Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 84 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total:
51,100 km²
land:
50,660 km²
water:
440 km²
note:
includes Isla del Coco (Cocos
Island) in the Pacific Ocean
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total:
639 km
border countries:
Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Coastline: 1,290 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
Natural resources: hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
6%
permanent crops:
5%
permanent pastures:
46%
forests and woodland:
31%
other:
12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,200 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes
Environment - current issues: deforestation, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching; soil erosion; water pollution (rivers); fisheries protection; solid waste management
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
- See also : Costa Rica, Cocos Island, National Parks of Costa Rica[?]