Rica and go exploring. One of the most well known Rain Forests rich in wildlife and biodiversity is Monteverde. Click here to take a peek!  

 As far as weather and climate go, Costa Rica's dry season typically lasts from December to April, and the rainy season lasts from May to November. It is naturally cooler in Costa Rica's highlands though climates are tropical and subtropical, which means that Costa Rica is usually pretty warm. Cold weather is no lower than Fahrenheit in the high 40's or 50's. This helps Costa Rica's plants and produce flourish (Wikipedia, 2011).

Some of the current environmental issues of Costa Rica include air and water pollution, solid waste disposal, soil erosion and deforestation to make room for agricultural purposes and cattle ranching. The country agrees to protecting it's Biodiversity, Wetlands, Marine Wildlife, Ozone Preservation and various other environmental hazards. The Eco Preservation Society is just one group committed to making a difference in Costa Rica's environment (EPS, 2011).

The Capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. Explore the Google Map below to zoom in and out, observe what you see and what looks similar and different to our own state and country. Do you see things that remind you of our own neighborhood? The map near the Google map is one of the Costa Rican Provinces, which is how Costa Rica is divided. What divides the U.S.?

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Page created by Eryn Shannon© edshann@ilstu.edu Created: 11/28/11 Last Modified: 12/10/11