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Columbus called Costa Rica the "Rich Coast" upon his discovery in 1502. Rich in beauty, rich in ecology and rich in flora and fauna with thousands of species of plants, animals, birds and insects that live in magnificent and sometimes mysterious tropical forests. Costa Rica's wealth of natural resources is so abundant that it even exports oxygen, an essential nutrient for a better, healthier and cleaner way of life. Some call Costa Rica the "Switzerland of the Americas", others call it "Paradise on Earth". You can call it what you like but one visit to Costa Rica and the memory of it will be etched in your mind forever (more info).
About the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica encompasses about 20,000 square miles of enchanting rainforests, majestic mountains, and countless virgin beaches among rocky bluffs, enclosed by numerous peninsulas and bays of unsurpassed scenic beauty. Its natural heritage form one of the world's most outstanding biological reserve and national park systems.
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Strong and stable economic growth. Costa Rica remains one of the safest and most attractive countries for foreign investment in Latin America. The Costa Rican government, its ministries and financial institutions maintain a decidedly pro-U.S. and continental stance in regard to financial security and tax laws. The stated aim is to entice primarily high-tech corporations to take advantage of Central America's most educated, computer literate and disciplined workforce, along with the modern production infrastructure the country is currently creating. The economy is being transformed from its long-time dependence on coffee, bananas and cattle raising to one centered on microprocessor production and high-tech telecommunications services. Most recently, the United States signed a free trade agreement with Central America (CAFTA), which is expected to be ratified by all the Central American countries. According to CIA Factbook, Costa Rica GDP of $9,000 ranks fourth among Latin American countries. Costa Rica is tied with Mexico, and ranks with Chile, South Africa and Malaysia.
Pro-Environment. Costa Rica is perhaps the most biologically diverse of the Central American countries, contributing to almost 5% of the world's total biodiversity including: 10,000 plant species (which include 1,200 orchid species, 27% of which are native to the country), 1,239 butterflies, 848 birds (7 of which are native to the country), 205 mammals (105 of which are bat species), 216 reptiles, 160 amphibians, and 1,630 fish species. Close to 1.26 million hectares of Costa Rica is protected under their national conservation system, including 10 biological reserves, 22 national parks, 34 wildlife refuges, and 12 forest reserves. Costa Rica has pro-environment country policies and has signed many of the international environmental agreements and conventions.
Booming tourism industry. Huge numbers of tourists visit Costa Rica. This numbeer increases annually.The country's biodiversity attracts nature lovers from all over the world. The primary attraction for many visitors is the 850 recorded bird species, which include the resplendent quetzal, indigo-capped hummingbirds, macaws and toucans. Costa Rica's tropical forests have over 1400 tree species and provide a variety of habitats for the country's fauna including four types of monkeys, sloths, armadillos, jaguars and tapirs. There are also a number of dazzling butterflies. National parks cover almost 12% of the country, and forest reserves and Indian reservations boost the protected land area to 27%.
Good health and life expectancy. According to the World Health Organization, Costa Rica has the same life expectancy of 77.0 years as the United States. It is interesting to note, that Costa Rica spends more on health care than the United States. The per capita expenditures of the gross national income are $4,280 as compared to $3,751 in the United States.