Costa Rica

Costa Rica forms part of the continent of North America, where it has a coastal position and is bordered by Nicaragua, Panama, the Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). North America is the world's third largest continent, it has 23 countries, plus many other territories. It occupies a total area of 24,490,000 km2 and forms 16.5% of the landmass of the world. Costa Rica is a coastal country that spans a total area of approximately 51,100 km2. It is one of the smaller countries when its area size is compared to other countries across the world. Costa Rica is slightly larger than the Dominican Republic.

The following guideline provides details on the approximate border lengths of Costa Rica:
Coastline 1,290 km, Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km.

The climate of Costa Rica is tropical and subtropical with cooler temperatures occurring in areas of elevation. The rainy season occurs from May to November. The geography of Costa Rica comprises of coastal regions and mountainous areas. There are several major active volcanoes in Costa Rica, namely Poas Volcano, Arenal Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Turrialba Volcano. Two active volcanoes are located close to the capital city of San Jose. The lowest point of Costa Rica is the Pacific Ocean at 0m, and the highest point of elevation is Cerro Chirripo at 3,819m.

The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish. Another language that is spoken in this country is English.

The main religion of Costa Rica is Roman Catholic at approximately 76% of the population. Around 13% are Evangelical. The remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources can be described as materials and substances found naturally occurring on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. An individual country's natural resources can depend on many factors including the climate, geography and location. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, are rich with natural resources, where as others have practically none. Three of the primary uses of natural resources are food, transport and construction. The following examples provide information on the everyday uses of natural resources: Fish occurs naturally in many bodies of water and can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into various fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests and used to construct houses and furniture. The natural resources of Costa Rica include hydropower (water power).

Each country has its own individual culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, anthems, songs and mottos represent the national pride and identity of countries across the globe. These national symbols are formed through the unique history of a nation and are symbolic of both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, songs, mottos and colors reflect the past, present and future hopes of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can represent a combination of things that are important to a country such as birds, animals, plants, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. The following facts depict some of the national symbols, songs and colors that are important to Costa Rica: