Is Costa Rica Heaven On Earth?
Aazdak Alisimo
Until you actually arrive at a location, you don't really know if what you've seen or heard are true. Unfortunately, they often are mostly fluff and the trip can be disappointing. Costa Rica, however, defies this trend.
Costa Rica truly has a little something for everyone. You probably think of golden beaches first and you are correct. Both coasts offer amazing beaches that can range in style from isolated beaches miles long to beaches full of party revelers.
The beauty of Costa Rica is there is so much more than just beaches. Eco-tourism is hot with some of the most accessible rain forests in the world. Like rafting? The rivers around Lake Arenal in the center of the country are thrill rides.
Throw in health retreats, windsurfing, San Jose and you can see there is a lot to offer in the country. Ah, but what about a bit of hard factual background? Glad you asked.
In 1502, Christopher Columbus made the first European landfall in the area. It was his fourth trip the Americas. That being said, it took the Spanish another twenty years to actually settle the country.
The Spanish discovered the country and had visions of huge amounts of gold. They never found it, but overcame the disappointment and settled down into agriculture.
Costa Rica is not particularly large, covering 19,730 square miles. Of this, over a quarter are protected lands.
The country is a Republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean to the east.
Costa Rica has no standing military, but does have a police force.
Costa Rica is definitely the most visited nation in the Central America region with a $1.7 billion a year tourism industry
Despite having only roughly one tenth of one percent of the world's landmass, it contains a whopping five percent of the biodiversity in the world.
When it comes to protecting its natural resources, the government Costa Rica doesn't go for empty rhetoric. It has moved to protect over a quarter of the land from development and exploitation.
Calypso music makes hip hop sound boring. Costa Ricans love the calypso and you'll find it as the major sound in the country. Fortunately, the country seems to disdain most American pop, so little Michael Jackson will be heard.
There are Seven Provinces in Costa Rica - Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limn, Puntarenas, and San Jos.
At the end of the day, there are tons of different things you could know about Costa Rica. The most important way to find them out, however, is just to visit the country and take in one of the best travel destinations in the world.
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