Costa Rica Facts

Here are a few helpful facts about Costa Rica

  • Costa Rica's population: 4,133,884 (July 2007 estimate)
  • Per Capita Income: $12,000
  • Time Zone: UTC-6
  • Official Language: Spanish
  • Currency: Costa Rican col—n
  • Major Religion: Catholic
  • Area: 51,100 km2 (19,730 sq mi)
  • Form of Government: Presidential Republic
  • Current President: Oscar Arias
  • Annual foreign visitors: 1.9 million (2007, USA 54%, EU 14%)
  • Approximate expenditure per tourist: $1,000 ($1.9 billion per annum)
  • About 23% of Costa Rica has been set aside as protected parks and reserves.
  • Costa Rica contains 5% of the world's biodiversity (over 500,000 species), including:
    • 894 recorded species of birds
    • over 300,000 insects
    • around 1,250 species of butterfly
    • over 8,000 species of moth
    • around 175 amphibians