Geography of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located on the Central American Isthmus, surrounding the point 10° north of the Equator and 84° west of the Prime Meridian. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 km of coastline (212 km on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km on the Pacific).
Costa Rica shares a border with Nicaragua to the north (309 km long border) and with Panama to the south (330 km long border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 km² of which 50,660 km² is land and 440 km² is water, making it slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia.
Physical Geography
The nation's terrain is coastal plain separated by rugged mountains, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca, which form the spine of the country and separate the Pacific and Caribbean watersheds. Costa Rica claims an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km) and a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km).
The spine of the country produces many major river systems. Rivers draining into the Caribbean include:
- Rio Colorado
- Rio Pacuare
- Rio Parismina
- Rio Reventazon
- Rio Sixaola
Rivers draining into the Lake Nicaragua or the San Juan River (whose waters eventually drains into the Caribbean) include:
- Rio Sapoá
- Rio Frío
- Rio San Carlos
- Rio Sarapiquí
Rivers draining into the Pacific Ocean include:
- Rio Abangares
- Rio Guacimal
- Rio Sierpe
- Rio Tempisque
- Rio Terraba
In the eastern half of the country, the Rio San Juan forms the northern border with Nicaragua.
Climate and Ecology
The country has a tropical and subtropical climate and is part of the Neotropic ecozone. It is part of many ecoregions, including Costa Rican seasonal moist forests, Bocas del Toro-San Bastimentos Island-San Blas mangroves, Mosquitia-Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast mangroves, Southern Dry Pacific Coast mangroves, Central American dry forests, and Talamancan montane forests. An inlet from the pacific the Gulf of Nicoya contains several small islands, the largest of these being Chira Island with a population of around four thousand.
Costa Rica's dry season in most places is from December to April, while the rainy season is from May to November. On the Caribbean coast, however, December is by far the wettest month. The highlands areas are always cooler. The lowest elevation level in the country is the Pacific Ocean at sea level, the highest point is Cerro Chirripó, a volcanic mountain with an elevation of 3,810 m (part of Chirripó National Park). On a clear day, it is possible to see both the Caribbean and the Pacific from the peak.
Protected Areas
The country is noted for its national park system, administered by SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion, or "National System of Conservation Areas"). This agency oversees the 26 national park, and more than 160 protected areas in Costa Rica. The other types of protected areas in Costa Rica are National Wildlife Refuges, Biological Reserves, Protection Zones, and Absolute Nature Reserves. Together the protected areas comprise over one-fourth of Costa Rican territory.
Tortuguero National Park
The creation of the Tortuguero National Park in 1970 gave much needed protection to one of the region's most important and unique natural resources: a 22-km. stretch of shoreline that serves as the principal nesting site throughout the western half of the Caribbean Sea for the Atlantic Green Sea Turtle. Watching these great reptiles emerge from the tropical sea and haul their 100+ kg. bodies ashore to lay their eggs under cover of darkness is truly a memorable spectacle. The nesting season for the green turtles extends from July to October.
International Law
Costa Rica is party to many environmental treaties, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Environmental Modification, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Montreal Protocol, the Ramsar Convention, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, the Desertification Convention, the Endangered Species Convention, the Basel Convention, the Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Marine Dumping, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. It has signed but not ratifed the Convention on Marine Life Conservation and the Kyoto Protocol.
Central America gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1820
Natural resources:
- Hydropower from Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica.
Natural hazards: occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes (See Climate of Costa Rica).
Environment - current issues: deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); fisheries protection; solid waste management
See also
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Maps of Costa Rica
- Costa Rica Maps Template:Es icon Digital maps of Costa Rica