Costa Rica
Costa Rica was discovered by the Spaniards in the 15th century. The land of which the Spaniards thought is was rich (hence: Costa Rica, ‘rich land’), is between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Costa Rica on the North and Panama on the South. Cocos Island also belongs to Costa Rica.
Since the Spaniards came, Costa Rica has been part of the independent Mexican Empire and the United States of Central America (until 1840). In 1899 the first democratic elections took place. In 1948 there was a small civil war after a debated election. That war was won by the left Ferrer, who abolished the army and wrote a new constitution. Since then Costa Rica has been free of the violence that was abundant in its neighboring countries. It has become one of the most prosporing countries in Latin America.
Costa Rica is mostly flat, but in the middle there is a mountain chain that is part of the Central American Cordillera. The highest point is Cerro Chiripo (3810 metres). In the country are many national parks and reserves (25% of the country is protected). Much of it is tropical rainforest. Apart from that, there are many different climates in Costa Rica. The province of Guanacaste was orginally grown with dry forests and grassy lands, while there are mangrove forest at different places along the coast.
The capital of Costa Rica is San José.
