Costa Rica
country in Central America
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World Factbook
CIA reference data · 4 sections
Geography
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
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
People & Society
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.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Independence
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Legal system
civil law system based on Spanish civil code; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
Economy
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$138.371 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$27,000 (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
4.3% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.4% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
7.9% (2024 est.)
Exports - partners
USA 40%, Netherlands 6%, China 5%, Guatemala 4%, Belgium 3% (2023)
Imports - partners
USA 38%, China 15%, Mexico 6%, Brazil 3%, Guatemala 3% (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook · public domain (US gov work, 17 USC §105) · fetched 2026-05-06
Summary
Costa Rica is a sovereign state[1]. It draws 39,600 Wikipedia views per month (sovereign state category, ranking #95 of 197).[2]
Key Facts
- Member of: United Nations[3], World Trade Organization[4], International Bank for Reconstruction and Development[5], International Development Association[6], International Finance Corporation[7], Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency[8], International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes[9], Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean[10], Central American Bank for Economic Integration[11], Central American Common Market[12], Interpol[13], Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons[14], UNESCO[15], Group on Earth Observations[16]
- Country: Costa Rica[17]
- Located in or next to body of water: Caribbean Sea[18], Pacific Ocean[19]
- Head of government: Rodrigo Chaves[20]
- Continent: North America[21]
- Instance of: country[22]
- Head of state: Rodrigo Chaves[23]
- Capital: San José[24]
- Official language: Spanish[25]
- Currency: Costa Rican colón[26]
- Shares border with: Panama[27], Nicaragua[28]
- Top-level Internet domain: .cr[29]
- Anthem: Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera[30]
- Contains the administrative territorial entity: Alajuela Province[31], Cartago Province[32], Guanacaste Province[33], Heredia Province[34], Limón Province[35], Puntarenas Province[36], San José Province[37]
- Flag: flag of Costa Rica[38]
- Legislative body: Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica[39]
- Coat of arms: coat of arms of Costa Rica[40]
- Part of: Latin America[41], European Union tax haven blacklist[42]
- Commons category: Costa Rica[43]
- Licence plate code: CR[44]
- Patron saint: Virgin of the Angels[45]
- Located in time zone: UTC−06:00[46], America/Costa_Rica[47]
- Telephone country code: +506[48]
- Unicode character: 🇨🇷[49]
- Diplomatic relation: Brazil[50], Germany[51], Australia[52]
Body
Cultural Significance
Things named for Costa Rica include Costa Ricans[53], a human population[54].
Why It Matters
Costa Rica has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[55] It is known by 65 alternative names across languages and contexts.[56]
Entities named for it include Costa Ricans[53], a human population[54].