BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Costa Rica is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to south east, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
This compact small country has over four million inhabitants. Its official language is Spanish.
Costa Rica is renowned for its love to peace, as well as for being breathtakingly beautiful in its scenery and its wildlife and exotic flora.
Here we can see hawksbill, loggerhead and giant leatherback turtles, crocodiles, manatees, tapirs, jaguars, anteaters, ocelots, howler monkeys and other animals, 400 species of birds and 490 species of butterflies!
The country’s education system has created the lowest illiteracy rate in Central and South America .
Much of the country is reserved as National Parks and sandy beaches, and the visitor may examine first hand an active volcano, or walk through the rain forest. But gourmet restaurants, smart shops and an excellent network of accommodations – inns, hotels, lodges, villas and apartments – are always nearby.
Costa Rica has long been a favorite for golfing and scuba diving.
Ecotourism is also very popular with those who want to visit Costa Rica ’s famous parks and protected areas.
San Jose, the capital is the country’s center of cultural life: it boasts many museums, like the National Museum , the pre-Columbian Gold Museum and the Jade Museum . There is also the National Theatre, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Post Office Building.
San Jose offers also all kinds of restaurants serving local and international food and a vibrant night life.