|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day, September 18.
|RNature and climate:|N Stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. It is crossed by a mountainchain, whose highest point is the active volcano Irazu, 3 462 m.a.s.l. The greatest part of the country os forested with more than 1 000 different kinds of trees.
Average temperature in January 19°C and in July 21°C, considerably higher by the coast.
Percipitation 1800 mm.
|RPeople:|N Only about 1 000 descendants of the original Indians remain. Most of the population Europeans, mainly Spaniards and Italians.
|REconomy:|N Agriculture dominates. Costa Rica is one of the worlds leading producers of coffee and bananas, but their importance have decreased in the last decades due to falling prices on the world market. Sugar canes and cacao are also exported in great quantities. Maize, edible roots and vegetables are grewn for domestic consumption.
Some export of cattle and meat.
During resent years gold, sulphur and bauxite has been discovered. In connection to the extraction of minerals Costa Rica is trying to refine and process them before export.
|RHistory:|N Costa Rica was discovered by Columbus in 1502 during his fourth journey. It was Columbus who gave it the name: The Rich Coast.
Costa Rica belonged to Spain until independence in 1821, but was annexed by Mexico in 1822.
Became a part of Central American Federation in 1923 and was independent again in 1939.
Since independence Costa Rica have had a comparatively peaceful political development. 1948 the army was abolished and replaced by a small police force. A short civil war followed and was defeated with help from the USA.
Since that Costa Rica has developed to one of the most democratic nations of Latin America.
