Profile of Costa Rica
SIZE: 51,060 square kms (19,714 square miles)
POPULATION: 4 million, (source: World Bank).
CAPITAL CITY: San Jose, estimated population : 1,200,000
LOCAL TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT minus 6 hours.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Spanish is the official language, although English is widely spoken in the business community and at most tourist destinations.
RELIGION: Majority Roman Catholic, then Evangelical; Methodist; Baptist; Episcopalian; Jewish and Bahai Faith.
ETHNIC MAKEUP: The majority of the population, 98 per cent, is white or racially mixed, except in Limon province on the Caribbean coast, where an estimated 70,000 blacks and 5,000 Indigenous people live. The Northern Guanacaste province also has a sizeable Indigenous population.
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE: Costa Rica is the second smallest country in Central America after El Salvador. The country lies between Nicaragua and Panama, and has coastlines on the Caribbean and the Pacific. A low, thin line of hills between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific is prolonged into northern Costa Rica, broadening and rising into high and rugged mountains in the center and south. The capital city, San Jose, lies in a central basin set in these highlands.
Both coasts have lowland areas. The sparsely inhabited east coast has a narrow swamp strip and tropical forests as the terrain slopes inland. The Pacific coast has two peninsulas: the mountainous Nicoya peninsula in the north and the lowland Osa peninsula in the south. A rich lowland savannah patched by deciduous forests stretches along the Pacific coast between the two peninsulas.
Costa Rica's weather is influenced by altitude. The Pacific coast is drier while the Atlantic coast has the most rainfall - about 300 days a year. The temperature in San Jose ranges from a high of 24 degrees centigrade (C) to 27 degrees C, to a low of 14 degrees C to 16 degrees C. The wet season is from May to October. The hottest months are March and April. Earth tremors usually occur during periods of seasonal change.
CURRENCY: Colon (CC) = 100 centimos.
EXCHANGE RATE: CC390.27 per US$ (April 2003).
WORKING HOURS:
Business: 0800/0830-1800/1830 (Mon-Fri)
Government: 0800-1600 (Mon-Fri).
Banking: 0900-1500, 1530-1800 (Mon-Fri).
Shops: 0800-1800 (Mon-Sat).
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
New Year's Day - Jan 1
Feast of Saint Joseph (San Jose's patron saint) - Mar 19
Anniversary of the Battle of Rivas - Apr 11
Easter (Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday)*
Labor Day - May 1
Corpus Christi* - Jun 10
Saint Peter and Saint Paul - Jun 29
Anniversary of the Annexation of Guanacaste Province - Jul 25
Our Lady of the Angels - Aug 2
Assumption/Mother's Day - Aug 15
Independence Day - Sep 15
Columbus Day/Dia de las Culturas - Oct 12
Immaculate Conception - Dec 8
Christmas Eve - Dec 24
Christmas Day - Dec 25
Christmas Holiday - Dec 28 - 31
* Variable dates. Some offices close for the entire Easter week.
GETTING AROUND:
Airport: Both car and eight person minibuses are available for hire at the airport for transport to hotels. Fare to downtown San Jose is approximately US$17.00. In addition, most big hotels have a minibus service to and from the airport.
Taxis: Within San Jose: can be hailed or ordered by phone; have white no. plates. When taking taxis within the city limits, make sure the electronic meter is used.
When travelling outside the city limits, checking fixed rate fares in advanced is highly recommended. Tipping is unnecessary. All taxis are red except those serving Juan Santamaria international airport, which are orange.
Car Rental: Many car rental agencies have offices both at the airport, downtown and at some major tourist destinations. A valid national drivers license is usually good for the duration of a tourist visa.
Busses: Costa Rica has an extensive, relatively efficient and cheap bus system serving the metropolitan area and most of the country.
Air: SANSA and Nature Air are the domestic carriers with regular flights from San Jose to prime tourist destination. There are buses from the two aiports in San Jose to the center. A number of smaller airlines provide domestic charter flights as well. There are over 200 small airfields throughout the country.
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